“I don’t care who she’s asking for,” Stefan snaps, not breaking eye contact. “I’ll decide who she’s getting.”
The guard backs out, closing the door.
“You told me this would go away.”
Zach’s entire body stiffens against me, and I step forward. Even without knowing the specifics, this is my fault. She can only be knocking at his door to find out what happened to her son.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Zach growls, pulling me back against him. “Stay right here. I’ll be back soon.”
Stefan waits until he’s out of the room before speaking. “You’re the one.”
My tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth, and I have to free it before saying, “The one what?”
“From the video.”
The video. He knows about Tessa’s video.
“Excuse me,” I hear myself saying. My feet make their way to the exit with no help from my brain. “Thanks for the opportunity, but I’ll have to pass.”
I expect someone to stop me as I walk back to the entrance, but the guards simply watch me go by.
Light floods the doorway, blindingly bright even after the club’s well-lit interior. Zach stands just outside, talking to a woman whose face twists with anger.
“You told me that last time.”
“There’s nothing more to add,” Zach responds, jumping as I walk to his side. “What’re you doing? Get back inside.”
“Who’re you?” The woman’s fury turns to immediate curiosity, and she reaches out to grab my hand. “Did you know my boy? Did you know Robbie?”
“The one who went to Auckland?”
Elaine McClure’s eyes turn laser focused. “What’s that? What d’you know?”
I mould my features into a puzzled expression as I turn to Zach. “Didn’t he go up north for work?”
His eyes are as flat as stone.
“There was a big thing,” I whisper to the woman. “But I don’t think my boyfriend wants me to talk about it.”
Her hands clutch onto me, and bile rushes up the back of my throat as I feel her desperation.
But she can be as pleading and pitiful as she likes. This woman raised the monster who wore down my friend until she couldn’t stand the pain of being alive. If her son’s disappearance hurts her?
Good.
“You have to talk to my investigator,” the woman babbles, letting go of me only long enough to drag a card from her bag. There’s a stack of them in there. Seems to me that a man who was halfway decent at his job wouldn’t need to advertise so hard.
“I don’t have to do shit, lady.”
The light of hope blinks out as quickly as it was lit. When I step towards her, she falls back. Power surges through me, wiping any trace of nervousness from my veins.
“But I might have a chat if you make it worthwhile.” I pluck the card from her, turning it over in my fingers. Zach’s fiery gaze scorches my cheek. When he reaches out for my hand, I slap it away.
“I can pay.” Robbie’s mother digs into her bag again, this time pulling out a wallet. She opens it, plucking out a twenty.
I arch my brow and lean over, counting the sheaf of bills tucked into the side. What kind of crazy person carries that much cash around with them? Hasn’t she heard of debit cards?
“Three hundred per hour, and if I don’t like his tone of voice, I’m saying nothing.” I pull all the money out, returning two bills. I raise my new stash. “This buys you two hours.”
