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“I…what?”
“What I just said,” he says, typing into his phone again. “You don’t have to worry about him following you anymore.”
“He’s been…banned?” I question, afraid to ask what I really want to, but also very curious.
His head turns in my direction, an eyebrow lifting marginally. “Yeah, banned permanently from ever getting close to you again.”
I chew on my lip for a few seconds, squeezing my hands together and wondering if I should keep questioning this or not.
“You have more questions.” He says it like a statement.
“How do you know he won’t follow me outside of your establishment? I had other people following me too. Around where I lived. At least one other.”
His brows knit together and he focuses all his attention on me. “Why would a cocktail waitress in culinary school have so many people following her?”
“I don’t know. I thought it had to do with my ex.”
“What’s his name?”
I open my mouth to tell him but think better of it. “It might not be him.”
“It might be. I can look into it.”
“And will he bepermanently bannedtoo?” I ask.
He smirks. “Why did you say it like that?”
I shake my head. There’s no way I’m about to tell him my friends and I spent time looking him and hisfamilyup and know he’s into criminal activity and does illegal things on the regular. Is murder included in that? Did he kill that man? Did he have someone else do it? Or did he just threaten him and have him run off? Why do I feel okay with any of the possibilities? Is it just self-preservation? If Vicente hadn’t done anything, that man very well may have killed or raped me. I don’t know what his plans were, but if it’s him or me that has to go, I choose him.
“I don’t know,” I say. “Thanks for your help. It was really scary.”
“If you see anyone else watching you or following you, let me know. I’ll do what I can.”
I nod and give him a small smile. “Thank you.”
We drive in silence for a while, and I let my thoughts run wild. Suddenly I’m hit with something.
“I never told you I was in culinary school.”
He watches me for a second and then the car comes to a stop. “We’re here.”
ChapterSix
Before I can question him further on how he knew I was in culinary school, he’s out of the car and opening my door.
When we step onto the sidewalk, I realize I was not at all prepared for this. There’s way more people here than I thought there would be. A black carpet with red and gold designs stretches along the walkway, directing people to massive double doors of an enormous grandiose building that looks nothing like a nightclub. Professional photographers are snapping photos of beautiful women in sexy dresses and handsome men in suits. I’m definitely out of my element.
“Vicente, I don’t think I can do this.”
“You’re with me. You can do anything. Let’s go.”
There’s a backdrop following the black carpet with a repeated logo across it. Inside a circle there’s two delicate-looking chains hanging from the top with a solid connecting line along the bottom. Written across it, is the word ENMY. It’s a sleek logo, but it’s hard to tell what it’s supposed to be.
Vicente shakes hands with a few people without saying much, but then I see a man I recognize. I know for sure we’re about to stop and talk to him, because it’s Khalid King, the other owner of Ace’s High, and the boss of the Kinmore Crime Family.
Khalid shakes Vicente’s hand but pulls him forward slightly, talking to him in a low voice, so I take a step back and let my eyes wander. Farther down the carpet I spot a couple of the other guys I’ve seen at the casino and who I know are a part of their family. The Asian guy is the flirty one who unabashedly checked out my ass at the table. He’s hot and knows it. The young cute one that got me my new blouse stands next to him and looks happy just to be here.
After a minute, Vicente and Khalid separate and come closer to me. Khalid gives me a warm, bright smile and extends his hand.
