Page 27 of Targeted By Fate
“You bet.”
The club was notorious for drug dealings, and I didn’t like my mate working there. Yes, it was upmarket, but the clients were sleazy, and the deals done in back rooms were not just illegal but immoral. Human trafficking being one of them, where people and money exchanged hands.
I didn’t want Keane near that. Even though he was a shifter and it was easier to escape if he was bundled into a van, I didn’t want to chance anything happening to him.
“You should go with your brothers.” Rhodes nudged his mate. “I’ll get up tonight if Luna wakes.
We waited an hour, though I couldn’t sit still. My brothers played computer games while I researched the club and the regular members.
“Boaz, stop pacing. You’ll wear a hole in the carpet.” Riggs yanked me onto the sofa, but I counted the minutes until I reckoned we could go.
Everyone piled into my car, and Maynard and Ezra fought for the front seat, just as they used to when we were kids.
“What is that noise?” There was a crunching coming from the back, and I worried.
“Lake,” my brothers shouted. Of course he’d brought a bag of corn chips.
“What if they won’t let us in?” Thiago asked as we got out of the car. “They’re very particular about their clientele.”
“Money talks, bro. You know that.”
As predicted we sailed inside after I stuffed a crisp Ben Franklin in the bouncer’s palm.
“Act normal,” I hissed as my brothers hovered around me in a half circle.
“We are.”
“On second thought, that’s a bad idea. Don’t draw attention yourselves. Spread out.”
I don’t like our mate working here. My wolf had been quiet during dinner and Keane’s reveal. But he was on edge, ready to take his fur and pounce if anyone put a hand on our mate.
I almost sneezed at the cloying scent of cologne. These mobsters really went overboard on the aftershave. But scent wasn’t the only excessive aspect of the club. Everything was gold and velvet, and the walls were lined with mirrors. Gods, the flashing lights reflecting off the mirrors would give any human a headache. A mist wafted up from the dance floor. Dry ice.
I left my brothers and wandered to the long gleaming bar. I didn’t want any alcohol, needing to keep a clear head, and the bartender raised a brow when I ordered a soda water.
It was still early and the crowds were sparse. Should have thought about that because Keane might spot one of us. But the place was huge and the lighting dim, but he’d sense me if he came close.
I leaned one elbow on the bar and scanned the room. People were dancing, talking, and roaming around, and from my position, I couldn’t see anything on the second floor.
Lake and Riggs were talking to a guy who looked familiar, and I couldn’t see Maynard, Ezra, and Thiago. My oldest bro was probably curled up in a corner fast asleep.
Taking my glass of soda, I mingled with the crowd, scanning the tables on the upper floor, but my vision was limited by the lighting, so I climbed the wide circular staircase.
But when I reached the top, I spied the VIP room tucked away at the back. And Keane, dressed in a snazzy tight-fitting suit, was chatting to… oh no. Him! He should have been in hiding and here he was in public acting as if his business hadn’t been decimated by our pack.
My hackles rose as my mate laughed at something the guy said.
Oh no! No, no. This wasn’t happening.
14
KEANE
It was my first night working at my new job, and unlike what they told me to do, I did not wear my tightest jeans. I just wanted to go in, serve some drinks, and leave. I didn’t want to give any hint to the customers that I was there for anything else, and I was sure to wear a shirt that showed off my mating mark.
This was a job, nothing more, and I could tell my mate was not happy about where I was working. He’d said multiple times that I didn’t need to work and that if I wanted to I should get one I loved. But I wanted to contribute fiscally. And right now, this was the way to do so.
Boaz had been so busy he hadn’t heard me tell him that I even had a job. He didn’t need the added stress of having me work somewhere he wasn’t comfortable, and that already had me planning to keep the job hunt going. But for now, this would have to do. And who knew, maybe I’d finish my first shift and discover it was the best job ever. I’d work, go home, and show him lots of money and all would be great. Or maybe it would suck, and I’d go home and never come back. But either way, I was doing this. I owed it to both of us to at least try.
