I’ve never seen anyone work as quickly or in a more focused fashion than Ariel does in the next few minutes.
“Suck on that, dickhole.” She sounds triumphant when she closes her laptop with a decisive click.
“What just happened?” I ask her.
“You asked for help ... I helped. And now the trails are cleared and they can’t trace my searches back to me.”
“Are you sure?”
She flips her hair and rolls her eyes. “Didn’t I mention that I’m the best?”
Yve giggles. “If you don’t remember, she’ll tell you again. I swear, I’ve never met anyone more impressed with her own computer skills than this one.”
“It’s well deserved. It’s not like I’m bragging. I’m just that good. Now, where’s my lavender lingerie? I’ve got a man to seduce. He doesn’t know I’m a billionaire yet. Hopefully, he doesn’t mind.”
Chapter 30
Temperance
When I pull up at the club, I’m more certain than ever that I’m making the right decision, if only for one reason—I need answers.
Who the hell he is. What he does. Why he was in my neighborhood. If and how he’s connected to Mount. If he truly bought my artwork, and what he did with it.
Finally, I want to know if I have to decide to never see him again because he’s involved with something awful and horrible, and my life isn’t going down the criminal path. Except, of course, guilt by association with my boss and her husband ... and whatever the hell my brother is doing.
Nothing’s black and white.
With my mask tied on and a vintage black dress from Dirty Dog covering my new hot-red bra and panties, I climb up the stairs behind the masked man to whom I gave my card. He hands it back to me as soon as he opens the front door for me.
Tonight, it’s louder inside. More chatter is coming from upstairs, like the guests aren’t afraid of being overheard. That’s new and different.
What isn’t new and different? The fact that Magnolia is just inside the foyer and her eyes lock on me.
“I wondered if you’d show tonight. He didn’t think you would.”
There’s no question about whoheis.
“Where is he?” I ask.
Something flashes over her face before I can read it. “Come on up with me.”
Magnolia leads me up to the second floor, to the door where the light spills out from underneath along with the strains of jazz. The only time I’ve been inside that room is when she took me on a tour, but I know it’s the public area of the club.
As soon as she opens the door and my gaze sweeps the room, I know he’s not here.
“Is he late?”
Magnolia leads me to the bar. “You need a drink, I think. You look like you’ve had a long day.”
I reach out to put a hand on her arm. “Don’t bullshit me, Mags. Is he late or not coming?”
“What makes you think he’s not coming?”
“I just need a straight answer. If he’s not here, then I wasted my trip and I have the answer I needed—that I should’ve followed my first instincts and never come back.”
“Don’t be so hasty now, girl. Maybe there are forces at work here that you can’t understand.” When she glances over her shoulder, I pin her gaze with my own.
“Is he here or not?”