by Hollis Wynn
“It’s coming from you acting like a caveman because you don’t want me to be around another man. A man who is doing some seriously illegal shit. That’s the job. Any other person managing this case would allow me to take part because we know it’s a plausible idea. But no. You won’t let me because you don’t want me in danger. That’s your personal feelings speaking, not your professional ones,” I declare. “This will never work between us if you can’t separate yourself.”
Baker is silent, and I try to catch my breath. It pains me to say these things, but they’re true. He is acting differently, and I’m certain it’s because feelings are involved now. I hate that it is already affecting us, but this is worse than having to deal with my father finding out about us.
Being together can get in the way of work so easily. I’m lucky we’re figuring this out now and not later.
I briefly wonder if I’m overreacting. Are there other ways to do this that don’t involve me attempting to be a spy and making Baker even more angry?
I finally turn and look at him. His expression was full of regret. I hope I didn’t hurt him—again. Watching him stalk me, I sigh because he’s so beautiful both in spirit and body. I try to wiggle out of the way, but he traps me. Doesn’t he know how weak he makes me. I can’t think straight around him.
“Sutton,” he pauses. “Don’t say that.”
Tears form in my eyes. “I already did,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around myself. Then I press my fingers into the corner of my eyes to stop the river of pain that’s soon to be running down my face.
A physical pain stabs me in the heart. I wonder if this is what a breaking heart feels like. The idea of us not being together, at home or at work kills me, but I refuse to turn into a bitter woman.
“Never say that again. This is going to work, Red. We’re going to make it work. Both of us.”
I stare at him, trying to come to terms with my emotions—all of them. The love I feel for him. The ache in my heart. The nervousness I feel for telling him how I feel for him.
He cups my face and tips my head up. I relent, locking eyes with him. The intense expression in them tells me that he’s feeling the same way I am. He lets go of my jaw and pulls me into him, holding me tight.
“My heart loves you, but my mind can’t allow you to tell me what to do. I’ve never needed a man, Baker. But I’ve always wanted someone who would love my stubborn ass, through the good and the bad,” I murmur into his shoulder and allow the tears to wash away the pain.
“Yes, you’re stubborn, but I’m that guy for you. The guy who loves you and doesn’t want to tame your spirit. The guy who wants to keep you safe every day of your life. A guy who’d trade his life for yours.”
He pulls back, kissing me hard, smothering his last words onto my lips and imprinting them on my soul.
Twenty-Nine
“This is a royally bad idea. And you aren’t royalty—so that means it’s a doubly bad idea.”
I laugh at Wren and her take on this situation. I made it home without talking myself out of this, but it wasn’t until Wren called that I’m understanding the significance of this decision.
“I know But I have to try. Worst case, I end up at a club and have a couple drinks.”
She scoffs audibly. “Yeah, right. Worse case would be a kidnapping and murder. This is beyond stupid, in my opinion.”
“Opinion is the operative word here. I can do this, Wren.”
“I have no doubt you can trick some man into telling you all his dirty secrets. I’m just worried about how this will affect you and Baker. Do you want to remember the night you guys said I love you as the one filled with lies? Or death?”
I gasp. “It’s not a lie. I told him I was going. He said no. I didn’t agree not to go.”
“Sutton.” Wren uses her mom voice on me. “You did lie to him. You told him you were sick, and this isn’t going to go well for you when he finds out.”
“Fine. I lied,” I say, leaning over the sink and drawing on my eyeliner.
She sighs and I know she’s worried about me, but I can take care of myself. “Look, you’re going to do whatever you want, no matter what I say. But please, please don’t go alone.”
I smile because she’s always been super caring. She’s been the mother hen of our friendship since day one. “I won’t. I already have reinforcements coming. Charlie and McKinley are going with me.”
“Oh, your replacement best friends.” She feigns hurt.
I bat my eyelashes in the mirror and make sure my wings are equal on both sides. “You know that isn’t true. McKinley and Charlie are good friends, but nothing could ever replace you.”
“Okay. Whatever. Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe and not cut up in little pieces everywhere.”
I snort laugh. Loudly. “He’s a money launderer, not a cartel leader.” I roll my eyes even though she can’t see me.
“But he could be laundering money to pay off the cartel. Or the mafia,” she exclaims.
“That’s enough crime shows for you,” I giggle and we both laugh for a while.
She changes the subject to one I like much better. “What are you wearing?” she asks.
“I don’t know yet. I’m curling my hair now.”
“Which will take you hours, girl. You and that mane of honey red deliciousness.” I laugh because she’s so jelly of my hair, no matter how many times she’d hate it if it was hers.
“Nope.” I pop the P. “I’m doing it the quick way. A braid and a flatiron.”
“That’s better than the old iron we used in college,” she chuckles, and I think back, wondering how we didn’t burn the hell out of each other using those irons.
I hear a loud crash and cries in the background. “I’ve got to go. One is crying. One is screaming and Todd doesn’t know his ass from his head,” she groans, and I hear her muffled screaming.
“I’ll call you later,” I tell her.
“Sounds good. Love you.” The distraction is coming through loud and clear in her voice.
“I won’t die. I promise,” I say and end the call.
I finish fixing my hair and try not to think about how angry Baker is going to be when he finds out I did this. But maybe he’ll be so thankful, he’ll forget to be mad.
Walking into my closet, I do a spin and point, landing on a thin-strap peach dress that I haven’t worn in years. I shake it out, making sure it’s not too dusty from hanging in the closet. I step into the dress and am zipping it up when I hear the doorbell ring.
Rushing to the door, I pull it open, seeing McKinley and Charlie on the other side. “You girls look ah-maz-ing.” I pull them both in and slam the door behind them. McKinley is wearing a black romper with a deep V in the front and Charlie’s in a tight red bodycon dress that looks as if it’s made for her.
“So do you.” Charlie hugs me first, then McKinley.
“Oh, this old thing?” I run my hand in front of my body like I’m showing off a car. “Let me grab my shoes and we can be on our way. Make yourself comfortable.”
I smile and head back to my closet to find a pair of heels to go with this dress. I decide on a pair of nude three strap heels. They’ll accentuate the dress, but not take away from it in any way. I pull out a pair of faux diamond studs, closing them in my ears. One last glance in the mirror and a spritz of perfume and I’m ready.
“Pregaming already?” I comment on their newly opened bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table in front of them.
“We just wanted to try it,” Charlie lies, smiling over her glass.
McKinley shrugs apologetically. It’s hard to be even a little angry with them considering what they’re helping me do tonight. Charlie has such an innocent quality about her that she could get away with anything and McKinley, she is pretty innocent.
“We should get going.” I glance at the clock and it’s almost nine. The club will fill up and I need to be able to find Langston.
Baker will probably text me l
ater. Since I told him I wasn’t feeling well, he told me he’d bring me some soup. I don’t know if he actually will, but he seemed insistent about it. Here’s to a quick prayer that he’s not on to me.
“I’m ready.” Charlie pops up off the couch and downs her drink. Well, at least she’s excited.
I smile at her, stopping in the middle of the doorway. “It’s the middle of the week and this is business. Two drinks max tonight. Understand?” Pressing my lips together, I try to keep my emotions under control.
“Got it. We will keep our eyes peeled,” McKinley says.
“You should have a little fun, just not too much. Who knows, you could meet your forever there, but I recommend being careful.”
McKinley frowns at me. “Why am I the one who needs a guy?” Her laugh is dry and humorless.
“Because they make everything better.”
She curls her lip and I know she doesn’t believe me. “Whatever.”
I change the subject. Happy people are better than crabby people for this mission. We find a taxi, quickly filing into the back. We act like total fools on the ride over. My nerves are getting the best of me, and I need to be on point for what comes next.
What if it doesn’t work? What if he’s really dangerous? My mind races with all the what ifs. There is only one way to find out.
We turn onto the street and blue lights emanating from The Golden Girl bring the street to life. There is a line out the door wrapping around the block. I didn’t even think about that, but I have a plan.
“Come on.” I usher the girls to the front of the line, eliciting some evil stares.
“Are you on the list?” the burly, bald bouncer asks. His muscles are as intimidating as his odd, good looks. Bald may be attractive to some, but not me. I need a full head of hair I can run my fingers through, just like Baker’s.
“Um, maybe.” I laugh to myself. “Try secretary.” I run my sweaty palms up and down my dress and the girls look at me as if I’m certifiable.
The guy makes a face before scrolling his list. He comes to a stop and looks up at me, confusion written all over his face.
“Inside joke,” I say.
He opens the door for us and says, “Have a good night.”
When we get inside, the girls ask for an explanation and I tell them the condensed version of what happened.
“He sounds like a total prick. Why are we even here?” Charlie asks me.
“To make sure Baker doesn’t get into trouble with this case.” I try not to shout too loud because I don’t want the whole club to know our business, which is difficult considering the base pumping through this place.
“Drinks?” Charlie tugs us toward the bar, and we follow.
This place is packed and totally different from when I saw it the day I trailed Baker through here. It’s crazy how things happen.
We all get cosmopolitans and find a booth off the dance floor. There is a platform with private booths on the other side and huge, ornate doors behind them. People are dancing and grinding all over each other. I glance at my watch and it’s just after ten. Still early.
“Where is he?” McKinley asks.
“I don’t know,” I say, taking a sip of my overly sweet drink. That bartender needs a lesson on how to make a cosmo, stat.
I look around hoping to find Langston’s smug ass. The song changes and the crowd disperses, which allows me to see to the private side. “I think I see him.” Keeping my eyes trained on the VIP area, I see him ushering a beautiful blond woman into a booth.
He’s probably already forgotten about me, but I keep my eyes locked on the booth, vowing not to let him out of my sight. It’s somewhat foolish to think that he’d be waiting around for me tonight.
It’s been almost an hour, and he’s not left his booth yet. Unless he snuck out the back doors. But I haven’t seen them open either. What’s he doing over there? Getting his groove on in a packed club?
There has to be another way to do this. Think, Sutton, think.
The bartender comes by a little later with another round of drinks and we accept. All of us.
“This is a bust.” I frown.
Charlie rubs my arm. “It’s fine. We can still have some fun. Let’s dance,” she squeals and downs her drink like a tequila shot.
McKinley smiles softly at me. She knows I’m bummed that this didn’t work. Truth be told, I didn’t have a very good plan, so the odds of it happening were slim to none, though I didn’t want to acknowledge that to myself.
“It’s probably better this way. He seems like a scary asshole. Plus, who’s to say he’d even have given you any information.” She’s not wrong.
“Maybe, I’m just pissed. I wanted to help Baker so much.”
We stand on the side of the dance floor and watch Charlie let go without a care in the world. If only I could do that. Don’t get me wrong, I love to dance, but I hate it when people watch me, so the only dancing I do is in the safety of my own home.
I check my phone and don’t have any missed calls. So far, so good. I look around at all the bodies smashed together, the grinding and kissing and yearn for Baker. I should have accepted his invitation for dinner.
“One more drink then home?” McKinley asks. I nod in response, trying to keep an eye on Charlie, while also watching the crowd. Nothing is going to happen to any of us on my watch.
It’s obvious to us she’s on the quest for Mr. Right Now. I’ve never been the one-night stand kind of girl. The fear of bringing home a serial killer is real, especially in a city the size of Chicago.
“Is that him?” McKinley asks, pointing to a guy in a black suit with a black shirt who is staring at us. He looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on where I know him from.
“No, but he looks familiar.” I keep watching him and notice he’s slowly making his way over to where we’re standing. My heart drops a bit, and my gut tells me to run, but there is nowhere to go in all these people. I grasp McKinley’s hand and hold on tight, while trying to monitor Charlie.
The bartender brings us another round and Charlie catches his eye, returning to where we’re at. “Come dance with me,” she says, picking up her drink and taking a sip.
“I’m good,” I say.
“He’s coming,” McKinley whisper shouts.
I slide back into the booth because it will be harder for him to drag us away if we’re sitting down. Taking a calming breath, I try to get my nerves under control. Why am I so frightened of this man?
“Good evening, Ms. Sterling,” he says, leaning over us from behind. Shit. It’s Lake. Damn it.
“Evening, Alexander.” The girls look at us, mouths hanging open. “Meet my friends. This is McKinley and Charlie.” I point to them and he leans holds out his hand to each of them.
“Alexander?” McKinley says.
“Alexander Lake. I’m the owner of this fine establishment,” he says, and it’s obvious they’re more than confused.
“Hayes told me you may be stopping by tonight.” He smirks at me and I know I’m toast.
“He did, did he?” I try to make a joke out of it. “Are you supposed to keep an eye on me?” I ask him.
He slowly nods, while not taking his eyes off McKinley. “Though he didn’t say you’d have friends with you.”
At least I have the fact that I’m not alone on my side. While he chats with the girls, I let it all sink in. Both he and Soren are here tonight. I don’t know why I didn’t expect this, since he’s an owner as well. I find it hard to believe that he doesn’t really know what Soren’s up to.
I watch him and it’s obvious he’s a man in lust with McKinley.
“Would you like to dance?” he asks her. She shakes her head before looking down at the table.
“Maybe next time,” he says. Powerful men don’t like the brush off, but I’m certain he’s not going to let this go. “I’ll send another round over on the house.”
He winks before leaving us. “Wow. That was unexpected,” Charlie says.
“You’re telling me,” McKinley responds. “Was he flirting with me?”
Charlie and I crack up laughing. “Yes, girl. He was flirting hard with you. Why did you turn him down for a dance?”
“I don’t dance,” she says. “Plus, he’s gorgeous and I’m not his type.”
Hell no. We’re not going down this road again. “Instead of doubting a man’s attraction to you because you’re not happy with your body, just say thank you. Allow him to show you his interest. Then if he’s a douche bag, walk away. But you’re never going to know unless you allow people in.”
We accept the round of drinks that the bartender leaves us and I ask for the check. The least I can do is pay for this night since I convinced them to come with me. “It’s been taken care of.”
“Wow, thank you. Can I leave you a tip?” I ask him.
“I’ve been more than compensated. Enjoy your night.” He walks off into the crowd and back to the bar.
“This is how we party,” Charlie says. “I’m coming back here.”
“No, you’re not,” I hear the anger in Baker’s deep voice as he responds to Charlie.
“Shit,” I mumble.
“That’s correct, Red. You’re in a world of shit.” He slides into the booth next to me, trapping me against him.
The girls stare at us silently, waiting to see what happens next.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask him.
“Really? I knew the minute you texted me you weren’t feeling well that I’d have to put together a rescue mission. Hunter and Austin are on standby in case this plan of yours goes south.”
“Fine. I’ll acknowledge I’m not cut out for undercover work.” I take another drink, refusing to look him in the eyes.
“Agreed.” I’m both shocked and thankful he doesn’t say anything else. “Are you ready?”
We all nod and he escorts us out of the bar. The girls give me sloppy hugs as soon as we hit the sidewalk and take off for a cab.
“We’re going home. Now,” Baker seethes. “Don’t argue with me.”