The rain was coming down harder, and I thought back to the last two days and the fact that I’d done something most likely against the law.
Five Days Ago
Flying out of town to the club Malcolm co-owned with a man named Gregory was unplanned. I had an inkling I needed to check it out. Pushing through the door during rush hour, I realized my mistake. Newcomers tended to stick out like a sore thumb.
A man in his forties, wearing a tailored suit and an air of superiority, approached me. I’d guessed he might have been the co-owner. He looked at me suspiciously, and I couldn’t blame him. I was the only one there in a raincoat. I didn’t want to be conspicuous. I just hadn’t thought about it.
This was an upper-class establishment specializing in senior male entertainment, as I like to call it, from the look of it. There were suits everywhere, scantily clad women who looked too young to be working in a place like this.
“Good evening.” He smirked at me haughtily. “I haven’t seen you around here before.”
“I’m from out of town, visiting a friend.”
“Oh, and what brings you here?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow. I’d read the sign, ‘Right of Admission Reserved,’ but still, I didn’t think he’d actually kick me out.
“My friend wasn’t available,” I said, taking a sip of my Coke. I realized I must look like a vagrant, soaking wet and in need of shelter.
“I’m afraid there’s a private party tonight, and I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
I envied his poker face. “Too bad,” I said, spotting the goons making their way toward us. “Quite a place you have here.”
I made my way to the exit and could feel he was following me, ensuring I left the building. I stopped at the photos framed on the wall.
There was a picture of Alyssa, Malcolm, Mr. Big here, and another woman. It looked like the opening.
“Anything interesting?” he questioned as he studied me.
“No, just a great picture.”
He said nothing as I made my way out of the club into the pouring rain.
I should tell her about that, just not tonight. First, I needed to find a motel to crash in. Then we needed to figure out what to do next. I figured I’d drive for another hour and stop in one of the small towns off the main highway. I’d take the alternate route after that, staying off the highway.
When we parked in the motel parking lot, she startled awake.
“Where are we?”
“We need to crash and maybe go over what we’re going to do next. We need to see your sister, but I’m afraid that is going to be tricky, so we have to be careful how we approach that. We also need to get you some clothes. I can pick something up for you in the morning. There’s a shopping center not far from here. I drove past it on our way in.” I knew I was rambling, but I felt like I had to say as much as I could to reassure her.
She nodded, her eyes surveying our surroundings. “That’s fine.” Her voice was small, uncertain.
“You can wait here if you like. I’ll get a key and come back for you.”
“Maybe that’s best.” She smiled at me tiredly, and I climbed out of the car, sucking in a breath.
The air sent chills coursing through me, and I wrapped my jacket tighter around me. I had no fucking clue what I was doing. The motel was old and dingy and had probably been on this stretch for a hundred years. It was not the kind of place I wanted Alyssa to sleep in, but the bigger establishments had cameras. I highly doubted this one did, and a quick sweep of the ceiling area confirmed that.
“Room for the night, please?” I asked, digging into my wallet for some cash. I didn’t want to use my card, but somehow, I doubted this place had a card machine either.
“Just stopping by?” the young woman at the desk asked, twirling her loose brown hair around her finger. Her nametag read ‘Lisa,’ and she looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here.
You and me both, I thought.
“Yeah,” I said, distracted. I didn’t have time to chit-chat. I paid, got my key, and went out to the car. My heart stilled when I noticed Alyssa wasn’t in the car. I raced to the vehicle, opening the door.
“Looking for someone?” she asked, walking up behind me. “Sorry, I had to use the restroom in the lobby. You didn’t notice me coming in. You were too busy flirting with the counter girl.”
“Is that supposed to be a joke?” I grinned.
