Chapter 5 #2
Bjorn, Bvlgari, Stewart Weitzman, to name a few. All high-end brands Alex recognized instantly.
“One . . . two . . . three,” she began to count.
“What are you doing?” Colt’s features twisted with a confused smirk.
“I’m counting all the plastic surgery offices I can see from here. Oh, look. I think that’s another one over there.”
His deep laughter rolled through the sunshine-filled air. “Welcome to Beverly Hills.”
“Right?” Alex chuckled with a shake of her head.
Colt spoke up again a few seconds later as he pointed to a large, curved staircase made of stone. “The restaurant’s on the lower level.”
Sticking close to the metal railing, Alex carefully maneuvered her way down the spacious steps to the tiled landing below. Before long, she spotted the pink stucco building with the neon sign announcing The Hideaway’s location.
It was a hidden gem, hence the clever name, and from what she could see, its design was a nod to 1970s Baha California. There were candles placed in several built-in nooks, strategically placed sconces, and an open-air patio covered by an incredible skylit roof.
Once they were seated, Alex continued scanning the restaurant’s beautiful touches and intricate designs. Arched entryways led to indoor seating areas, and at one end was a circular, illuminated bar.
When it came time to order, Alex chose the Atlantic salmon with mango-papaya relish and a side salad while Colt went with a steak and fries. While they waited for their food, Alex seized her opportunity to learn more of her lunch date’s secrets.
“So.” She set her glass of water down onto the table. “Who was on the phone earlier?”
“It was Crawford.”
The man’s answer left her blinking in surprise. “That was Gordan?”
Colt nodded, sipping from his glass of iced tea. “That’s why I needed you to stay quiet. I didn’t want him knowing we were together.”
“Why not? He already saw us together last night.”
In an instant, the memory of the previous night’s incredible kiss returned. How his lips felt against hers. How he tasted sweet like champagne. The way she felt locked in the comfort of his arms.
It didn’t mean anything, Al. It was all for show and nothing more.
“We were discussing details of a possible business arrangement.”
“And his knowing I was there would have messed that up?”
“It wasn’t the kind of conversation a man like Cole Morris would have had in the presence of a woman he met the night before.”
“So kissing me in the middle of his party is okay but spending time with me during the day is out of the question?”
This time it was Colt who blinked, and almost instantly, Alex regretted the off-handed comment.
“Sorry. I guess this whole cloak and dagger business is going to take some getting used to.”
“It’s okay.” His tone was soft. Genuine. “I’m sure it’s a lot to take in.”
A decidedly unladylike snort bubbled up from the base of her throat.
“You can say that again.” She sat back in her chair with a sigh.
“How did you even get started with the C—” Her gaze swept their immediate surroundings before she lowered her voice to keep others from hearing.
“I thought you had a degree in marketing or business or whatever.”
“I do.”
“Then how—”
“You want the long story or the abridged version?”
Alex looked down at her watch and shrugged. “Dinner’s not for a few hours.”
“Long story, it is. Though I can’t tell you everything.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.”
Something flashed behind his mesmerizing stare, but it vanished as Colt took another sip of his tea.
“It was my junior year in college,” Colt began.
“I was roommates with this guy . . . Henry. We all called him Hank.” A soft smile lifted the corners of his lips.
“Anyway he was dating this girl named Zoe. From the get-go, they were practically attached at the hip. Love at first sight, Hank once called it.”
“That sounds nice.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is nauseating.
” He gave a playful roll of his eyes. “But I couldn’t blame the guy.
Zoe was awesome. She was quiet but sweet.
Cute as a button and smart as hell. Your sister reminds me a lot of her, actually.
Very girl-next-door, you know? And man, those two .
. .” A deep chuckle shook his broad shoulders. “They were the real deal.”
A haunted look came over him that made Alex want to reach across the table and grab his hand. She didn’t, of course. Instead she asked the obvious question.
“What happened?”
Colt’s sorrowful stare grew cold. “One of the girls in Zoe’s sorority got engaged.
Zoe thought it would be fun to surprise the girl with an impromptu celebration.
A group of them got together and planned a night out on the town.
They went to dinner and then stopped at a dance club that wasn’t far from campus.
Long story short, when the girls were ready to leave for the night, they couldn’t find Zoe.
They looked everywhere. The bathroom, dance floor, even the sidewalk out front.
It wasn’t until a club employee checked the alley out back that they found her, but it was too late.
” He swallowed hard. “She was already dead.”
The shocking revelation left Alex gasping. “What happened?”
“Overdose.”
“Drugs?” She frowned. “She doesn’t sound like the kind of girl who would have been into that sort of thing.”
“She wasn’t, which is why, when they found both MDMA and fentanyl in her system, I immediately knew someone had snuck it into her drink without Zoe knowing.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I am.” A muscle in the side of his jaw bulged.
“Zoe’s older brother died of an overdose a few years before, and she was very outspoken against recreational drugs.
Campus police and the chief of police at the time all blew it off as another teen party girl who didn’t know her limits.
But Hank and I knew better, as did Zoe’s friends. ”
“What did you do?”
“The only thing I could do. I started looking into things on my own. Did some digging. Started leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for whoever was involved. It didn’t take long before I discovered Zoe’s was the sixth overdose on campus in two months. All with the same concoction in their system as Zoe.”
“Someone gave them tainted drugs,” Alex surmised.
Colt confirmed her theory with a curt nod.
“I pulled a friend who was interning with the IT department, and he got access to the club’s security feed.
Together, we went back through the footage until we found the guy we were hunting.
Aaron Woods, the club’s manager was filling in behind the bar.
Cameras caught the asshole slipping something into Zoe’s drink before he served it to her at the bar. ”
“Did you hand the video over to the police?”
“I did something even better.” A calculated smile lifted his lips. “I started hanging out at the club and eventually became the asshole’s friend.”
“You did what?” Alex blinked, her mind working overtime to imagine the scenario he’d described.
But just as the story was starting to get good, their conversation was forced into an untimely hiatus when their server returned to refill their drinks. They waited for the younger man to leave before resuming their conversation.