Page 70 of East

She was a very pretty woman, yet I felt zero attraction toward her. Normally I would have flirted with her, but with this woman it felt forbidden.

Maybe it’s because I knew something was going to happen to her.

Something unpleasant at best.

I shake the thoughts from my head. This is not the time to be reminiscing.

Wick.

I need to tell the detective about Wick.

But…

Fuck.

He has a record. He was busted for selling—and likely using—drugs in the past and made some kind of bargain to avoid jail time.

The woman who ran the club before me—before Rouge—hired him. I did not. I wouldn’t have hired Wick Blackwood if he paid me. Though he had served his debt to society, anyone with a history of drug abuse doesn’t belong behind a bar.

But he was very popular by the time I was in charge, and I couldn’t get rid of him.

Wick’s past has followed him his whole life, and it would follow him into this investigation. So his word might not help Thea get out of this.

I snap to attention as Thea descends the stairs to the main floor, a small duffel bag in her left hand, her cat cradled in her right arm, and tears flowing down her cheeks.

I rush to her, cup her cheeks. “It’s going to be all right, baby. I know it will. They don’t have anything on you.”

She shakes her head. “They have something.” She sniffs. “The sneakers. It’s not a good look for me.”

“A pair of tennis shoes isn’t enough to implicate someone.”

“A handkerchief was enough to damn Desdemona.”

I narrow my eyes. “What?”

She rubs at her head. “Nothing. It’s Shakespeare. Othello.”

“That’s a story. Not real life.”

She wipes a tear from her cheek. “I hope you’re right. Anyway, I need a place to stay tonight. I hate to ask because I’ve already ruined your evening, but…”

“You’ll stay with me, of course.” I caress her arm and give the cat a scratch on her neck. “As long as you need. And Dodo can come, too.”

Her lips tremble. “Thank you so much. I just can’t be alone right now.”

“I’m not trying to eavesdrop,” Detective Wheeler says as he cuts between us, “but you should plan on staying at least two nights somewhere else, Ms. Storm. We want to keep any potential crime scenes sterile until we’ve collected all the information we need.”

Thea snaps her head over to Wheeler, her face reddening. “You have no right to kick me out of my house. What if I didn’t have a friend to stay with?”

“Ma’am, I’m just operating on my orders. We’re to sweep this house top to bottom. That’ll take a few days. The warrant says⁠—”

“Fuck your warrant. I don’t care. I packed for three nights, so we’re good. Are we done here?”

Wheeler nods. “Of course. My apologies for the inconvenience.”

“A flat tire is an inconvenience, Detective. This is a flagrant disregard of common sense.” She stares daggers into Wheeler’s eyes. “I can tell you right now you’re wasting your time. I had nothing to do with Kin’s death.”

“If that’s the case, ma’am, you’ll be compensated by the city for your displacement.” He extends his hand. “Have a good evening.”