Chapter 13 #2
Harper glanced at the peephole. Patricia wouldn’t snoop in on the conversation, but Nell might. Harper had done similar things to her.
Taking Maya’s hand, she dragged her out of view of the door.
“How did you know I was here?” Harper asked. “I didn’t give you this address.”
Maya frowned. “You didn’t?”
Harper was sure she didn’t. She didn’t want to risk Kieran finding out where she was. For her own sake, as much as Lucas and Patricia’s.
Maya looked at the floor. “I must have overheard it somewhere. You told me you were staying at Trish’s, so I guess I… It’s not important right now.”
Harper looked over Maya’s torn clothes. “What happened? Did you get jumped or something?”
“In a way. But I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.” Her dark eyes paused on Harper’s holed t-shirt and faded pajama pants. “Did I wake you?”
“Normally, you would have, but I was up already. We saw Lucas off a little while ago, and I didn’t feel like going back to sleep.”
She tried to make her voice sound casual, despite nothing about this situation being casual.
It also didn’t work. Rather than nod along, Maya’s face paled.
“Right. Trish, she… she has a kid.”
“Yeah, she does,” Harper said hesitantly. “He’s away for the weekend. On a camping trip in upstate Illinois.”
“Illinois?” Maya let out a deep sigh and put her hand against the wall. “That… That sounds fun. Good for him.”
Maya glanced at the nearby window. Dawn was still hours away, and the city hadn’t properly woken up yet.
Tensing, she pulled Harper further down the hallway.
“I don’t really know how to begin,” Maya said. “This conversation wasn’t supposed to happen like this, so I’m kind of winging it. Are you familiar with the Court of Chains?”
The name rang a bell. A big one. Anyone slightly familiar with the party scene knew of the Chicago-based nightclub.
Eccentric enough to feel exclusive, popular enough to warrant a hefty entrance fee.
The events they put on sold out in minutes, and getting membership to the place was supposedly impossible.
“I’ve heard of it. Why?”
“The first night we met, I mentioned my old boss. I’m still working for her. She co-owns the place, and she’s a bit… particular. She’s opening a new location in Chicago, and it needs quality staff, so she sent me here to scout out potential hires. Long story short, she’s offering you a job.”
Harper leaned back. “A job?”
“A meeting, technically. And not just for you, but for Nell and Trish, too. Today, if possible. When it comes to this issue, Natalya isn’t exactly patient.
” Maya eyed the nearby shadows, as though worried they would come alive.
“You three came highly recommended, so me coming here was just a formality. If you make the drive, it’ll be more than worth it. ”
Harper stared at her, understanding the words but not their true meaning. Because there had to be one. Golden opportunities didn’t just fall into your lap, not without a price attached. Not without a dangling shoe waiting to drop.
“What’s really going on, Maya?”
“There isn’t—”
“Don’t lie to me. The owner of one of the most popular nightclubs west of New York doesn’t handpick their staff out of a gutter hundreds of miles away, no matter how particular she is. There’s something more to this. Tell me.”
“I can’t tell you!” Maya pressed her hand against her temple, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, every ounce of acted charm was replaced with anguish.
“I can’t tell you yet. If I do, I doubt you’d believe me, anyway. But if you go to Chicago, everything will make sense. I promise.”
Harper barely heard what she said. Her attention had shifted the moment Maya raised her arm, revealing a jagged scar on the back of her hand.
She grabbed Maya’s hand and turned it over, seeing the mark mirrored on her palm. A scar that was impossible to miss and which was still an angry red color, suggesting it wasn’t that old. But definitely older than a few hours.
“You didn’t have this last night,” Harper said. Mostly to herself, as though voicing the thought would make it make sense. “I don’t… I don’t understand what—”
Maya wrapped her fingers around Harper’s, her grip so tight it was almost painful.
“Say you’ll make the drive. Now, while it’s still dark. Please.”
The look in her eyes was so surprising that it took a moment to identify. Harper had expected annoyance or frustration, perhaps. Not pleading. Not fear. As though something terrible would happen if this request, strange as it was, was denied.
“Alright… I’ll talk to Nell and Trish. We can be in the car within the hour.” She lowered her voice. “Are we in danger?”
Maya’s eyes unfocused. Then she cupped Harper’s face and pressed their lips together in a kiss that was as soft as it was startling. A kiss that made Harper sigh without meaning to.
Maya broke it before it could be returned. She rested her forehead against Harper’s, fingers brushing through her unkempt hair.
“Just one last time.” Tensing all over, as though she had to force herself to move, Maya stepped back. “The place you’re heading to is called Club Lotus. Natalya and… Natalya will meet you there.”
Maya turned and hurried towards the stairs. The building was old and creaked constantly, but despite that, her descent was silent. The moment she stepped into the shadows, not even her footsteps could be heard.