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“Well, that wasn’t cryptic at all,” I spit, sarcasm lacing my tone.
He chuckles lightly. “So, tell me, since you’re here and we’re here too, you wanna hang with us tonight? Maybe eat our pizzas together?”
My eyebrows shoot up in confusion. “Us?” I’ve been so focused on Blais that I hadn’t noticed if the others are here.
He nods his head toward the street and my eyes follow his gesture. Ace and Theon are leaning against a souped up, blacked-out Tahoe, clearly in the middle of a conversation. I can’t help but notice how the sunlight makes Ace’s hair even more golden and the way it shines off Theon’s perfectly smooth, dark skin.
I don’t have time for this. I can’t get distracted by them. I don’t know what their angle is, but I need to get out of here.
“Why would I do that?”
“You’re really gonna stand there and tell me you don’t feel a vibe between us?”
“Nope. I mean, yes,” I say, thankful that the lady behind the counter is calling out for me. I grab my pizza and give her a soft smile before pushing right past Blais to the exit.
When I make it outside, I notice he’s following me. “Hey guys, look who I found in there,” he calls out.
Shit. I was hoping to get past them while they’re preoccupied by whatever they’re talking about. There’s something about them that distracts me, and I can’t afford for that to happen. I have a job to do, and I won’t let them ruin it.
I turn, heading toward my apartment, ignoring everything they’re saying. That is until Blais says something that catches my attention.
“Darling, you look fucking stunning today,” he has to yell the farther I get. I can’t be sure, but I swear I hear Ace say, “Fuck yeah.” They chuckle behind me, but I keep going, unwilling to let my legs stop.
I try not to let it get to me, but it’s hard. It always feels good when a man likes the way you look when you don’t even try, but at the same time, they could easily be playing with me, trying to get under my skin.
Turning the corner, I stop and wait a few seconds to make sure they’re not looking this way. When I think the coast is clear, I peek around the edge of the brick building and watch as the guys pile into the SUV.
Blais included—without a pizza in hand.
What angle are they playing?
* * *
I’ve spentthis week scoping out all of Cincinnati, even the surrounding suburbs. I’ve been keeping my Courtney persona, but I’ve also been stretching some facts a little to see how far I can get.
Instead of solely focusing on Novak, I looked into my other suspects too. There’s absolutely fucking nothing on them. There are plenty of dumb criminals in the world, but whoever is committing these crimes is pretty damn smart. Asneaky fucker is what they are.
I haven’t found much on my actual assignment, but I did discover that also starting two years ago, around the same time as the missing persons reports began, about sixteen escorts have been murdered. This could be nothing, but I don’t think it's a coincidence that both started at almost identical times.
Instead of trying my luck with Novak again, I decide to go to Trinity to talk to Ace, Blais, and Theon. They own a high-end club in the heart of the city; they might know something that could be helpful. The club has to attract more influential people than just Novak, so I’ll try my chances there.
I just need to talk to them while controlling my needy body. No big deal, I can do this.
Maybe after all of this is over, I can get a big dose of Vitamin D from one of them, no strings attached. Or maybe all of them. Now that would be a dream come true.
I straighten my hair, put on some makeup, throw on a sparkly red bodycon dress, and head out the door. When I arrive, I make my way through the line and head inside.At least that asshole from the first night isn’t here.
A techno beat fills the club, taking me back to the one Blais was playing last weekend. My eyes settle at the DJ booth, but he isn’t there.
I head toward the bar, hoping they’ll be in their usual spot, but they’re not.Fuck.What if they aren’t here? Did I waste my time coming here when I knew exactly where Novak would be?
I scan the room for any sign of them looking over the countless bodies dancing. Finally, pink hair stops me in my tracks, causing a sigh of relief to escape me. They’re here. Sitting in a booth off to the side, Ace, Theon, and Blais look like they’re having an intense conversation. Theon’s fist is clenched on the table, and Blais’ brows are furrowed. I can’t see Ace’s expression, but his shoulders are tight and his body’s stiff.
I wave the beautiful bartender over. “What can I get you?” she asks. Her soft voice is barely audible over the deafening music.
“Hi, I’d like a Vodka Lime for myself, and whatever those three are drinking,” I say, pointing toward the guys’ booth.
Her eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “The owners?” she says, skeptically.
