Chapter 18
Mia
Sifting through my closet, I hold my cell phone to my ear as it rings on the other end. I need something sexy to wear. It wasn’t hard to recruit Will for a night of debauchery at a strip club, but I have to look the part if I’m going to get any answers.
I push the hangers along the metal rack and yell, “Clarke,” when she answers the phone. “My best friend in the whole wide world. Please come with me tonight. I need a plus one for my next mission.”
She chuckles. “Okay, I’ll bite. Where are we going?”
“Scores.”
More laughter. “A strip club. Oh, this is rich. Have you ever been to one?”
“No, of course not, but I got a lead. I want to chase it.”
“Now you think they’re selling drugs at Scores?”
I lift a short leather skirt from the rack and study it. “Yeah. From what I can tell, the Mafia is the supplier of the drugs. Scores is another one of their fronts.”
She blows air into the receiver. “And you honestly think you can take them down? This is dangerous, Mia. Why don’t you call that cop from the eighteenth precinct you trade information with? It’s not your job to bust criminals.”
“I could use some backup in case shit gets crazy. Are you coming or not?” I cradle the phone between my ear and shoulder and step into the skirt, sliding it up my thighs.
For a second, I think of Ethan, who loved taking this thing off me. Asshole.
“I guess,” she huffs. “How can I pass up the chance of seeing you in a strip club?”
“I’m glad you find this so amusing. Will seemed to think so, too.”
She gasps. “Will knows about the case? I can’t believe you told him.”
“No, of course not.” I zip the skirt and glance down at my pale legs that could use some bronzer.
“I need you to keep Will company while I dig around and see if there’s any suspicious activity going on there.
He’ll be up my ass if you don’t come and be my wing woman. Pretty please. I’ll owe you one.”
“As your friend, I’ll come. You’re getting too invested in this story. I’m afraid you’ll get yourself killed if you don’t watch out.”
I shut my closet and look at myself in the full-length mirror glued to the front of the door.
Not bad for last-minute stakeout attire.
After wearing this outfit to The Sixth Floor, I know I can pass the dress code test. I laugh at the thought of a dress code at a place where they take their clothes off for money.
Hilarious.
“Can you be here in an hour? Will’s coming to my apartment. I scheduled an Uber for nine o’clock.”
“Yep, I’ll be there. Whether you’re right about this lead or not, I have to see your reaction when you walk into Scores. This is priceless.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “See ya in a bit.”
“Later, chica.”
Not long after I hang up with Clarke, I hear Will in the living room talking loudly to someone. I can’t make out the words, only the tone of their deep voices. I check my appearance in the mirror one last time before I grab my purse from the bed and walk out of my bedroom and down the hall.
Ethan is the last person I’d expected to find lounging on my couch, with his foot propped up on the coffee table.
Where the fuck has he been for the past two weeks?
I want to say something, even though I know I have no right to the information.
Ethan’s not my boyfriend. He owes me nothing.
Still, it doesn’t hurt any less seeing him after all this time.
I stop in front of the coffee table, arms crossed over my chest. “Why are you idiots being so loud?”
Neither answers me, still talking over each other, the same as they always do. I stare at Ethan. A cocky smirk turns up the corner of his mouth when he looks at me. Sucking in a deep breath, I do my best to compose myself. The heat from his gaze produces a fire beneath my skin.
Ethan licks his lips, a simple gesture Will doesn’t pick up on. But I do. When it comes to Ethan, I never miss a beat.
Why is he playing games with me? Why did he disappear on me? And why the hell is he lounging on my couch like some lazy, entitled prince?
“Remind me to make an appointment for you,” Ethan says. “My girl at Boyds will hook you up.”
I tilt my head back and laugh. “Like I can afford to shop at Boyds. Unless you have a girl at Plato’s Closet or Walmart, I’m good with what I have, thank you very much.”
“Tell her to put it on my tab,” Will says.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Since when do you shop at fancy department stores?”
He shrugs. “I have to wear suits and ties for games. I’m not a complete caveman.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not a charity case.”
Will shakes his head. “It’s not charity, Mia.
You’re my sister. I want to do something nice for you.
So does Ethan.” He holds his hand up and moves it around the apartment.
“Look at how you live. I’d rather see you somewhere safer and with food in your fridge, not slumming it. You deserve better than this.”
I let out a puff of air and drop the conversation. We have the same argument so often that I might as well let him feel better by doing this one nice thing for me. With my bargain shopper powers, I’m sure I can find a few things on the cheap.
“Fine,” I mutter. “If buying me clothes will make you happy, then I’ll meet the girl from Boyds.”
Will smiles. So does Ethan, who removes his cell phone from his jeans pocket. Ethan types out a quick text message, and a few seconds later, it dings.
“Alanna can see you tomorrow after you finish work,” Ethan says.
“Okay, great. Thanks. Now, can we get the hell out of here? Clarke should be here any minute.”
As if on cue, Clarke knocks once before stepping inside my apartment. “Is everyone decent?”
Will pushes himself up from the couch. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
Clarke flips her hair over her shoulder and snorts. “Never know with you living here. I’ve read enough about you to know I should knock before entering anywhere you live, Romeo.” She drags out his nickname and snickers.
Will laughs. “And why is that?”
She cocks an eyebrow at him. “Because you’re a bad boy.”
I narrow my eyes at Clarke.
What is she doing? Ugh, she can’t like my brother. He’s… well, he’s Will. My brother loves a challenge, and Clarke will give him one.
In one swift motion, he moves past me, hovering over Clarke. He’s a lot taller than her, five feet two inches. Even in heels, she looks tiny in comparison to him. Will studies her face and licks his bottom lip. Shit. He does like her.
He glides his fingers along her bare shoulder, pushing the strap of her top down her arm. “You shouldn’t believe what you read in the papers, but at least they got that part right.”
“Okay, enough of that.” I throw my hands onto my hips and glare at my brother. “Can we make it to Scores without you hitting on my friend?”
Will peeks over his shoulder at me, and then his gaze shifts to Ethan. “Hey, I had to watch E hit on you. Deal with it, little sis.”
Clarke flashes my brother a wicked smirk. “For the record, I’m not interested. Save your energy for someone else.”
Oh, no. Now, he won’t give up until she’s screaming his name in the bedroom next to mine. At least Clarke has self-control, unlike me, when it comes to Ethan.
Ethan walks around the table to stand at Will’s side and locks eyes with me.
Could he be any further away?
Idiot.
Choosing to ignore him, I check the time and realize our driver will be here any minute. “Time to go.”
With Clarke behind him, Will exits the apartment first, leaving me with Ethan. We stare at each other briefly before I get enough sense to dig my keys from my purse.
“You look beautiful,” Ethan says under his breath. His voice is so low I have to strain to hear him.
“Thank you,” I mouth, not wanting my brother to hear us.
Will and Clarke are halfway downstairs, already arguing over something.
Ethan touches my cheek with his calloused thumb. “Mia, I’m sorry.”
That’s all he says before releasing his grip on me, though his hold over my heart stays with me all the way to the strip club.