So… Awesome. Just fucking awesome.
That was why it was so hard to ever get a lock on our killer. She didn’t just hit one club or work there. She was smart.
The smart ones sometimes pissed me off even as I appreciated that they were a worthy adversary. Maybe if this was chess, but there were people dying, so it wasn’t a fucking game and I was seriously down on myself.
I sent Kyle everything and immediately changed the order from dancer to guys to visit all the clubs in the area and find out everything we could on any new dancers. He was already on the same page as me and told me that there had been some updates on everything else that had happened.
And they weren’t good. Expected but not good.
Yeah, I figured they wouldn’t be.
At least I was able to free Maya and get her the five grand that Austin and Nicole Brann were holding for her. I walked in with Mindy as my attorney and made it clear that I knew the scam they were running. I made it clear that I walked out of there with cash and they forgot about Maya or Mindy would eat them.
Gladly.
“I knew you were going to be a bitch in the end,” Nicole seethed.
“You’re pulling illegal shit and beyond disgusting to treat other women this way,” I snapped. “You treat everyone here like dirt because yourhusbandis trash. Leave him. Don’t push everyone else. And this place is unsafe and beyond gross.” I snorted when they both seemed offended. “If I called the health inspector you’d never reopen.”
Yeah, I called that one. They bribed someone. Their desires freaked out that I knew too much and they wanted me gone. Five grand was worth it now.
Right, so… Like why bother having a damn kitchen then?
Gross.
“You want to talk about whatever happened that has all the VPs upset?” Mindy asked me when it was over and we were in the parking lot.
“I fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it,” I answered. “I didn’t use my head and—”
“They’re worried, not mad,” she said quietly. “They think whatever happened broke your fight.” She nodded when I snorted. She awkwardly cleared her throat and gave me a half hug. “Well, just check in. Elijah is being a demon and snapping at all of us to get everything done yesterday. He’s—only you can make him like that.”
“It’s my best quality,” I chuckled, patting her back. She wasn’t an affectionate one, so I appreciated the attempt.“Thanks for the backup. It was nice we got to help someone at least.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Even I know whatever you guys did helped a lot of people. It might not have gone the way you wanted, but you helped people. Howtheyrespond is on them. You cannot control the stupid of others.”
“I know.”
“And even if it didn’t go the way you hoped that night, that doesn’t mean it can’t work out in the end. Havepatience.” She chuckled at whatever was on my face. “I know, your worst attribute, but you know how to play the long game too or we wouldn’t have everything we do. Change your mindset from a today win to something for the long game and…”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I accepted, understanding she was at the end of her own abilities. “It helped.” And it really did. She was right and I was grateful.
Truly.
Kyria checked on me, but when I told her that I was fine, she promised that she had everything under control and was already starting the auditing process of all of the dancers. They were starting in Germany with the two new managers and the ancient who was shielding them before she made the rounds as the director under me.
And when was I going to listen to the list of songs they wanted me to choreograph dances to?
Yeah, hint taken.
Still, it gave me something to focus on while working the murder investigation and putting the final touches together for the trap I’d had set for months now… Well, traps actually.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I had thought there wouldn’t be another large meeting with us involved after how you left the last one,” Phil said as he walked in with about a dozen of the ISLE leadership.
“Yeah, well, just because a big part of that failed doesn’t mean it was the only goal I had. I wanted you to be there to witness what pushed over the last domino—”
“Or snapped the last thread of sanity and restraint of those who think they’re better than us,” Kyle said with an amused tone as he held out his fist to me.
Yeah, I bumped it. We’d had this ready for a while.
