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He nods but doesn’t explain, which only prods my curiosity further. What kind of real estate could spur all this secrecy?
We pull up in front of a wide building adorned in red and gold.The Châteauis written in elegant golden scrawl above the entrance, and a burgundy carpet leads up a short walkway to the door. It’s wedged between two towering hotels, and there’s a narrow alleyway running to the left of it.
A pair of women catch my eye as they head for the door. One is dressed in a shimmering red jumpsuit, and the other is in a strappy black dress that almost brushes the ground as she walks—they’d stick out like a sore thumb at any nightclub I’ve ever been to, but something tells me they’ll fit right in with the ritzy aesthetic of The Château.
I’ve never even been inside, but I already know nothing in my closet at home would be deemed worthy to wear there. That’s a bummer. If I had anything decent to wear, I could run home and change before Azarius and Elio left.
Seat belts unclicking draws me from my daydream.
“Thank you, Devyn,” Elio says as he reaches for the door handle. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for us today.”
Azarius leans close to the front seat and offers me several folded bills. “Absolutely. If we’re ever in the city again, we’ll look you up.”
My body is numb as I take the money, and I attribute it to the amount of cash in my hand—I won’t bother to count it until they’re well out of sight, but it’s probably enough to cover my bills for the next month.
“Thank you,” I mutter and attempt a smile.
Deflated. That’s how I feel as they climb out of the car, even though I pretend to be unfazed. Azarius winks at me through the passenger window as Elio joins him, and they wave a final time before turning toward the club. I sigh, throwing the car into drive, and pull away from the curb.
I try not to be disappointed. After all, it was a long shot to hope that either of these gorgeous and clearly successful men would want anything to do with me.Me.Devyn the Uber driver. Devyn the girl seemingly desperate for attention. Who just wasted her entire afternoon carting them around.
Yeah, it had been a very long shot.
As I roll away, my eyes find the rearview mirror a final time, and I watch the gentlemen disappearing into—the alley?
I blink several times to make sure I’m not mistaken as Elio glances back over his shoulder before slipping between the two buildings.
What the hell?
I hit the brakes reflexively, and the driver behind me blares their horn, but I’m too distracted to care. Why the hell are Azarius and Elio slinking into the alley instead of heading inside the club?
I shouldn’t care.
IknowI shouldn’t.
But that doesn’t alleviate the unsettling feeling in my stomach.
What could possibly be down there?
After a second of indecision, I whip the car into a parking space in front of a restaurant, kill the engine, and reaching for my taser. I tuck it into the back pocket of my jeans before jumping out of the car and sprinting toward the sidewalk, silently thanking anyone listening that I wore tennis shoes today.
Dodging people left and right as I move toward the alley, I try to mentally prepare myself for what I’ll find there, and my brain runs rampant with possibilities.
Is that where they’re meeting their boss?
Are they meeting with members of the cartel?
Is there a secret entrance into The Château for exclusive VIP members?
Despite a slew of logical possibilities, a nag like an itch crawls over my skin, and it only intensifies as I get closer.
Whatever is down there is driving my intuition insane.
I reach the alley and pause, cautiously peering around the corner.
While the buildings on the street are bathed in orange light from the quickly setting sun, the alley is drenched in darkness. Dumpsters and heaps of trash dot the narrow space, and even from where I’m standing, the smell makes me scrunch my nose. I can vaguely see two figures—Azarius and Elio—melting into the shadows several yards ahead.
After a second of hesitation, I skitter down the alley after them.
