“They know me here. They’ll be nervous about insulting me.”
Well then. That explained nothing.
Everyone should be nervous about insulting Raize, as far as I was concerned.
He took off, and I stuffed my hands into the sweatshirt’s pockets. Oh. He might not want that bulge to be outlined, so I took them out. I followed at a more sedate pace, which he noted with a slight frown. Once he was ten feet from the door, it opened and two giant guys stepped out.
They nodded to Raize, who jerked his chin up. “I’d like to see Oscar.”
They both stared, not responding until one touched his ear. He had an earpiece there. He listened for a moment. “We gotta search you and your woman.”
Raize’s eyes were cool, but he didn’t argue. He raised his arms and spread his legs. The earpiece guy went to him, and the other guy came to me.
Raize growled when he touched my arm. “Be careful with her. She’s mine.”
She’s mine.
I gulped, a chill twining around that tingling sensation from before.
The guy gave Raize a dark look, but his hands barely skimmed me, and Raize was right. He didn’t plaster the sweatshirt against me so he missed the part smack in the middle of my back.
They stepped back when they were done, and the door opened once more. A guy in a yellow suit flashed a grin at Raize. He was bald, ebony skin, and dark eyes. Those eyes were lit up in amusement, but there was something more there. Knowing? Something else? I couldn’t tell.
A small grin tugged at his mouth before he ran a hand over his face, smoothing out the half-smile. “Well, well, well. I would never believe it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes. Can’t believe you came back, hombre.”
“Yeah. Well.” Raize shrugged. “You know this business.”
A more knowing look came over the guy, and his grin faded. “I do. You want to see him, huh?”
“I have to.”
“Got it.” The guy’s gaze lingered on me before he jerked his head. “Follow me then. He’s waiting.”
I was noting that neither said each other’s names. That was weird. Though, they weren’t acting like it.
Then we were going inside, and I didn’t know what I had thought it was earlier, but I wouldn’t have guessed a strip club.
It was a strip club.
Everything was so dark. I knew we were walking past people, but I couldn’t see them—could only hear them, sense them, almost feel the movement in the booths as we went past. The air in the room was heavy, with a lot of different smells. Cigar, sweat, booze, body lotion, self-tanner, perfume. I sneezed. I wasn’t used to perfume anymore, though Broo—nope. I needed to shut down those memories.
Why were they coming to me? Now? After being in this world for over a year?
We were taken down a back hallway. It had little lights on the floor until we came to an office.
The guy knocked on the door as he opened it into another dark room, but not as dark. A few lamps in the corners gave the room a soft glow. Behind a large desk, a guy sat in a chair with a girl giving him a lap dance. Behind them was a large, glass room. It was like a wine cellar, but there wasn’t any wine. Instead, a few heavily made-up girls lounged in bikinis behind another glass wall. Their hair was done in updos that must’ve needed an entire bottle of hairspray, and all of them were wearing high heels.
They looked miserable.
“Raize.” The guy wheeled his chair back and smacked the girl’s ass.
She got up, giving Raize a look before sauntering out of the room. None of the guys paid her any attention. All eyes were on Raize, with a few looks coming my way.
“Oscar.”
Raize was guarded, but no surprise there. He was extra alert. I could feel it. I didn’t know if this was a weird homecoming or we’d be involved in a shootout. Either way, Raize stood next to me, within reach of his gun in my bra, but he kept his hands free and loose at his sides.
Oscar looked tall and trim, his long legs kicked out and one ankle crossed over the other. He leaned back, his fingers drumming against each other. He wore what looked like an expensive suit with a few gold chains around his neck. His eyes were dark. His hair was dark as well. I couldn’t place an age on him. But the more I looked at him, the more slimy I felt. This guy was dirty, and not just because of the strip club and all the girls. If I’d met him in Target, he still would’ve made my stomach roll.
Then his eyes slid my way, and the dirtiness turned into a rotten sort of feeling.
He tipped his chin up. “Who’s this? I’ve never known you to take a traveling companion.”
Raize barely flicked a gaze my way. “She’s no one.”
A quiet snort came from behind me, from the guy who’d met us at the door. It was so quiet, I was sure only I’d heard it.
“Right.” Oscar’s tone turned mocking, but it seemed we were back to business. He stood up, and his voice dropped, getting serious. “What the fuck are you doing here? Walking into my business? I know Estrada wants you dead.”
I felt a bristling in the air at those words.
I tensed.
“I wasn’t aware Estrada wanted me dead.”
Oscar’s eyes flashed, and his lip curved in a sneer. “Right. Where’s Macca then?”
“They sent Macca for me as a nice fuck off.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen Macca in years. How’s he doing?”
“You’re a killer, Raize. Not a liar.” Oscar tilted his head to the side. “You a liar now?”
Raize’s eyes narrowed, and his tone went cold. “We’re starting with insults? It’ll be a short meeting, if that’s the case.”
I heard the yellow suit draw in his breath, and found myself doing the same.
Oscar shook his head. “When you left Estrada, you left all of us. You’re forgetting that.”
“And you missed me so much?”
Oscar’s face tightened. “Careful, Raize. I might kill your girl if you piss me off.”
Frozen. Me. Right now.
If I thought the room was alarming before…
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I could feel Raize coiling up, rising. He was going to strike. I felt it in my gut, and I was now just waiting, looking around for where I should dive to avoid the bullets.
Then I felt a presence behind me, it was the door guy. He murmured softly, “It’s a bluff, buddy.”
Those words weren’t for me, but Raize didn’t seem to pay attention.
The room was stifling now.
“I came here as a courtesy,” Raize said. “I’m in the area. I wanted you to know that.”
Oscar had been reaching for something in a drawer, but he paused, studying Raize again before bringing out a bottle of tequila. “Why am I the one getting this courtesy? Word is that you reached out to Estrada. You’re looking to work with him.”
“You control the girls in this section. I’m down here on behalf of my employer, and I want you to know there’s no interest in working girls. If you were worried I’d be competition, I’m not.” He paused. “You didn’t need to send Macca.”
“Oh, damn,” came from behind me.
Before I could sort out what had happened, Raize’s hand shot out, shoving up under my shirt. He pushed me into a corner as he brought his gun up and around. He shot at Oscar at the same time he shoved the door guy away.