“I don’t have all night,” Rourke said roughly.
She flicked her eyes up to him and interlocked her fingers in front of her. “I’ve been trying to talk to Forrest, to tell him the truth.”
Rourke threw his pen on the desk and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. Her skin glimmered beneath the lights of the office, freshly moisturized. “What does that mean?”
“I know he told you about me and what I did. I know you’re probably thinking about kicking me out, but I have nowhere else to go.” She licked her dry lips and ducked her head. “I swear to you, I didn’t give those drugs to Heaven. I had given her coke before, but not the kind that’d kill her. This time it wasn’t me. My dealer’s gone into hiding because the cops are onto him.”
Rourke straightened and his jaw tightened. “You’ve brought drugs into my establishment?”
She didn’t look at him. “Yes. A few times.”
“How many is a few times?” Rourke shoved himself to his feet, and she flinched away.
“Three or four. I gave it to a few of the whores who needed to relax.”
“Names.”
She did look at him then, blue irises blown in fear. “I can’t.”
“Give me their names. They broke my rules, Alice, and I made it perfectly clear that no one gets to break my rules without consequences.”
She paled. “You’ll kick them out?”
“I’ll do what I need to do. I’m the one in charge, and I get to decide what the punishments are.” A thought dawned on him, and he frowned harder. “Why did you mention Forrest?”
She blinked teary eyes at him. “I thought he told you I was giving them drugs. He said he told you and warned me to stop just after Heaven died.”
“Forrest knew?” Rage bubbled deep inside Rourke, and he inhaled deeply to stop himself from storming into Forrest’s room and demanding answers. Forrest had an overnighter, and Rourke couldn’t risk pissing off an important client like Eric Montague.
“Heaven told him.” Her bottom lip shook and the waterworks started. She let out a sob and fell into the wingback chair, her shoulders trembling. “I don’t have anywhere else to go. Please don’t kick me out.”
It took all his power not to do just that right now. Rourke never acted on impulse, however. It was bad for business to react with anger. “You said you didn’t give it to Heaven this time?”
She shook her head, the tears streaking her eyeliner down her pretty cheeks. “Not this time, but I think I might know who did.”
“Who?”
Alice pressed her shaking lips together. “I don’t know who she is, I only saw her. She hung around a couple of blocks away, near the fruit market. It’s where we go sometimes when we have time off. You’d be surprised what kind of clientele you can convince to come here.”
“And this woman?”
“She was strange, just watching us for a while. Heaven was with me the day she came up to us. The guards thought she was just another woman interested in our services. We did too, actually. The guards were sitting at their own table, it wasn’t their fault. We told them we were fine.” She hiccupped. “She offered us some ekkies, but we don’t do that. So she mentioned she had coke too. Something about her gave me goose bumps. I told her no, but Heaven was interested. I couldn’t say anything. I started Heaven on drugs again.”
Rourke dug his fingers into his temple. “Did anyone else take any?”
She hesitated.
“Now is not the time to shut your mouth, Alice. I swear I should throw you on the streets right now.”
“Ryder. Ryder bought some off her too.”
“Anything else?”
She glanced down at her hands. “It was strange. She offered it for so cheap. I’ve never heard of anyone offering coke that cheap before.”
“What are you saying?” Rourke asked.
“I think she was up to something. Then Heaven ODed and….”
