Chapter 6
Jersey
"Your second drink, sir?"
I pull my eyes from the empty cross and give the waitress standing in front of me a light smile.
"That would be great," I tell her, letting my eyes drift away immediately. "Thank you."
As much as I want to roam the facility looking for her, she bolted the last time I saw her here, and the other day, when she was slinking out of the cabin, it was clear she didn't want to be seen. I can't imagine she'll stick around to have a conversation with me here. It was more likely to happen the other day back at the house, no doubt her wanting to beg me not to say anything to anyone. I'm not judging her for being here. It's her choice how she spends her time, and I feel guilty every time I remember blurting out where I had first seen her. It wasn't my business to tell.
I hadn't seen one familiar face since arriving half an hour ago until I saw Caitlyn on the cross.
It possibly bodes well for the business, not using the same staff. It speaks of distance from the old way things were done here, which could go either way as far as criminality is concerned. I know better than to think that all new staff means zero tolerance for illegal activities. It could be as simple as the new owners don't want people outside of their organization knowing what they're doing here.
"They have a room in the back that looks like a huge orgy," Zeus says as he plops down on the sofa beside me.
The man talks too much, making me regret the change in plans when there was a break early this morning in a case Lark had been working on for a couple of weeks.
The massive ginger has a wide smile as he lets his eyes wander around the room.
There are various stations, and although things look a little different than they did the last time I was here, the main areas remain the same. It seems the layout from the first owner was acceptable enough for those who came after. Doing a massive overhaul takes time, and these guys don't make any money if the doors are locked. Profit will always prevail over anything else.
"Did you hear me?" Zeus asks.
"I heard," I mutter, looking for the waitress with my second drink.
Like most other clubs of this sort, there's a two-drink limit. They don't want to have to deal with drunk people without inhibitions. It lowers the risk of rule-breaking and assault. Not all clubs are like that, and it's one of the biggest red flags to see during an investigation.
"Why didn't you join them?" I ask when Zeus remains silent.
I roll my head on my shoulders to look at him. The guy seems distracted, looking toward me but not at me.
"Dr. Rudd?" he asks, confusion drawing his brows together .
I spin so fast it takes a second for my eyes to catch up to my body, but lo-and-behold, there she is, fully dressed with the pinkest cheeks I've ever seen. It’s as if she's embarrassed standing here as opposed to when she was strapped to the cross.
"Caitlyn," I whisper as I stand.
She is so fucking beautiful it's almost too difficult to keep my eyes from roaming down her body. I did my best when she was across the room, and I don't see how it would be any less creepy to do it now despite her having clothes on.
"We haven't formally met," I say, holding out my hand.
She doesn't bother to look at it, much less take the offer. "I'm Caitlyn Rudd. Nice to meet you."
I spin to face Zeus when I feel him swat at my shoulder.
"Move," he grumbles as he steps around me. "Would you like to join us?"
I watch her eyes as they lift to the man. He's several inches taller than me, practically a giant by today's standards. He's a full foot or so taller than her, and I can see the hesitation on her face before she turns her attention back to me.
"Do you mind?" she asks, her voice soft and fading quickly with the music playing through the hidden speakers.
I shake my head, taking a step back so she can pass. Instead of walking toward the side of the small table in the grouping of furniture that Zeus and I have been sitting at, she sits on the opposite side, allowing her to watch both of us as if she doesn't trust us at all.
"Your drink, sir," the waitress says as she appears with a glass of whiskey.
"Thank you," I tell her, wishing she'd step out of the way so I could keep my eyes on Caitlyn.
"Sir? Ma'am? Anything to drink? "
Zeus declines, whereas Caitlyn requests a bottle of water with the cap on.
Smart woman.
I can do nothing more than stare at her, and although it makes me feel like a complete fool, I find it impossible to do anything else.
"What brings you here?" Zeus asks, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees.
Her fake smile fades, making me wonder how hard it was for her to smile in the first place.
Her throat works on a swallow before she manages a response. "Nice weather we're having."
Zeus tilts his head slightly, but the guy isn't an idiot, and he catches on quickly.
"The sunshine makes it great for long rides on the bike," Zeus says, quickly shifting gears. "Have you ever been on a motorcycle, Dr. Rudd?"
"Caitlyn, please," she says. "No, I have never been on a motorcycle, and I can't see myself ever doing so."
"Caitlyn," he says, his tone having a hint of awe as if she just gave him an unexpected gift.
I'm no stranger to rage, but it's hardly ever a teammate I want to pound into the ground. Instead of looking over at him, which would no doubt lead me to connect my fist to his nose, I chance a look around the room.
Unfortunately, it's the exact moment the waitress is coming back with Caitlyn's water, and it leaves me looking like I'm staring directly at the collared naked woman.
I lift my glass, hoping she didn't catch me watching the naked woman. I see the exact moment she notices my wedding ring.
Her eyes dart away a second later.
I lean forward an inch, an explanation on my lips, but I think better of it.
Jericho warned me away from the woman, and I bet the man would consider this simple conversation a violation of that demand. Maybe it's better for her to believe the conclusion she just came to.
What changes if she knows?
Why do I care either way?
I glare at her, feeling a little uneasy for even worrying one way or the other because it's not something I usually struggle with.
"Umm," she says, putting her unopened bottle of water on the table between us as she stands. "Have a nice evening."
Zeus and I begin to stand out of respect, but she's gone before we can fully get our asses off the sofa.
"I never would've guessed you were someone who struggled to talk to women," Zeus says with a chuckle. "You made that shit awkward as fuck."
"I don't struggle with talking to women," I mutter, draining my second glass and considering asking Zeus if he has had his two-drink limit yet.
"What the hell was that then?" he asks, pointing in the direction Caitlyn left.
I fight the urge to follow her and make sure she makes it to her car safely. Instead, I grip the right arm of the sofa I'm sitting on to keep myself locked in place.
"She's Eli's therapist," I remind him.
"And a little kinky," he says. When I turn my head to glare at him, I find him comically raising and lowering his eyebrows rapidly like a fucking clown.
"You don't know that."
His head tilts before he pulls it back a few inches. "Did you forget where we are? Forget this is a previous patron invite-only event, which means it's not her first time here?"
"You need to forget you even saw her here in the first place. "
"I'd never tell anyone she was here," he snaps, sounding offended.
It makes the guilt I have for blurting it to Jericho triple.
"It's no one's business," he adds, making it ten times worse for me.
"We have a fucking job to do," I grunt.
"Oh, I'm thinking of a job, alright. Did you see her lips?"
I slam my empty whiskey glass down on the table in front of me and slide closer to him.
"Do you want to be found in a ravine on the side of a mountain?"
His smile grows wider, his bright green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"So, you only have a hard time talking to women you have the hots for, huh?"
He stands, slapping me on my shoulder before walking away.