The faint red glow from the neon lights along the outside of Badlands comes into view. It’s nearly four AM now. The last cars are leaving the parking lot. The dancers are going home. I wonder if I can catch Lulu and apologize. I’m sober now…Mostly.
I lean against the hood of my car and pull out my phone. Four missed calls. Fifteen emails. Ten text messages. All from either Alexandria or Fabian. Alexandria is one of my best employees…She's also an on-and-off-again hookup and one of my best friends. Fabian is the second in command of Octavia, my company.
I started Octavia for me and Adam. We always dreamed about having a private security company, and I made it a reality. My team is hired for private events for most of the celebrities that visit Vegas, and there are a fuck-ton. Hell, just last week one of my teams was on the grounds crew for Danny DeVito’s eightieth birthday.
The back door to Badlands opens, spilling light into the dimly lit parking lot. A dark-haired woman wearing leggings and a hoodie four sizes too big steps out. Her face is cloaked in shadows, but I know it's her. There’s something about her that I can feel…It’s weird.
I take a few steps toward her. My foot crunches on gravel, and she stops dead in her tracks. She slowly turns toward me. The door opens again, and the light catches on her silver eyes.
“Hello, Sunshine.”
CHAPTER 7
Mina
No.
Shit. No. No. No!
“What are you doing here?” I whisper as he closes the distance between us.
“I came to apologize. I honestly don’t know what I said or did, but it’s been bugging me all night.” He looks at me with that pain in his eyes again. As if looking at me is causing his soul to burn.
“You didn’t do anything. So, there’s nothing to apologize for. Have a good night, Myles.” I turn to walk away, but he reaches out and gently grabs my wrist. Even with his gentleness, it still causes pain. The pain is pure agony and feels like fire seeping up my arm. He lets go immediately after I wince.
“What happened?” he asks, reaching for my arm.
“Nothing. I messed up during my routine. I’ll be fine. I just need to get out of here. You should, too.”
“Okay.” He agrees too easily. Somethingseems up. “Hungry?”
“Uh…” I glance back toward the door. I don’t know if Declan is watching the cameras out here, but I hope to God he isn’t.
“Please…I promise no funny business. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Okay. Where would you want to go?” I ask. I take his hand and start to pull him.
“You pick. I haven’t been here in a long time, so I don’t know what’s good anymore,” he chuckles as we slide into my truck.
The motor on my old truck barely hums to life. Seven more weeks till I can get a new one. I’ve had this baby for five years, but she’s older than me.
“We can go to Ray’s.”
“Ray’s is still around? Does big Ray still run it?” he looks excited about a dinky diner on the outskirts of town.
“Yeah…He isn’t there as much anymore. When did you say you lived here?”
“A long time ago.”
His phone dings, and he pulls it out of his pocket. I glance out of the corner of my eye and see him glaring at the screen before shaking his head and pocketing it again.
“Everything good?” I ask.
“Mhm."
“So, what brings you back to town?” I ask. I want to keep him talking until we get there.
“Real estate.”
