Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
At least the rest of what I was wearing wasn’t my normal garb.
I was in all black today, covered from head to toe in long sleeves, long black jeans, and ankle boots that covered the rest of me.
The only thing that was showing was my neck with the scoop-necked top and my hands.
I’d dressed as circumspectly as I could and hadn’t much thought about my neck until just now.
“Nothing,” the deep timbre of the man behind me drawled. “Thought I saw someone I knew.”
“Oh,” Eugene mumbled. “Anyway, can I have your support?”
The waiter stopped by and grimaced at me before saying, “Is there anything else that I can do for you today, Miss?”
I shook my head before whispering, “The check, please.”
“Of course.” He sped away, likely excited that I was leaving and he could get a paying table in my spot and disappeared around a corner.
The two men behind me started talking in low whispers, making it damn near impossible for me to hear, then the man with Eugene stood up and said, “Thanks for the lunch, D.”
“Anytime,” Eugene replied.
There was a slap sound, and then the man gave me a great view of his backside as he casually walked away, his hands tucked into his pockets as he walked out of the room.
The waiter came back with my check, and I handed him a twenty.
“You can keep the change,” I said softly.
He looked like he swallowed a lemon.
I was sure the man was used to getting bookoos for a tip since they charged so much for a freakin’ steak, but he wasn’t going to get that from me today.
I felt slightly bad when he walked away in a huff, but not bad enough to change anything.
“…hey, yeah. I met with Mr. Reins.” Eugene spoke into his cell phone, and I scrambled to hit record on my phone, hoping that he was speaking loud enough for my microphone to catch his voice over the dining room noise. “He’s eating out of the palm of my hand. There’s no way that he’s not going to side with us on that bill.” There was a long pause and then, “Baby, no. I have it handled. You don’t need to come up here at all. I can handle Mr. Reins. And when the shit hits the fan, there’ll be no more Mr. Golden Boy.”
There was a lot to unpack with what he’d just said, but all my mind could focus on was the “baby, no.”
Mr. “I never call anyone baby because it’s overused.”
I remembered the one time that he’d accidentally used “baby” with Daniella, and he’d looked sick.
He’d never called her that again, and Daniella had been despondent when he’d told her a few weeks later that he didn’t like using that word and it’d just slipped out with her.
She hadn’t understood why, and now it was making sense.
Because he had another “baby,” and Daniella wasn’t it.
Damn, I sure hoped that I got that on my recording.
That would definitely hammer the point home with my sister.
At least, I hoped.
If that didn’t work, I didn’t think anything would.
The spiral was coming, I just hoped it didn’t reach peak with me anywhere around.
“Yeah, I’m on my way home, baby. I’ll see you soon.”
He stood up and rounded his chair.
I could feel him close, and I wanted to fidget and squirm, but forced myself to hold still.
I didn’t move a single muscle until the asshole was out of the building.
Only then did I make my move.
It was time to follow the lying scumbag.
Two
Just found out that I’m part of the problem. But that’s okay. It feels good to be a part of something.
—Apollo’s secret thoughts
APOLLO
“Yeah?” I answered as I headed for the coat check and got my jacket from the man that’d taken it earlier, as planned.
“You ignored my calls earlier, asshole,” my best friend and fellow club brother, Knight, grumbled. “What the fuck?”
“Business as usual,” I grumbled. “What’s up? How’s Elaine?”
“She’s fine. We’re just worried about you.”
I sighed. “I’m fine. Just following someone at the moment.”
Knight didn’t find that odd, so he didn’t even address it.
Instead he asked, “Will you make it home for my birthday?”
Knight’s birthday was literally next week.
“You know I wouldn’t miss that.” I laughed.
Why?
Because Elaine made the best damn cookies ever, and she always made sure to have plenty for everyone.
“Good,” he grumbled. “Be careful.”
After I promised I would be, I hung up and pocketed my phone before glancing up at the coat check guy who’d taken my coat earlier.
He smiled at me timidly before handing it over.
I palmed him a hundred-dollar bill, then carried my coat out of the building with it slung over my forearm.
I was reaching into my coat pocket to pull out the note that the coat checker had left for me when I saw her coming outside.