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“Jack! What are you doing?” she said as he started walking down the corridor.
“Looking for a supply closet. You need a time-out.”
“We can’t do that here! Someone could walk in on us.”
“Jameson and Ian will guard the door, won’t you guys?”
They nodded and he found a room, taking her inside. It was dark and small.
“Why does this feel okay yet I freak out in lifts? And in . . . boots of cars.” Her breath started to come in sharp pants.
“Motherfuckers,” Jack muttered as he rocked her. “This was supposed to make you feel better. We’ll leave.”
“No . . . give me a moment. I can . . . I have this.” She buried her face into his chest and took some long, slow breaths.
Eventually, everything faded away and she looked up at him. “So . . . ever made out in a supply closet?”
“Baby girl, I thought you’d never ask.”
Ian lookedup at the big steel building in confusion. It was in an industrial area and there wasn’t much more around. “What is this place?”
“This is Club Slade. Named for the owner. Who is also Indie’s step-brother,” Maggie explained. She’d come out of the supply closet with Jack looking far less stressed and with red, swollen lips.
“What?” Ian paused and looked down at her. “Her brother? Why the fuck isn’t she living with him? How come he didn’t deal with her apartment?”
“Because he believed the bullshit lies that Billy spun,” Maggie told him. “Slade thinks that she betrayed him when Billy used plans stolen from the planning and construction firm that he co-owns with his friends to get a bid they wanted.”
Fury filled Ian.
“Holy. Fuck.” Jack turned to look at her.
“They used to be close. We would come to this club all the time. Before Billy. Then, after him, she moved to Birmingham and she started cutting ties with me. I went up one day and I could see the bruises. I begged her to leave him, but she wouldn’t. Not until she accidentally became pregnant. She tried to go to Slade for help. He and his friends are wealthy and powerful. But Billy had already gotten to him and turned him against Indie and me. I wondered why Slade had stopped answering my messages. Why he let her pull away. She didn’t even know that he was upset with her. Indie thought she was protecting Slade by putting distance between them, when Billy had poisoned his mind against her.”
“Oh, I’m going to tell that motherfucker a few truths.” Jack cracked his knuckles.
“No, I am. He always comes into the club early. About this time.” Maggie glanced at her watch. “Let’s go.” She hit the doorbell.
It was a long wait until the intercom buzzed on. “What are you doing here, Maggie?”
“I’m here to talk to you.”
“We have nothing to discuss. And who are those men with you?” the man replied in a low voice.
Ian tucked his girl under his arm. He didn’t like the threatening note in the other man’s voice.
“They’re my men. And I’m here to discuss Indie.”
“Indie is dead to me.”
“Wow, what a great guy,” Jack said sarcastically. “Takes an abusive asshole’s word over his own sister. Well done.”
“Indie is in the hospital. I thought you might want to hear why. I guess not.” She turned away. Ian moved with her. But they paused as they heard the sound of the door unlocking.
“Fancy bastard can unlock a door from afar,” Jack said as he pushed his way in. She and Ian went next. Jameson brought up the rear. “Ooh-la-la. Color me impressed. This place is fancy.”
“Jack, are you all right?” Maggie asked.
“Sure am. I’m just in the mood to kill.”
