He’d seen Markov go that way as well, and he hadn’t come out yet.
Little by little, Gordon meandered toward the darkened hallway at the back. No offices, no johns. Just a shadowed corridor, leading to several locked doors.
He tried the final door. It opened to reveal a big guy. He had to be a bouncer, with those muscles and that face made of stone.
“Can I help you?”
“I was just curious about what was behind the door.”
“Nothing for you, friend.” The bouncer started to close the door.
Gordon put a hand on it. “Wait. What is this place?”
“VIP suite. No one gets in without an invitation.”
“So how do I get an invitation?”
“Good night, sir. Watch your hand.” He shut the door.
That was about an hour ago. He’d been sucking back ice cubes ever since. The bartender kept looking at him funny because he refused to buy another drink.
All he wanted was to confront Markov.
It was time.
Gordon had amused himself for a while by sending the anonymous letter to Markov and by his late-night paint job in the washroom, but he no longer found the pranks amusing.
They needed to talk. He had a lot of questions.
As if in answer to his prayers, Markov walked out of the back hallway, accompanied by a Black woman in a fancy red dress.
Shit. What he had to say to Markov needed to be said in private. He needed to get him alone.
Gordon retreated into the shadows. He didn’t want Markov to see him yet, not with this woman on his arm.
When she turned to bat her eyes at the Russian, Gordon got a proper glimpse. She was damn sexy, especially with that hip-high slit in her dress. Distracted by the sight of her long legs, he almost missed what Markov said to her as they walked past.
“Let’s go, baby.”
Baby.
And little Shannon had barely been in the ground for a year.
The fucker.
They left Covet together. Gordon followed at a distance. Holding hands, they headed toward reception, stopping to kiss along the way. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. At one point, Markov pulled her into a quiet corner and tickled the exposed skin of her thigh.
If Gordon didn’t hate the man so much, he might actually have gotten a stiffie from watching him paw her bare leg.
They quickly pulled apart, clearly trying to be on their best behavior. From there, they headed toward the admin area and the elevator that led to Markov’s office.
Gordon grabbed a hotel map from reception and acted like a lost tourist. He continued to trail Markov. From around a corner, he watched as Shannon’s ex swiped a card, giving him access to the elevator. Markov and his new girlfriend entered and disappeared from view.
So Alex Markov had a new woman in his life. That made things interesting.
Very interesting.
A couple of security guards stood about fifty feet away. One of them nodded in Gordon’s direction. They headed over. “Anything we can help you with, sir?”
