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“Hey,” Cobra rasped through the phone. “How’s your big night goin’?”
“All good.” Except for the asshole from his past who kept showing up and throwing bullshit his way. “But I might need your help with something down the road.”
Cobra stayed silent and waited. One thing Samson had learned about the president of the Serpents MC: He didn’t waste words.
“I took care of it for now, but it’s something I gotta watch in the future.” Samson carefully left out the keywords, knowing Cobra would get the drift.
“We’re on our way over,” Cobra said. “Talk more then.”
“Absolutely.”
The Serpents were instrumental in setting Nick and him up in Vegas, scoping out the space and introducing them to the right people. People who made things happen fast like the security team who acted professionally and discreetly—two essential qualities when running any business. They’d also made inroads for them with Metro, the police department handling all of Clark County.
The Serpents ruled Sin City. They were solid and lived by a strict code of loyalty. As long as you didn’t fuck with them, they had your back.
Samson swiped away the call and headed for his closet. He longingly stared at the jeans and t-shirts folded on the shelves, but not tonight.
* * *
Lisbeth waited for a beat, then headed in the other direction toward the VIP. Samson’s matter-of-fact tone chilled her with distant memories of another night in a back alley—another time she’d witnessed his ruthless, brutal side.
Lisbeth returned to their table, and Juliet gave her the once-over. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
No, just a vivid part of my past I can’t seem to forget.
“I’m fine.” Lisbeth grabbed her champagne glass and took a healthy gulp, then jumped when Samson’s scary-looking sidekick appeared at their table, his stone-cold eyes bearing down on Lisbeth.
“Boss wants to see you.” The cryptic message sounded so many alarms and waved so many red flags. Had they seen her in the alcove and wanted her to swear to secrecy?
Lisbeth and Juliet exchanged a quick look. “Excuse me?”
“Samson wants to see you in his office,” he announced impatiently like it explained everything.
“Why would he—” The quiver in her voice annoyed her. She was a strong, independent woman, not the skinny, gangly girl with the mess of curly hair who wandered into a strip club desperate for a job. He’d easily dismissed her years ago without a second thought, and there was probably a long list of women in his life, so what were the chances of him even recognizing her now? Slim to none.
“C’mon.” He jerked his chin.
Juliet nudged her side while waggling her eyebrows. “Probably wants to continue talking about business.”
Business, right, of course.
Lisbeth shimmied past the narrow space between the table and the banquette. Then why did she feel like a lamb heading for slaughter?
When Juliet told her they’d be going to Club Wicked for her bachelorette, Lisbeth had Willow do a quick search of the club. She liked to stay up to date regarding new venues. No personal information on the owners existed. They weren’t consolidated with any big corporations—namely the Light Corp., Tao Group, or MSG Entertainment—but ran their business under the name 86th Street Dream. It hadn’t meant anything to her at the time, but now she understood. Eighty-sixth Street in Brooklyn was the location of their original club, the Oasis.
Lisbeth followed theSopranoslookalike in silence while she organized her thoughts on all the reasons for doing this:
to make new business contacts
to connect with the owner of a new up-and-coming club in Vegas
to further her business roster and acquire a new high-end client
to clear up the lie Juliet told about her being the bride
Listing random thoughts always calmed her anxiety, and this felt like a good time to talk to Samson about his business. It would be huge if she landed this account and maybe a gateway to other Vegas clubs, putting her on the next level—celebrity weddings, enormous charity galas, and other mega club openings.
They veered around the bar, with Lisbeth struggling to keep up in her heels. Halfway down another hallway, they stopped in front of a closed door. He knocked, then swung it open.
