Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(9)

Erika shrugged and pulled her up. “Go. He’s waiting.”

Without removing her trench, Dale nodded and rushed out only to nearly ram headlong into Kong. “Ready?”

“You’re here for me?”

Without answering, he turned and started walking. She followed.

Fuuuck. “Any idea what he wants, Kong? Am I in trouble for something?” What the hell it could be she had no idea. She’d been at the club for almost a year, and she’d never even been late let alone missed a shift for any reason. She didn’t steal. Didn’t fuck customers. Didn’t flirt or anything because most of the guys who frequented the place were self-entitled trust-fund babies who thought they could buy anything from the drinks to the servers. The other portion of the clientele were Samuel’s friends and associates. When she dealt with them, she kept her ears closed, her eyes down, and her smile always in place.

“He’ll let you know.” Kong didn’t turn his head to give her anything resembling a reassuring look.

Stupid of her to ask. These guys weren’t into social chit-chat, which made for a quiet walk into the spacious club that was abuzz with activity. Staff were wiping down already clean tables, vacuuming the black carpet under the closed-off VIP booths, polishing the mirrors and framed prints of artistically posed body parts that were essentially tasteful porn.

They came to a stop at the end of the main bar—there were two secondary bars in opposite corners—where Samuel Zavrazin was sitting with three distinguished looking men. His brother wasn’t one of them, which was as much of a bummer as it was a good thing.

Despite the tension she felt surrounding the men, or maybe because of it, Dale’s work mask slid firmly into place. “Good evening, Samuel. Gentlemen,” she greeted, giving each of them a cursory glance that took in only the basics.

The handsome older one wore an expensive navy suit and was probably in his early forties. He gave her a nod and a not-quite-there smile that was still pleasant and left her feeling safe.

The second wasn’t so good-looking but wasn’t ugly. Until you looked into his eyes. She forced herself to remain still through a shiver that made the hair on her arms stand up. The guy’s vibe wasn’t just dark. It was black, and she felt an urgent need to get the hell away from him.

The feeling of safety came back when she got to the third man. Handsome as hell with a cocky arrogance to match, he looked her up and down with a practiced eye. Then he had the nerve to nod before bringing his attention back to the phone he’d been scrolling through as if she’d passed some sort of test.

Flattered?

Affronted?

She went with flattered when she noted his black suit was similar to the one Samuel’s brother had been wearing, only this guy with his precisely trimmed goatee, silver eyes, and pocket square, needed to upsize because he had to be about six-six or seven. He’d make one beautiful baby, but the woman who carried it had better be a freaking amazon.

“What can I do for you?” she asked Samuel who looked tired. His dark hair was disheveled, but still looked great, and he needed to shave. For the first time in their acquaintance, Dale noticed the color of his eyes. They were the same grey as his brother’s but…were different. Where Lukas’s had appeared cold and blank, Samuel’s held a hint of anger and enough apprehension to make Dale shift on her feet. Maybe he and Farah were having a tiff. That would explain her boss’s tears.

“I need a favor.”

One she wasn’t allowed to refuse? “Of course. I’m at your service.” She kept her smile toned down and tried not to appear over-eager.

“I’m pulling you from the floor schedule and putting you on a private party tonight.”

Excitement buzzed up her spine. The last private function she’d served had sent her home with enough cash to pay off her car. Maybe she could get that hotel room after all. “Yes, sir. How many guests?” Or better yet, she’d squirrel it away and take some extra time off when she needed it.

“Maybe a dozen.”

She could swing that with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back.

“My brother and I are hosting.” He shook his head when one of the bartenders held up a bottle. “I want you to go up early, so I can introduce you to Lukas before the others arrive. But before we do that, I asked you here so you can give me and my friends your word anything that you hear while in that room will be kept strictly confidential.”

A chill swept through her. Tension explained. A private party. His brother. Their friends. Mob.

They were going to talk business with her there…

Was she being invited up only to serve? Or was she going to be reprimanded? Had she somehow insulted Lukas Zavrazin during their brief encounter? Did he need the privacy of an upstairs meeting room to bludgeon her to death?

It wasn’t like she’d hadn’t heard talk of the man. Dressing room gossip said he was handsome—bullshit, he was breathtaking, and she wanted to cover him like a blanket and eat a midnight snack off his wide chest. Always following the sighs about his looks were words like intolerant, harsh, and she’d even heard someone describe him as downright terrifying. Again, bullshit, unless the girl had been terrified of losing her virginity because Dale had also heard the older Zavrazin plowed through women like a shark at feeding time.

Was she insane to want to change her name to Chum and go swimming after dark?