Page 87 of Wild Escape

“Pleasure to meet you,” Daphne said.

The two shook hands.

After looking over the menu, I ordered the steak burrito with black beans, and Jack went with the grilled shrimp. Daphne ordered a cheeseburger.

“If you give me a phone, I’ll give Rick a call and try to get a message to Dane.”

I pulled her burner from my pocket and handed it to her.

She called the Dutchman and talked to the bartender. “I need to talk to Dane. If you see him, tell him to call me at this number. I want to let bygones be bygones and give him his cut of the score. Then we can all go our separate ways.”

She handed the phone back to me when she was done.

With full bellies, we headed over to the warehouse district for band practice.

The miscreants drooled over Daphne. She ate it up, flirting with the boys.

Dizzy, Crash, and Styxx had the same reaction when we stepped into the practice studio.

“Put your tongues back in your mouths, boys,” JD said.

Introductions were made.

“Where’d you find her?” Crash muttered in my ear.

“Prison.”

“Oh. Right on,” he said with a lecherous grin.

We jammed with the guys, and I think Wild Fury acquired a new fan. Daphne cheered and howled after every song. She knew how to make people feel good.

After practice, Jack wanted to hit Oyster Avenue to unwind. He rode with the guys, and I drove Daphne back to the Avventura. I didn’t want to keep track of her in a crowd and didn’t think it would be good to be seen around town with the fugitive. I didn’t want anything to derail our sting operation.

At the boat, I took a minute to relax. I planned on crashing the party when Kenzie delivered Levi’s share of the score. But she hadn’t left the hotel with any cash. She wouldn’t have left the book in Devon‘s hands without some form of payment. I was convinced she was paid in crypto. If that were the case, there was no way she could get cash together by midnight. That kind of cash is hard to come by, even legitimately.

Maybe she didn’t plan on showing up. But Levi wasn’t the kind of guy to just let it go. He was going to get his money, one way or the other.

I ordered in a late dinner from Diver Down, and Teagan sent a runner to deliver it. Daphne and I ate on the sky deck underneath the stars.

“You mind if I make myself a drink?” Daphne asked.

“One,” I said.

“You want one?” she asked, moving to the bar.

“No. I need to stay clear-headed. It could be a long night.”

She made herself a martini, then rejoined me at the table. “You need to loosen up. Do you guys ever take a break?”

“Here and there.”

She sipped the martini, set the glass down, then moved behind me and started massaging my neck and shoulders.

I’m not going to lie. It felt good.

"How about we get in the Jacuzzi and melt away some of that stress?"

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