Chapter 34
Jared
My bike weaves in and out of traffic, and I continue to follow Beau on his bike.
The faster I go, the more my mind lets go of everything, especially the images of Kailey from last night.
His bike starts to slow down, turning into a very packed parking lot.
There’s a line of people waiting to get in through the front doors, where two bouncers are present.
We continue to drive around the building and park in its back lot.
Once our helmets are off, he tells me that this is a very exclusive club.
“Well, shit, you didn’t have to take me anywhere fancy, Beau.” I look at him. He’s six-foot-two, with a muscular build, and blue eyes that remind me of the ocean. His curly blonde hair is longer on top and shaved close on the sides. He could be a model in any ad campaign.
His arms spread out wide. “Jared, this is me welcoming you, not only to the team, but also to Chicago. If you’re going to be here for a while, there are things you need to know. One of them is where we are right now, The Lavender Room. But there’s also The Purple Room and The Violet Room.”
“Okay, that already sounds like a lot for me to remember.” I laugh and follow him to a dark purple door. Beau pulls out a card and scans it against a barcode reader; the door immediately unlocks and opens.
A man in a navy suit is standing on the other side; he’s buff, and he’s got about three inches on Beau and me.
“What’s up, Doug?” Beau gives the man a fist bump.
Doug scowls. “Beau, who’s the new guy?”
Beau explains to the guy who I am and fills him in on how the fights from last night went.
“Is Carter in tonight? I’d like to introduce them and get Jared squared away with a membership.”
“Yeah, he’s in his office.” Doug continues to stare me down.
We walk past him, down a long hall, and come to a room on the right. Beau knocks and is told to come in.
A good-looking man is sitting behind a desk—a very clean desk with one picture frame. He has solid black hair and light tan skin. He stands up and walks over to Beau, bringing him in for a heartfelt hug.
“Beau, it’s so good to see you. How the hell have you been? I heard good things about last night. You fought well.” He pulls back, lightly patting Beau’s cheek.
“I’ve been great, fighting and trying to focus on the bigger picture of life.” Beau turns to me. “Jared, this is Carter.” He pauses for a moment before continuing, “Carter saved my life.”
Carter shakes his head. “No, that guy did the hard part on his own. I just offered guidance and a place to stay sometimes.”
“I’m Jared, a teammate of Beau’s, and I’m new in town.” I offer my hand out for a shake, and he looks down and takes it in his.
His handshake is firm and solid, and he doesn’t drop it as he says, “Any friend of Beau’s is a friend of mine.”
Carter notices me staring at the picture frame on his desk. A beautiful young woman is smiling while hugging Carter. “That’s my daughter, Ajani.” His face lights up as he mentions her name.
“How’s she doing these days?” Beau asks from beside me.
“Oh you know, wanting me to stay out of her business. Saying she can make it without her dad helping her out.”
Beau points to the picture and turns to me. “She’s a ballet dancer. An amazing one at that.” He turns back to Carter. “Please tell her I said hi when you see her again.”
Carter stares at Beau for a beat, like he knows a secret, before responding casually, “Will do. Is there anything else I can help you guys with?”
“Yes, we need to get Jared set up with the Rooms.”
“Are you putting your name down for him?” Carter stares at my new teammate, unblinking and intense.
He gives Carter a nod. “Yeah, I’ll vouch for him.”
“Beau, you barely know me.” I’m caught off guard by his immediate response to vouch for me. He looks between Carter and me.
His eyes are still on Carter as he speaks. “Yeah, but I know people, and you, my new friend, are one of the good ones.”
“Ha, he’s kidding,” Carter says flatly while typing something on his computer.
“I now know everything about you, Jared. I don’t hand out memberships to random people.
My club is unique. Beau put in the good word for you, and I did an extensive background check.
” His stare moves from the computer screen to me.
Shit, does he know why I’m really here? He can't know, right?
No way that a standard background check would show that.
“Good to know, sir.” I nod at him, not breaking eye contact. He must be happy with my response because we continue.
After signing the NDAs and the rest of the paperwork, Carter gives me my own card to use, not only for access but as a way of paying for things.
He holds onto it when I try to grab it. “It’s in your best interest to remember: there isn’t anything that I don’t know.
” With that, he lets go of the card. I’m not sure how to process that…
I now realize that Carter is the owner of this whole building. We shake hands before someone knocks on the door, and he ushers Beau and me out of the office.
Beau slaps my back eagerly. “Now, let’s go drink and watch some sexy dancers.” He turns around and leads me to a big open-concept room. The room is mostly dark, with multiple lit-up stages randomly placed throughout and a bar in the middle.
Not only are there dancers on poles, but waitresses walking around topless, their breasts on full display.
Beau catches me staring and starts laughing. “Do they not have clubs like these where you’re from? I mean, come on, you’ve been to a strip club before, right?”
I shove at his shoulder, pushing him away from me. “Of course I have, fucker. This is all just different… in its own way.”
“Well, I’ll take you to the kink floor another time. Tonight, I want to drink and get to know you. Where are you staying?”
“My manager put me up in a hotel for now until I can find something more permanent for the term of my contract.”
Beau points at himself. “Problem solved, buddy. I have an empty spare bedroom that you can use and pay what you can.”
Annoyance pricks along my skin, offended that he thinks I can’t afford it. “I can afford rent.”
His hands immediately go up in surrender. “Perfect. I’ll show you the place after we leave here, and we can come up with something fair.”
We find ourselves a quiet booth in the corner. It gives us a view of the whole room, and a topless waitress stops at our table. Recognizing Beau, she leans down and places a kiss against his cheek.
“What would you like to start with, gentlemen?
“Double shot of whiskey, on the rocks, for me, please.” I relax into the cushions of the booth, arms sprawled out on top.
Drumming my fingertips against the leather, I look around and take in my surroundings and the other customers.
I’m definitely underdressed for this place in my black tennis shoes, black jeans, and a green shirt underneath my leather jacket.
“A shot of whiskey and a beer for me, please, babe.” This lady is dripping for Beau’s attention. Once she turns around to leave, I ask him why he didn’t tell me about the dress code.
“Nobody cares what you wear here. This place is for the elite of Chicago, and you’re allowed to be yourself. No games.”
“So what’s the story with that Carter guy?”
He pauses for a second and looks around before responding quietly.
“Rumor has it that he was once the right-hand guy to the powerful DiPatri Mafia family. He married a Spanish princess, and they had a beautiful daughter—Ajani. There was a war between the Mafia families… a fight for more control. One day, his wife took his car to go and grab diapers, while he and Ajani napped together. A car bomb, no doubt meant for Carter, woke him, and he was left a widower and a single father.”
The waitress comes back and places our drinks down on the table, then heads to her next customer. We each take a long sip of our drinks before Beau continues with the story.
“The other rumor is that he went crazy afterwards and went on a killing spree against the men who took his wife away from him. The head of the DiPatri family let him leave the ranks to raise his daughter, and let him run this place.” He uses his hand to point around the room.
“This is a money maker for the Mafia and a place that offers him some sense of purpose. It’s a win-win. ”
“So how did he save your life?”
Beau shakes his glass, making the ice clink against it, and sets it down.
“Ah, that’s a sad story too. I never knew my father, and grew up with a drug-addicted mom.
She overdosed, and I had nowhere to go. I started doing stupid things for money.
It was then that one of Carter’s men found me.
They took me to him, and instead of a beating, he offered me a job and a roof over my head.
The only rule was to protect Ajani at all costs forever, and never cross that line with her. ”
His lips form into a sad smile around the mouth of his beer bottle. “That part’s been easy; she’s great. And most people are too scared to date her—because of who her dad is.”
The music fades out, and an announcer’s voice is loud. “Let’s welcome our very own… KC!!”
Multiple shades of purple lights strobe, and then focus on a pole, where a dark-haired beauty, who’s only wearing a black bikini, starts to twirl around it.
“Gas Pedal” by Sage the Gemini is playing.
I can’t focus on the words to the music because once the woman on stage does an upside-down twirl, her hair hangs down toward the floor.
Her thin neck is on full display, and a radiant sunflower tattoo is visible behind her right ear.
You’ve got to be kidding me. First the fight, now this?
She’s teasing me, and she doesn’t even know it.
“Nope, not KC. Don’t even think about it, Jared. I can see the way you’re looking at her. She belongs to Mathew King, an enforcer for the Giordano Mafia family. Shit, I don’t even think KC knows she’s his.”
I’m unable to take my eyes away from the way her body is working that pole in perfect rhythm with the beat. “What do you know about her?” I grin wickedly and continue to watch Kailey’s body move. A dazzling smile takes over her face, and it takes my breath away.
“She’s a bartender for The Purple Room. Honestly, I’ve never seen her up there before.”
My eyes skim the crowd, and yeah, I’m not liking the way all of these men are looking at my girl.
Lots of guys in suits whose meetings have all been put on pause as they’re captivated by Kailey’s performance.
A man seated at one of the tables further away catches my attention.
He’s a tall, bald guy in a nice suit, and he’s not alone.
He pulls out his phone, takes a video, types out something quick, and then pockets it.
Fucking creep.
“Do you know when she usually works?”
Beau slams his glass down on the table. “Are you deaf, dumb, or just have a death wish?”
I throw back the rest of my whiskey in one gulp. “When it comes to her, maybe I’m all three.”
Kailey has broken my heart and changed me forever. Maybe the time has finally come to see what kind of reaction I can pull out of her. Does she even think about me?