Mandy’s smile widened. “Likewise, boss.”
I sipped my whiskey, allowing her to sit on my lap but making sure to keep my hands to myself. I didn’t mind if my guys touched, so long as the girls were okay with it, but it wasn’t my thing. Especially not with Mandy.
I glanced at my watch and sighed. It was less than five minutes until my appointment time, and the guy hadn’t shown up yet.
“Waiting for somebody?” Mandy stared at me, a look that said she wanted more. “Should I be jealous?”
She started to move on my lap, her slender body looking damn fine in her skimpy lingerie. Her long black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, the end brushing one of her bare shoulders. I kept my free hand at my side, content to watch and drink as she did her thing.
“You know I’ll always take care of you, doll face,” I said as she rose to her knees, her tits inches from my face.
“I know. But still. The thought of you waiting for another woman makes me a little sad.”
“I’m not waiting for a woman. You can rest easy.”
I’d known Mandy since the day we started looking for girls for my club. She’d been one of the first dancers I’d hired, coming on board just a few months after Sinner’s Lounge opened. After she’d approached me at Suzi’s, I knew I had to hire her. She fit the bill for what I wanted in my club. I’d always had a soft spot for her. It was her eyes. They reminded me of somebody from my youth, a girl that stole my heart and never fucking gave it back.
But her eyes, that’s where the similarities ended.
Mandy’s weren’t the right shade of green, and they didn’t have the blue circle around the pupil, but the resemblance was still enough for me to see it every time I looked at her. It was why I allowed myself to get closer to her than I did with any of the others.
I’d never fucked her. My rule of no sex with the girls extended to myself as well as the rest of my crew. But no matter what, rules were important, even though none of the guys in my club were sex-crazed maniacs or couldn’t find a way to get laid, anyway. So far, it’d worked out.
But even without the rule, I probably wouldn’t have had sex with her. That wasn’t the point of us. We had a good, solid friendship, and I wouldn’t trade it for a sweaty one-night stand.
“You wanna talk about what’s bothering you?” she asked in a low voice, rolling her hips as she arched her back.
“Not really.”
I didn’t discuss work with the girls, Mandy included. They didn’t need to know what went on behind the scenes. It wasn’t because of any macho-man bullshit. It was for their own safety. They signed up to dance for my club, nothing more. The less they knew about my business, the safer they were. I wanted to keep it that way.
“You can tell me anything.” Mandy leaned in and purred against my ear.
“I know, doll. I know.”
I finished my drink as she kept dancing, her hot body looking damn fine even in the darkness of the club. By now, the flashing lights had stopped as the mood shifted to something slower and sexier. Most partygoers were filing out, leaving only the serious regulars behind.
I looked over Mandy’s shoulder in time to see my appointment finally walk through the door. Glancing at my watch, I snorted. Even though I’d only met him once or twice, Jorge Zahíno’s reputation preceded him.
I was taking a huge risk even meeting with him.
The least he could do was show up on time.
I handed Mandy my empty glass. “Thanks for the dance, doll. Get back to work.”
She slid off my lap without hesitation, giving me another smile before she sauntered off to find a paying client. I didn’t move, watching Zahíno make his way through the crowd toward me. When he approached, he was immediately stopped by Carl, head of my security guards.
“Let him through,” I ordered.
4
Vorn
Dressed in all black, a shit-ton of tattoos, broad-shouldered, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail, Zahíno stood out mostly because of his height. He was a good foot or two taller than most guys and would intimidate a lot of people with his “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. Like he could turn around and knock somebody the fuck out before stretching out on the couch for a nap. He looked a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw him. He’d gained some weight, at least from what I could tell through the dim lights.
Zahíno sat down across from me, giving me a nod in greeting. “Hey, sorry I’m late. I was following up on a lead.”
“Zahíno. It’s been a long-ass time.”
“Yeah, well, I was told not to come back until I got my shit together. Took longer than I expected.”
“And are you? Clean?”
Zahíno nodded again. “Haven’t touched coke or pills in over six months, man.”
I took a moment to check him over. His skin looked like it had some of its color back. I was inclined to believe him.
“Good.” I leaned forward. “How does it feel?”
Zahíno smirked. “Some days are shit, but at least I can account for all my actions now.”
“Well, just keep it that way, and we won’t have a problem.” I waved at Skylar, one of the regular waitresses, as she passed, motioning for her to bring two drinks. “So, what have you got for me? Why’d you want to meet?”
“There’s been some talk going around that I thought you might be interested in.”
“If it’s about Saro being sick, you’re too late,” I said. “Learned about that a long time ago.”
“This isn’t about the Sons. I don’t waste my energy on those shitheads anymore. You know I hate that son of a bitch as much as you do.”
Not possible, I thought to myself, but I let the comment slide.
“Then what’s it about?”
He leaned forward, putting his arms on the table. “There have been some sketchy things going on around town. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
He wasn’t wrong.
There had been a few girls missing from Jersey Street and from the streets in the area that nobody was copping to, and a few of my street contacts had suddenly grown quiet. The incidents were irregular and not something I’d really noticed at first, until they began to make the news. I couldn’t, no—I wouldn’t let anything happen to my girls on my watch.
“I may have,” I said. “Are you telling me you know who’s behind them?”
Zahíno inclined his head. “I’ve got a pretty damn good idea.”
“I’ll bite. Who?”
“The Harrow brothers.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
My stomach dropped the way it did when the elevator you were on moved too fast. I didn’t say anything at first. It’d been years since I heard that name. Not many people in my circle knew about the Harrows, and I wanted to keep it that way. The fact that Zahíno did and felt like I would care immediately had me on guard.
“What about them?” I studied Zahíno through narrowed eyes. “You working for them now?”
“What? No. Fuck no. You know I’m loyal to the Hell’s. You’re the only one who ever considered giving me a chance. Or at least cared enough to kick my ass into gear.”