Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Your sister specifically told me to find you,” I reply.
She blinks. “Ah, yes. Your”—her eyelids twitch—“date. Since she seems to be running things this evening, I suppose I’d better see what the matter is.” She nods to the guests flanking her. “My darlings, please excuse me.”
Rouge and I walk to a private corner of the club.
She narrows her eyes. “So what is this matter of such urgency that I had to leave a conversation with some of my most important patrons, Doctor?”
I lean in, my voice lowered. “One of your patrons has…passed away.”
“What?” She looks surprised, but there’s a glint of something familiar in her eyes.
Something I’ve seen in the hospital in patients dealing with the effects of a drug overdose.
When I tell them their bloodwork is showing traces of cocaine, or heroine, or whatever, they give me the exact same look of shock. As if they have no idea how the illicit substances got into their bodies.
But I can always tell by that strange glint in their eyes. The glint that tells me it’s all an act, that they’re not surprised at all.
And that’s exactly what I just saw in Rouge’s eyes. It’s subtler than in my patients, but it’s still there.
She’s not surprised by what I’ve just told her.
Maybe it’s just because she set her sister up with a man in his nineties. Odds were that something bad was going to happen if he overexerted himself.
Or maybe there’s more to the story…
“Which patron?” she asks.
I’m pretty sure she already knows. “His name is Mr. Calloway, I believe.”
“Dear me. Where was he?”
“In one of your curtained-off areas.”
She closes her eyes and lays a hand over her heart. “May he rest in peace.”
Again, I’m not convinced. But before I can call Rouge’s bluff, she reaches into her cleavage and pulls out a walkie talkie. “Kreuzer, can you please join me for a moment?”
A huge man emerges from the smoke of the Clubs section, easily clearing a path. He’s at least six and a half feet tall, with the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen. Long dark hair, tanned skin, and a handlebar mustache.
He isn’t a club member. This must be one of Rouge’s Kings. The King of Clubs, I assume.
Rouge approaches him. He dwarfs her in height, but she somehow seems to be the taller one. “Kreuzer, dear. We have a code SQ5 in the grand suite. Please take care of it as inconspicuously as possible.”
“Yes, my Queen.” The King—Kreuzer, apparently—bows his head and then swiftly moves behind the velvet curtains.
Rouge turns back to me. “Dr. O’Rourke, I want to thank you for alerting me to this urgent matter.”
“Of course.” I turn toward the Clubs section so I can hear Bianca’s next set.
She grabs my wrist, forcing me to turn back to meet her gaze. “However, Doctor, the only way you could have known what had happened in the grand suite would be if you went in there without a reservation. That’s against the rules, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
“He died on top of her, Rouge. If I hadn’t intervened, your sister would be dead.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Be that as it may, that is the second rule you have broken since entering Aces Underground. I should have had you escorted out once I found out you were not here as the guest of a member. I’m afraid I must now put my foot down.” She gestures toward the green door at the entrance to the club. “Leave Aces Underground immediately.”
12
BIANCA
I’m about to take to the stage to begin my third set of the evening when I see Harrison walking briskly across the club.
Away from my sister.
Chet careens through the Green Door and meets Harrison halfway through the club. Chet grabs Harrison’s arm and escorts him out.
What the hell?
Is my sister kicking him out of the club?
After he saved my life just now?
Not to mention the mind-blowing sex.
Nuh-uh.
He came to Aces as my guest, and I’m not allowing this.
I quickly walk up to the microphone in the middle of my stage in the Hearts section.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me for a moment. The music will begin shortly.”
I cross over to Ewan and hiss in his ear, “I need you guys to do the next set without me. Improvise something.”
Ewan raises an eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that look right now. This is an emergency.”
Reid widens his eyes.
“Well, not an emergency. But something urgent. Just play what you normally play when you accompany me, but take turns improvising some solos. Should be fun. I’ll get back to you all when I figure out what’s going on.”
Ewan darts his gaze to me, to the Green Door, and then back to me, furrowing his brow.
“I swear to God, I wouldn’t be asking this of you if it weren’t important. Please.”
Once again, Pierce comes to save the day. He points his drumsticks at each of the other bandmembers and then shrugs.