I laughed, thinking he would have warned me about how dangerous Duke was. “What’s so scary about Amber?”
“As I told you, her and Vince have a thing. If she has Vince’s ear, then she has Duke’s. Vince and Duke are tight.”
I nodded at him. “Duke wants to see me, and the show is about to start. Are you cool for a few minutes?”
“Girl, I can work this bar in my sleep without any help.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “Go. I would hate to see you get fired.”
I hoped I hadn’t done anything wrong. Or worse, maybe Duke knew who I really was. But I threw the towel I had over my shoulder on the counter below the bar then headed to the restroom.
I dodged sweaty patrons, thinking about what Duke wanted when someone grabbed my arm.
I whirled around to find my attacker was the bald guy I’d served the Heineken to. “What?” I asked rather than kicking him in the balls. He was a customer, and I didn’t want to cause a scene.
Instead of verbally answering me, he shoved me into an empty hallway where the restrooms were located.
Fuck causing a scene. Actually, maybe this was a perfect opportunity to bring Duke out of his castle like I wanted to, if he’d seen the dude strong-armed me.
Baldy pinned my arm around my back, grabbed my neck like the jaws of life, and pushed me into a glass case that housed a fire extinguisher. My temple caught the edge of the wooden frame, and instant pain ricocheted through me.
“What is going on?” I shouted, only for my voice to die amid the blaring music from the show, which the club goers were riveted to, hooting and hollering.
“Listen carefully, Fallyn,” he said into my ear.
My stomach dropped to the floor. How the fuck did he know my real name? Duke had made me. My cover was blown. That was the reason Duke had called me into his office.
“That’s not my name. Now, let me go, or I’ll scream.” That was the only recourse I had. Even my free arm was caught between the wall and my stomach. I couldn’t even use my legs because all two hundred fifty pounds of him was pressed against me.
A lot of good my weeks and weeks of physical training and self-defense classes did. I couldn’t even bend low enough to grab the gun out of my boot.
“No one will hear you,” he said. “And I know who you are.”
My heart stopped.
“Listen closely. I’m only doing this to make this look real. I could kiss you, but you would probably knee me in the balls. Gwen needs you to meet her at noon tomorrow. She said you would know where. Oh, and to check your messages.”
Gwen and I weren’t due to meet until next weekend. So for her to send someone in, she must have urgent news. Still, I’d looked at my burner phone yesterday but not today. I’d been running late for my shift because my alarm hadn’t gone off. I normally took a three-hour nap before work.
My pulse was soaring. I should be relieved at the mention of Gwen’s name, but I wasn’t just yet. Duke could have an inside man within the ATF or FBI or even Boston PD. I had to be cautious.
“I don’t know a Gwen,” I countered, just to play along for a moment.
“I promise, I’m legit. Now, someone is probably going to show up soon, as in Hart. I noticed him watching you most of the night. So work with me.”
Maybe I had nothing to worry about, and if he was right that Duke would show up, then this might give me a great opening with Duke.
Baldy dragged his lips over my ear, eliciting a string of tingles along my arms. “I’m sorry I hurt you. Now, you could kiss me.” He released his hold on my neck.
But when I turned to face him, Duke was pulling Baldy off me.
“Do you like hurting women?” Duke’s face was red.
I shook off the soreness in my arm and attempted to slide between the two until Baldy got in Duke’s face. “My business with her is none of yours.”
Standing eye to eye with Baldy, Duke wrapped his hands around the other man’s throat. “It is my business. I own this club, and I despise assholes like you who shove ladies around. If I see you in this club again, I’ll break your knees. Are we clear?”
Baldy snarled and bit out, “Then tell your employee to pay up by the end of the week, or it’s her knees I’ll be breaking.”
What the heck was Baldy doing? Saying? He was digging me a hole, not him.
