He leaned against the door frame. “Know who it is?”
“If I did, would I be here? Hunter couldn’t see the person’s face. She’s getting with Kala to see if anyone is investigating something and failed to inform me yet. Also, did any of the guys see a new woman in town? Curvy, blue hair?”
“I’m pretty sure the guys would go feral if they did see her.” He sat on the edge of his desk, crossing his arms. “I’ll tell the boys, and when we go patrol later, we’ll keep an eye out for her and anyone else. Also, Lennox called me a little while ago, and said the feds went to the hotel today asking questions.”
My hotel was one of the nicer places to stay in Westhaven, and while it was actually a hotel, my girls had clientele. Lennox kept everything running smoothly, separating clients from people needing a place to stay for a few nights. There was also a cheap motel on the outskirts of town, and a Marriott before getting into Bellevue.
My eyes snapped to him. “What? No one knows what happens inside those walls. None of the customers would dare talk to a rat.”
“I know. Said she asked about ya. Lenny said she didn’t know her, so it seemed legit.”
“Fuck.”
Hawke walked to his bar, pouring two glasses of whiskey, but I declined the glass he handed me. “I don’t know what alerted the feds, and your security is top notch with Hunter.”
“I have dirt on every single member who walks through those doors. Hunter makes sure to have something the moment she runs her background checks. They know what happens if something is ever mentioned. The girls love their jobs. They keep eighty percent of the profit they make, so no one would compromise their jobs by talking to someone. Unless one of the girls is dating a cop?”
“What if one of the girls got hurt? And this is their way of getting justice?”
“They know if someone hurts them, the moment they tell me, I will deal with the problem. Just like at Hades. No questions asked.”
“Isn’t Ricky a member?”
I cocked a brow. “He wouldn’t dare.”
Ricky Dupree was a sleazy old bastard trying to run a prostitution ring outside of his shit-hole diner on the other end of town. The only reason I hadn’t burnt his shit to the ground was because he only had his employees fucking his girlfriend and taking payment from their checks.
“Looks like I’ll have to pay that sleazy bastard a visit tomorrow.”
Hawke nodded. “I’ll have the boys start patrolling, keeping an eye on things. We’ll start tonight.”
CHAPTER 7
KADENCE
Running around the diner, catering to the customers’ hunger and beer desires while healing from a stab wound and spleen removal, was for the fucking birds. My side and lower back were killing me, but I continued to push through the throbbing pain. There were only two more hours until the diner closed. I survived worse, I could survive this.
Roadhouse smelled like cat piss and stale cigarettes, but Ricky gave me a job instantly without needing my ID or any other information. I assumed it was because I had nice tits, and the men loved it. I think that was why I was wearing this tight, faded-yellow uniform so they could see every curve. It was disgusting being ogled like a piece of meat, but the tips were decent. He paid everyone under the table, which was perfect for me since I was technically dead. This wasn’t my first time working in a sleazy diner, and with how my life was going, it wouldn’t be my last.
It was another thing my father was right about.
I was a failure.
Why did I let my life become like this?
I should have been the devoted daughter who listened to her father, but after my brother died and my mom left, he becameso entranced with his job and the need to help other people, he forgot about the innocent soul waiting for him at home with the teenage babysitter five nights a week. I knew I was the problem child at a young age, but I thought he loved me enough despite that. I missed him in the beginning, asking Marie where Daddy was, crying when he had to leave and running into his arms when he came home at seven o’clock every night. Then as I got older, I realized why he hated me, and that caused the rebellion streak to hit.
I started hanging out with the bad kids in school, dying my hair, and piercing my face to see if it could get some kind of reaction out of him, but it didn’t do anything. He’d always tell me I was a disgrace to the Carpenter name, and once he let it slip that I should’ve died instead of Nathan. After that, I started fucking anyone and everyone. He caught me once with a much older man when I was fifteen. I’m surprised he didn’t get arrested with how pissed my dad was.
I’d watched plenty ofLaw and Order: SVUto know that what happened to me wasn’t my fault, but this nagging feeling told me I could’ve prevented it. I could’ve avoided the tattoos and theI love yous that flew off of Dominic’s tongue like hot venom. One day, I would make that motherfucker pay for hurting me.
I shuddered at the memory and continued to work. Suddenly, a gorgeous woman who screamedpowerstormed into the diner. I stumbled when I saw her. Hot women intimidated me, and Jesus Christ that woman was walking sex. Her presence screamed domination. Everyone in the room stopped to look at her, and I caught a glimpse of her eyeballing me like I was a piece of gum on the bottom of her shoes.
I let out a sigh, ripping the order slip with my chicken scratch and going to the cook’s window. “Billy, I need two all Americans,extra fried onions, and BBQ sauce. Double cheese messy with extra fries.”
“Anything for you, baby cakes,” Billy flirted.
The men here were disgusting, smelling like cigarette smoke and sour beer, but at least they had enough respect not to touch me. They hit on me with every step I made, and just like any other man, they didn’t take no for an answer. I was sure if I was willing, they’d all line up for me, but I was here simply for a paycheck until I got back on my feet to claim this new identity I chose.
