Butterflies took flight in my stomach as I shivered in delight. I was screwed, but I wanted him to tell me more. I wanted him to tell me every memory he had of us, good or bad. Maybe then he could feel my pain. “What else?”
His tongue darted out to lick his lips, slow and subtle. But that small movement held so much power that heat shot south and settled in my core.
“Can I call you later to check on you?” he asked.
“Not a good idea, Denim.”
He frowned. “Give me a chance.”
Kelton returned. “Are you ready, Jade?” Then he went into his office.
Sighing, I grabbed my notebook and a pen. “Sorry, Denim.”
He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m staying at Dillon’s if you change your mind or if you just want to talk.”
My heart punched my sternum hard as my cheeks flamed. The man was making it hard for me, especially with his puppy-dog eyes.
Damn him.
He stabbed a thumb behind him. “I’ll see you around.”
I guessed he would. After all, he was a client, which meant Denim wasn’t going away. Good, bad, or indifferent, I needed to focus on my job and getting justice for Savannah’s death.
19
Denim
Dillon and I waited behind a long line of partygoers to get into The Monarch, Duke’s brand-spanking-new club that he’d just added to his growing portfolio. According to Dillon, Duke owned a total of three clubs around the city.
The line of mainly women wrapped around the warehouse-style building, and a line of cars wheeled in slowly, searching for a parking spot.
“A meat market, if you ask me,” I said to Dillon.
“If this is like Duke’s other clubs, you’ll see why the place is crawling with eager and hungry women.”
I couldn’t imagine what he meant. The clubs I’d been in had a DJ, strobe lights, a bar, and strung-out people throwing themselves at each other on the dance floor.
“Do tell.”
“Nah,” Dillon said. “It’s better to see.”
Whatever.I wasn’t there to dance or get drunk or pick up a woman. Duke was my target. Dillon had suggested we pay our brother a visit at his new club since Duke had all but said he never wanted to see me again.
I couldn’t say that didn’t stab me in the gut because it did. But I wasn’t backing down, and Dillon wanted to clear the air among the three of us. Dillon was pissed at how Duke had treated me.
“You know, I can handle my own battles with Duke,” I said. “We don’t need to be here.” Frankly, I didn’t even want to go in. It was best if I let things settle for the moment between Duke and me. After all, Kelton had my back with the Feds, so it wasn’t like I had to be at Travers’s beck and call. He was going to be pissed, though.
Kelton had said the only way I was working for Travers was if I wanted to, but I just wanted to find the fucker who’d set me up, not jump through hoops to throw my brother in prison.
“Yes, we do,” Dillon said. “He’s going to tell you why he didn’t visit you in prison. He’s going to sit down and have a drink with us and build that brotherly bond. If he’s coming to my wedding, then I want the three of us to be cordial at least.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “So you’re going to invite him?”
“Look, man. Duke is a mess. When he helped me find Maggie after she was kidnapped, I could tell he was struggling with something. I told you that. I’m tired of it. Now that you’re out, we need to have his back too.”
I didn’t disagree. Savannah’s death had affected him. I’d seen the sadness in his eyes when Jade had unleashed her wrath on him. Still, it would take more than a few words or drinks to get through to Duke Hart. “Why are we waiting in line? Let’s just tell the bouncer we’re related to the owner.”
Dillon chuckled. “He wouldn’t believe us. Every girl in front of us is probably playing that angle. We’re almost there. Were the flowers a hit with Jade?”
