“I have faith in you. Later, kid,” I call out over my shoulder as I head toward the front door. I know I’m going to regret that promise as soon as the words leave my mouth. Coco is always looking for a way to bypass steps, and she never forgets anything. At least, not when the promise has to do with something she wants. If it’s anything else, the girl has the memory of a flea.
“What’s up?” I ask Crane as I slide in the back of the black Escalade.
“Popcorn called.” His eyes find mine in the rearview mirror as he pulls away. “There’s a woman at the Loft looking for you and asking too many questions.”
“Who?”
“I believe it’s the woman you were with last night, based on Popcorn’s description. Her name is Eva, right?”
“Yeah. That’s her.” I lie because I don’t want anyone to know her real name, not even Crane. Although he’s worked for me for years, I’m not ready to trust him with her real identity. She’s hiding it for a reason, and until I find out why, I’ll keep it just for myself too.
“I don’t trust her, Nix.”
“I have her handled.”
His eyes come back to mine, and there’s a crease between his eyebrows this time. “Just be careful.”
“Noted, Crane. Have you ever known me to be careless?”
He shakes his head, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter beneath his fingers.
“I have her covered. What else is going on that I should know about?”
“Everything else is quiet.”
I start scrolling through my messages before reading my emails and answering the important ones, but I make sure not to give anything away. I keep things low-key and basic when it comes to my digital footprint. Since 9-11, the US government has tapped phones and read all web traffic, especially from cell phones. Unless I’m at home with my specially encrypted laptop, I keep things on the down low.
When we pull up in front of the Loft, Crane turns his upper body to face me, resting his hand on the headrest of the passenger seat. “If anything bad happens, just ring my phone and I’ll be out front before you hit the doors.”
“I’ll be outside and down the street before I call if something happens. Just stick close tonight.”
He nods. “I will.”
As I climb out, I check the streets but see nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe Crane is just being paranoid or my vibe is off, but I’m not feeling like any bad shit’s going to happen tonight. Kennedy’s presence at the club isn’t alarming. The fact that she’s asking about me isn’t strange either. But she’s throwing up red flags because she hasn’t established enough of a reputation not to send Popcorn into a panic.
“Nix,” Paul says at the doorway, giving me a short nod as I walk by and enter the Loft.
I smile and lift my chin to him in response. “Evening, Paul.”
After I make it to the lower level, a few people call out to me as I walk, but I ignore them. I make a beeline for the woman sitting at the bar with her entire back exposed, waiting for company. Kennedy has on her blue wig, just like the first time I met her. She has the same black leather boots that fasten just above her knees and a miniskirt that gives just enough of a view of her thighs to make most men stare.
A gold necklace hangs backward, lying down her spine and ending about six inches above her waist. I want to reach out and trace the line with the backs of my fingers, but I resist the urge to draw attention to us, especially in Hassan’s territory.
Leaning forward, I bring my mouth close to her ear, inhaling her sweet perfume. “Eva.”
She shivers when she hears my voice and turns her head ever so slightly so that our mouths are almost touching. “Nix.” There’s a twinkle in her eyes. “You’re a pleasant surprise.”
I place my hands on her shoulders and sweep my thumbs against her exposed skin. “I heard you were asking about me.”
“Flattering yourself?” Her voice betrays her. My touch is affecting her, and tiny goose pimples break out across her skin.
“If you have questions, I’d rather you ask me.” I move closer and bury my face in her hair to stop myself from kissing her sweet, beautiful mouth in front of everyone. “Kennedy.” I remind her that I know who she really is and not to fuck with me so easily. I’m soft, but at some point, I’ll fight fire with fire.
We all have secrets.
Even I do.
There isn’t a single person in my life that knows all of me. Everyone has pieces and parts, but nobody gets the full picture. My father knows the most about me, but even he’s in the dark about some things. It’s better this way because I want to make sure everyone who’s important to me has plausible deniability. They can’t tell what they don’t know.
