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“Let me guess,” her lilting voice said as she walked inside. “You pissed off another woman you decided to ignore.”
I glanced at Anastasia Wilde, scowling as I always did when she chose to berate me, which was far too often, and I allowed her to get away with it. She was Grant’s younger sister, as brilliant with numbers as he was. She was brash, edgy, and one hell of a dominatrix.
She was also a thorn in my side but after Grant opened the club in LA, she’d eventually taken his position as head of accounting. I’d gone through several controllers before her, the experiences unpleasant. Even at her young age, she’d been an instant godsend. I was damn glad to have her on board, even if I often wanted to wring her neck.
“You’re partially correct, only it happened before lunch.”
“Wow,” she purred as she walked closer, “you’re becoming quite the grouch. Maybe you need to get laid.”
“Such a mouth on you.”
“And you love it.”
I noticed she had a report in her hand, which wasn’t unusual. However, working this late usually was. She enjoyed spending time with a snack, as she liked to call the men she played with. “Let me guess. You have burning news that requires my attention.”
“I think you should be very concerned. Did you know Club Darkness is beating our ass into the ground?”
As I buttoned the fresh shirt, I chuckled under my breath. She was certainly more dramatic than Grant. “The last time I checked, we were exceeding our yearly goals.”
“That’s because of the number of people spending tons of money on liquor and souvenirs at the Blackout Club.”
It had been her suggestion to start selling merchandise in all three clubs. Caps. Shirts. Fake glasses. Neon straws. Whatever crazy shit she found on the internet, she ordered. And they sold like hotcakes. “Okay. Tell me more.” After sliding into my suit jacket, I headed for the bar. Bourbon was my choice for the evening.
“The numbers for Carnal Sins are stagnant while increasing twenty-two percent at Club Darkness.”
“And how did you get their numbers, my dear? I happen to know they’re as secretive as we are.”
She grinned, flashing her lovely eyes. “Let’s just say a darling subbie works in their accounting office. He’s very tasty and very helpful.”
“Jesus. You’re a shark.”
“Yes, and I deserve a raise.”
Ignoring her comment, I moved toward my desk, easing onto the edge. “What do you suggest?”
“We need to lower our criteria for membership. The fees are fine. No one balks at the numbers. Honestly, I’d suggest an increase in yearly fees next year. But there are at least two hundred men and women you refuse to accept that are more than qualified.”
We’d had the conversation more than once, often turning into an argument. I decided who entered my club. No one else. “You know it’s not always about the money, Anastasia. I have a reputation to uphold. The only successful way of doing that is in being very selective, the requirements strict. I couldn’t care less that Club Darkness allows unqualified members into their realm.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who died and made you God?”
“I suppose what you’re holding is the list of potential candidates?”
“Yes. I’ve already vetted them out, maybe not to your demonic standards, but between the influx of cash and the word getting around in the community, I have a feeling the trickledown effect will be tremendous.” She didn’t bother trying to hand the report to me, instead tossing it on my desk beside me.
“Devil or God. Which one am I?” I teased. I’d been called everything from merciless monster to savior over the years. Nothing fazed me any longer.
“Both, depending on the day of the week.”
I grabbed the report, scanning the page. “Look here. Michael Bowers is a loan shark who terrorizes his clients. I can only imagine the ripple effect his membership will cause.”
“He’s a legitimate businessman from an extremely wealthy family. He also has significant influence on members of Congress.”
The sordid lives of the rich and wicked added dubious information to the little black book. “He’s a solid no.”
“Jesus. You really do need to get laid. Do you realize that we have a man accused of murder listed as an upper echelon member?”
“I’m well aware of Ernest Davidson’s legal troubles.”
