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In response, Daniel stood with a grunt, then marched away without a backward glance.
“Rude,” he muttered against the rim of his glass before taking another drink. “Maybe it was something I said.”
Sadly, Daniel wouldn’t be the last to try his luck. Several men—and a couple of women—came and went. Most of them in their early twenties. Some handsome. Some not so much, but each one cockier than the last. It wouldn’t have surprised him to learn that they’d placed bets on which one of them could thaw the Ice Prince in the blue suit.
He had zero patience for any of it.
Finishing his third drink in one long swallow, he set the glass down on the end table and stood. A cursory glance around the lounge only annoyed him because he couldn’t find Melissa. Resting a hand on the iron railing, he leaned over, scanning the bodies packed together on the dance floor, but he didn’t see his sister there, either.
By the time he made it down the stairs, his irritation had turned to worry, especially when he saw no sign of Melissa at either of the bars. Pushing his way past the line of women waiting for the ladies’ room, he ignored the insults hurled his way as he barged into the bathroom, calling his sister’s name.
A ringing began in his ears, tension formed between his shoulder blades, and a cold, hollow ache formed in his stomach. Jesus, it felt just like that time when Melissa had been six, and he’d lost her at a Christmas tree lot. Rationally, he knew she was a capable adult, and had been for some time now, but his panic allowed no room for logic.
Squeezing through the throng of people, he stalked toward the bouncer still stationed at the door. “Excuse me? I don’t know if you remember me, but I came in with my sister.” He held his hand out to the side, raising it to about the bridge of his nose. “This tall, dark hair, petite, wearing a red dress that screams of desperation? Have you seen her?”
The man nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I remember. She left with someone about half an hour ago.”
“Someone?”
The bouncer chuckled. “A man.”
“I’m going to kill her.” A frustrated growl vibrated in his throat, and he clenched his fists at his side.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Kai clamped his lips together and breathed in deeply through his nose. “I’m sure everything’s fine.” Reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer, he fished out his cell phone and immediately brought up Melissa’s number. “I can’t believe her.”
“My shift ends in ten minutes if you want help finding her.”
“No.” Sighing when the call went directly to voicemail, Kai took a final look around the club and turned toward the exit. “Thank you.” It wasn’t the first time Melissa had disappeared on him. “I’m just going to go home and wait.”
“Be careful out there.” Lifting a business card from the podium beside him, the bouncer passed it to Kai without flair or flourish. “If you need a cab, call that number and ask for Jefferson. Tell him Bas sent you.”
Kai thumbed the corner of the card before handing it back. “Thanks, but I don’t live far.” He just wanted to get home, slip into a hot shower, and forget the night had ever happened. “Good night, Bas.”
two
“You working tomorrow night?”
Bas Diaz patted the pockets of his gray sweater jacket, ensuring he hadn’t forgotten anything. “Yeah, I’m working the bar in the VIP lounge. Some bachelorette party or something.”
“I don’t envy you.”
Jared Cowell, another of the club’s bouncers, hung his coat on the hook behind the barstool and chuckled. His shorn head, multiple piercings, and sleeve of gothic tattoos made him look incredibly intimidating. To that point, he was damn good at his job, but honestly, Bas didn’t think he’d ever met a nicer guy.
“You need anything before I take off?”
“Nah.” Taking up the seat Bas had just vacated, Jared rolled his neck and smiled. “See you tomorrow, man.”
Nodding, Bas pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped out into the night. Neon signs, passing cars, and lighted storefronts shined brightly down the length of the street, but he only passed a couple of pedestrians on the familiar route to his apartment. At ten o’clock on a Thursday night, most people were either already in the clubs or at home preparing for bed.
The streetlamps overhead buzzed, their orange light illuminating the pockmarked sidewalk beneath his feet. The breeze that ruffled his hair was unseasonably chilled for October, but at least summer had finally released its brutal hold on the city.
Turning the corner, he slowed, a frown tugging at his lips when he spotted a familiar figure leaning against the side of a trendy pet bakery. The guy had his head back, resting against the bricks, while one of his shoes dangled from his index finger. Bas couldn’t remember his name, but he had no problem placing him from the club.
“Did you find your friend?” he called as he approached.
His head snapped up, and he winced as he struggled to push away from the wall. “Oh, hello again.” The relief in his voice was nearly palpable. “My sister, and nope. No luck.”
