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“What happened?” I ask. “Courtney said another one of the girls died?”
“Another overdose. Absolutely not an accident. She tried to call Motor but he was in the shower and didn’t hear his phone. She left a message saying the guy she picked up tonight was being super rough, she needed help. An hour later, one of the other girls found her. They called paramedics but it was too late.”
“That’s awful, but if she’s already dead, why are we rushing?”
“Because Daniil wants me to do a little recon after the fact. The cops and coroner will be there for a while, and sometimes bad guys like to lurk, watch the aftermath of whatever they did. Spotting that kind of thing is something I’m good at.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll drive myself there, get out, and you can take my SUV back to your place. I’ll find my way home.”
I frown. “An Uber could cost you a hundred bucks!”
“Not me,” he chuckles. “That’s something the company will pay for.”
“Oh.”
He pauses as he hands the valet his ticket. “I’m sorry our night is being cut short, but I’ll make it up to you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I feel bad that another girl is dead.” I stare up at him. “This feels very, very personal.”
“It does. And I’ll bet Silver is pissed.”
“I guess Metal was right, that Layla wouldn’t have done that.”
“And they were right about Desi too.” He opens the passenger side door for me and helps me in before jogging around and getting behind the wheel. “I just hope I’m not too late to learn anything useful.”
“You really think by hanging around while the cops are there will help you find information?”
“It’s not guaranteed but more often than not, someone saw something. And when you’re talking sex workers and drug dealers, they’ll be far more willing to talk to a guy who hands them a couple of twenties than to the cops.”
“That makes sense.”
“You’re not trained to be in the field or I’d bring you with me.” He glances at me with a grin. “And with those sexy shoes on, you’d attract way too much attention anyway.”
I can’t help but smile. “Thank you. I think.”
“Believe me, it’s a compliment.”
“Speaking of being trained in the field…” I hesitate. “I had a thought, and it’s really not original, it’s just been on my mind. What would you think about teaching me, and any of the other girls who want to, how to fight?”
“Fight? Like self-defense?”
“Self-defense, kick boxing, things that would prepare us better to fight back in an emergency, and in my case, help me get into better shape. My hormones prevent me from having a flat stomach but they don’t prevent me from building muscle and getting strong.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds but he’s nodding. “I’d love to help. I’ll have to think about how to approach it. The truth is, self-defense is a bit different than what I do, and kick boxing is its own thing.”
“It doesn’t have to be kick boxing; those were just generic thoughts. I know Allora wants to learn to protect herself, and Courtney said she would be into it in a few more weeks, once she’s healed a bit.”
“I’ll talk to Grim and see about coming up with a plan.” He slows the SUV and pulls to a stop on a random corner. “Okay, we’re two blocks from the crime scene. You sure you’re okay taking my SUV and getting home on your own?”
“Of course. But won’t you need your car in the morning?”
He smiles. “You can come pick me up.”
I smile back. “Deal. And thank you for a lovely evening.”
“We’ll have a do-over as soon as we can.” He leans over and presses a quick kiss to my lips.
