Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Hush
Chain casts a death stare toward me and I hold it. “After telling Alexander some bullshit lie of why our only lead is dead, he was very understanding of the fact.”
Yeah, I know I fucked up, but I’d do it again if I had to. In a goddamn heartbeat.
“I got guys on the inside working on who Grizzly’s boss might have been. Turns out whoever the higher up guy is, isn’t too far. Got a hook on a big nasty guy. In fact, it turns out he’s been hanging around Alexander’s club a lot lately. Probably looking for his next big drop.”
My blood turns cold.
Chain rubs the greying scruff along his jaw. “Hush. Bullet. Pay another visit to Alexander’s club and see if you can find anything weird going on.”
I nod, pushing from the wall.
Bullet leaves his chair, meeting me by the door. “Guess it’s you and me again, brother.”
Tank stops at the bottom of the stairs, his huge frame intercepting us both. “Hey, how is that club? Been meaning to check it out.”
“If you like lots of orgies and women who will drop some X into your mouth like a goddamn bird, then it’s right up your ally.” Bullet grins, slapping a hand on Tank’s back, but seeming unamused at the same time.
Tank rubs his beard. “Mmm. Maybe I’ll tag along. Just to make sure you two dipshits don’t get yourselves killed. Of course.”
Killed is a bit extreme.
“Of course.” Bullet shakes his head wearing a side grin. “Just don’t scare anyone away. Got it? We need to find our guy and you being a mammoth walking into a high-end club doesn’t send out the right stealth vibes.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll tone it down, Vice.”
“Right. Whatever. Let’s roll. I’ll drive.”
My phone vibrates inside my pocket and when I see Danika’s name flash on the screen, this weird feeling of excitement rolls through me.
Danika: I’m off tonight. Entertain me with your handsome face? We can watch a dumb romcom and sit on my uncomfortable couch with a huge bowl of popcorn.
One side of my mouth turns up and Bullet eyes me with raised brows. I guess seeing me almost smile is something foreign around here.
I’m pinned with disappointment when I remember I can’t see her tonight.
Me: Club business tonight. But rain check on the dumb romcom and popcorn?
Typing bubbles appear…
Danika: Is everything okay?
Me: Gotta head back to the night club to scope it out.
Thinking about what happened to Danika last time, makes me murderous.
Danika: What if you get hurt?
Knowing she worries about me, hits me like a brick, and doesn’t settle right.
Me: You worried about me, butterfly?
Danika: That obvious?
I smirk.
Me: I’ll be fine. I am our enforcer after all.
Crazy always wins.
With that, I pocket my phone and join my brothers in Bullet’s double wide truck.
So much for not sticking out like a sore thumb.
We pull up to the club, a line already out the door, and women hover close in their tiny dresses barely leaving room to the imagination. Not that I give a shit. The only woman who can draw my attention is…
leaning against her Toyota Camry at the curb in tight jeans and a crop top. Her body visibly trembling from here.
What the actual fuck?
“Hey, I might be seeing things but isn’t that your girl?” Tank stands, hands in pockets addressing the five-foot three woman across the way who waves sheepishly like she just caught doing something she isn’t supposed to do.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Exactly that.
“No.” I shake my head. “Yeah. That’s Danika, but she’s not my girl.”
“Jesus. You sound like Throttle three months ago.” Tank scoffs but I ignore him, my only destination being Danika.
I walk past the lengthy line of people out the door and over to her. Her long copper hair flowing down over her shoulders.
“Hey. So, I’ve been here for like ten minutes already. You guys are slow.”
I palm her shoulders, spinning her until I have her up against the brick of the building. “What are you doing here?”
“Looks like I’m here to make sure you’re safe. This place is brutal.”
“No shit. When I gave you that car, I didn’t mean for you to put yourself into dangerous situations. It’s meant to keep you out of unsafe environments. Not put you in them.”
“Yeah, yeah. But hey since I’m here I might as well come with you, right?”
“Wrong.” I step away. “Go home.”
“Not happening. I’m coming with.”
I pin her with a look. “This is club business. You can’t come with me.”
Tank clears his throat beside me. At some point he weaseled his way over. “You know, if we wanted to be less conspicuous, she might help.”
How would Danika make us less conspicuous? She turns heads everywhere.
I glance over at Tank in my periphery. “It’s too dangerous. Last time she was here, it didn’t go well.”
“But I’m surrounded by the three of you. What could go wrong?”
“Fuck,” Bullet says next to me. “Chain isn’t gonna like this one.”
No, he isn’t and I’m already on his shit list but the stubborn woman who is eyeing me with grin, tells me I’m not going to get her to change her mind.
I pull her into me. “You don’t leave my side, understood?”
She smiles. “Don’t gotta tell me twice.”
I snake an arm tightly around her waist as we head up front, earning bad looks with curse words added.
Bullet tells the bouncer we have an appointment with Alexander, and we wait until we get the approval to go inside.
The thought of him seeing Danika again after last time, rubs me the wrong way.
He spotted her like she was on his fucking radar and my blood boils just thinking about it.
She’s been through enough and the thought of her getting hurt again isn’t okay with me.
Passing the bar, we round the corner through the short hallway and then up the stairs.
A tall blonde greets us at the door allowing us entry into Alexander’s VIP like before.
The huge one-way glass mirror sparks my memory leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
He was practically drooling like a starving dog as he watched Danika.
“Ah, gentleman and…” Alexander pauses, taking in a stiff Danika next to me and my grip on her tightens. He steps forward, and I brace for anything. If he touches her, he’s fucking dead. “Wait a minute. I know you.” His eyes narrow into thin slits.
She’s stiff as a board beside me with my stare never faltering. “We’ve met. Yes.”
His gaze traces over her like she’s his for the taking. “You’re still as beautiful as ever I see—”
“I will gladly shove a knife inside your chest.” Even with my low tone my outburst is a surprise to many.
I’d put a bullet in his heart, but considering we aren’t allowed guns here, a knife will do fine.
Danika sucks in a sharp breath as Alexander’s bodyguards stalk toward me, hands inside their suits, ready to shoot me dead right here.
Alexander bursts into a crazed laughter, adding to the shock value.
“The quiet enforcer speaks. She must mean a great deal for you to threaten me in my club,” he reminds me, holding out a hand for his men to stop.
“But I can see why you’re so in love. And for that, I’ll let it pass.
It’s a shame though, I could have given you anything you’ve ever wanted, sweetheart. ”
My nostrils flare and then my stomach sinks because he’s probably right. What do I have to offer?
“While your offer is somewhat charming, I have all I need. Thank you.” Danika brushes her fingers with mine and I stiffen yet my pulse slows and the fire within my veins cool.
“Huh. Well, okay then. Guess it’s time for business.”
Bullet speaks first, having already inched his way closer to me and Danika, Tank having done the same. “We’re not here to start any trouble, just looking for some leads.”
“And you believe them to be what? Just hanging around my club. These drug kings as you call them.”
“Perhaps,” Bullet answers again.
Alexander leisurely drinks his scotch, eyeing us over the rim cautiously.
“I have one hell of a security team here. Anything dirty wouldn’t slip past my guys.
I don’t like side hustles happening in my club that have not been approved by myself.
” He eyes Danika over his cup as he takes another drink but then to me, nodding in a strange understanding.
Like he’s giving me a truce. Fucker isn’t a good man by any stretch of the means, but he can clearly respect his boundaries.
Bullet cocks his head. “No doubt you do, but we’re just trying to cover all our options.” Since I killed our only lead. “We won’t cause any trouble, just scoping things out. Besides, you wanted us to find your guy so here we are trying to do that.”
He wipes the access alcohol from his lips and then eyes the bar from the window. “First round is on the house. But no funny business in my club.” He turns toward us slowly. “You don’t want me as your enemy.”
Tank subtly adds, “You don’t want us as one either.”
Alexander smiles. “Touché.” He holds up his drink in a cheer motion. “Have fun boys.” He doesn’t acknowledge Danika this time and I’m glad for it.
She shouldn’t even fucking be here, but now that she is and refusing to leave, I don’t want her out of my sight.