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Taylor smiles at Cass as she shuffles past her out of the break room. “Oh, Cassidy? Thanks for the late work on Friday. I really appreciate you going over those deposition transcripts.”
That puts a pleased little grin back on Cassidy’s face as she slips out and heads back to her office.
“Sorry about that,” I mumble. Taylor just shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it.” Then she grins. “Can I assume that was imitating who I think it was?”
“I plead the fifth.”
She guffaws. “Well, unless you’re swamped right now, care to plead an early lunch? I’m sitting down with Christina Daniels at Per Se in half an hour. I’d love for you to join.”
Being invited to have lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant with my boss-slash-career idol and one of the firm’s wealthiest clients?
Yeah, I can think of worse ways to take my mind off having to find five million dollars in my couch cushions.
“I’d love to,” I grin.
“Oh—before she arrives…” Taylor pulls her gaze from the front entrance of Per Se and to me, sitting next to her. “Are you still good for that meeting with Drazen Krylov tomorrow night at Venom?”
If you’d told me in law school that I would be asked by my boss to attend a business meeting with a former warlord-turned-Bratva-kingpin, at a kink club, no less, I’d have laughed in your face.
But that’s what I’m doing tomorrow.
Aside from being a huge presence in the Bratva world, Drazen is also a Crown and Black client. And the reason we’re holding our meeting with him at Club Venom is less salacious than you’d think.
A lot of our clients operate in a certain…less than legal world. As such, having sit-downs with them at the firm, or at a fancy restaurant the way we might with a regular client like Christina Daniels, is tricky. Venom, with its iron-clad security, strict dress code that literally includes wearing a mask, and zero cell phone policy, is actually a fantastic place to have such meetings.
As a result, Taylor, Gabriel, and Alistair all have memberships to the exclusive and notorious club. Not to play—at least, not that I’ve heard. Strictly for business reasons. Dante Sartorre, the owner of the club, has recently extended that “work membership” deal to a few others at Crown and Black—Elsa, Eloise, and myself, for example.
I’ve only been once for about ten minutes, accompanying Taylor. But holy fuck.
Think of the wildest, most X-rated scene you could imagine playing out in a situation like Eyes Wide Shut.
Now quadruple whatever you’re imagining, and you’re halfway to what Club Venom is really like.
Yeah.
“Tomorrow’s a go. I’m all set with the notes I’m going to go over with him.”
Taylor turns to flash me a grin. “Perfect—oh, she’s here.”
“Hi!”
We turn and smile at Christina Daniels as she swoops past the maître d’ and click-clacks her way across the dining room in sky-high stilettos. Christina is one of the firm’s “legitimate” clients. As in, she’s not mafia.
Actually, Christina isn’t much of anything, except for a thirty-year-old trust-fund socialite who sits on the boards of like a dozen charities.
I bite back the idea of straight up asking her if she might have a spare five million lying around in a drawer somewhere.
Honestly? She probably does.
“How are you, Christina?” Taylor smiles, supremely professional as she stands and shakes Christina’s hand. I do the same before we all settle into our seats.
“Good!” Christina beams. “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”
Taylor spreads her arms humbly. “We’re always at your service, Christina. Was there something specific you wanted to talk about? It sounded urgent on the phone.”
“Yeah…” Christina bites her lips, glancing around. “Can we talk business here? Like, confidential lawyer stuff?”
There’s only one other table here now, and they’re seated on the other side of the restaurant. Also, I already know Taylor’s secret signal when she’s talking business with a client at a restaurant who knows her. She keeps her water glass upside down on the table. The staff knows to stay away until it’s turned upright.
