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“Yeah, but you have something he doesn't,” I say, nudging his leg with mine as his lips quirk up to one side.
“Fuck yeah, I do. My family are everything to me.”
“I know that. Just remember, the quicker we bring Decker down, the quicker you can go back to your non-feebie life again and never look back.”
He jerks his chin up and that's all I need to see to know that he's accepting this fate. “Let's not let my involvement in the case be known until it's absolutely necessary. You want Lawrence to help you, then he does it for you. As soon as he knows I'm your handler, all bets are off. OK?”
I nod. The thing is, I didn’t anticipate that Aiden would put his own case and cover at risk with the stunt he pulled tonight. Especially not because he was jealous.
Barrett looks at me, determination etched on his face, and I know he's about to lay down the law. “This is how it's going to be. He acts as our eyes and ears only. He doesn't call the shots and at no stage will I—or you for that matter—trust him completely. Because if it comes down to you or him, I'll have your back 100 percent and he'll be left to the wolves. And just to be clear, if at any stage I suspect he's working against us, he's out.”
I nod, relieved that Barrett is willing to back me. “Agreed.”
“Lastly, and this is important. You and him, that's not going to happen again.” My mouth drops open as I stare not only at my handler but my friend too. “I'm serious, Marlee. Lys and I saw how shattered you were last year, and we don't want to see you like that again. You can’t fall for his shit again. Any man who can do what he did will never be worthy. That's not just because he's Aiden and his history, it's because—”
“I deserve better,” I say, finishing his sentence. I do, he’s not wrong. It’s just that I know the real Aiden and the man he is truly is deep down. I don’t think that will ever change.
“I’m just looking out for you, Marls.”
“Yeah, I know. I'm a big girl though. Some might say I'm a grown woman even,” I reply, wryly.
“Nah, you're still a baby in my eyes.” I flip him off, earning a low chuckle in reply.
Then it’s back to business. “Something happened tonight. Decker had to leave because there was a problem. That's why he insisted on ordering a car to take me home.”
Barrett's back straightens as he gives me his full attention. “Tell me everything and we'll find out exactly what went on. You never know, this might be just the lead we need.”
Chapter 12
Aiden
Another week passes without anything happening. As far as things at the club is concerned, it's situation normal. Justin has been around more than usual but spends his time locked away in his office down the hall from the control room. That’s not his normal M.O.
Marlee hasn't been back to the club which is a blessing in disguise because if I ever have to see Decker put his dirty mouth on my girl again, cover or no cover, FBI case or small PI case, I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself. Just that once was enough for me to want to burn the world to the ground just to get Marlee away from him, especially when I had to see her go back to his table and watch him kiss her again.
It's because things at the club have been uneventful that I accepted Hawk's invitation for beers and pool at an off-strip dive bar on a night off, deciding it was high time I did some digging of my own and see what I could find out from the guys who work there.
Gathered around a few tall tables next to the pool table, we all take turns challenging each other to games. I do it with my ears open, hoping to hear something useful, but the guys stick to small talk, chatting about sports and women. Nothing has piqued my interest case-wise so far, but at least the guys are all good value and I'm grateful that, at this stage, they don't appear to be involved in anything illegal or suspicious.
“How are things going for you upstairs?” Hawk asks, taking a sip of his beer as we take a break from the pool table.
“Good.”
He arches a sceptical brow my way. “Good? You're sitting in a box watching a wall of cameras. How can that be good?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “It’s straightforward. There’s no shit, no politics, no higher-ups breathing down your neck all the fucking time like when I was in the force. All I have to worry about is watch the cameras, walk the floor and be seen, and stop people from snorting their lives away in the bathrooms. Then rinse and repeat.”
Hawk nods, taking another long sip. “I hear you. Why do you think I work the door? I like knowing what to expect every night. There’s no surprises. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the same old wannabes doing anything and everything they can to get inside. They'll spend their life savings just for the door charge, for one night at Marquis. It's wild, man.”
I grin because it's exactly what I thought my first night at the club too. “It's the hottest place to be and be seen, don't you know?”
“Thank God for that. We wouldn't get paid as well as we do otherwise,” Hawk says with a smirk.
Lifting my beer bottle, I hold it up between us, clinking the glass against his. “Amen!”
“I'm still surprised you don't get more trouble at the door,” I say casually, hoping to get him talking.
“Oh, we get trouble. We just don't let it get any further than it has to. Like the other night, there was a guy asking questions they shouldn't be in the line. Somehow, he got past us and into the lobby, and suddenly he’s making a scene. Luckily Justin just happened to be there at the time and was able to deal with it. Then poof, the guy was gone.”
