Page 19 of Bitter Lies

Finishing my drink, I slam the tumbler down hard enough to make a point. “I was at the Mad Hatter. She was with someone I know. I offered her a ride. She failed to mention her detail. They saw me as a threat because of something I did. You know how security works—they don’t ask questions. Act first. Deal with the rest later.”

Silas perks up. He’s even more curious now, hearing this woman has security. It should be a red flag, but instead it seems to only draw him in. Wanker.

The grin that spreads across his face pisses me off. His laughter cuts through the noise, followed by the sharp crack of his hand slapping the table.

“Priceless. Offer still stands, ladies. Bring your dates. I want to hear more about this, but like Aiden said, we’ve got a meeting we can’t skip.” Waving his hand high he catches the bouncer’s attention. “Set these lovely ladies up in the VIP section once their dates arrive. Put it on my tab.”

He smirks, and, fuck me, I know what’s coming. “Actually… put it on Aiden’s. He seems keen to cash in his raincheck. What better way to start?”

“That’s unnecessary,” Izzy protests. “We already have a section blocked off. The rest of my detail are handling it.”

“The rest?” I narrow my eyes and scan the club, searching for those who aren’t handling shit. If they were, we wouldn’t have been allowed to approach without being questioned or searched.

As the brunette extends her hand, a bead of sweat runs down my back. “You may not recognize me. The last time we met, my gun was pressed into the back of your head. Name’s Sasha.”

For fuck’s sake.

Taking her hand, I can’t help but notice she has a solid grip. This doesn’t imply I think she’s capable of protecting Izzy by herself. There are two of us. We could easily overpower her and be gone before she recovers.

To stifle her laughter, Izzy coughs into her hand. Placing a hand on the blonde’s arm, she gives it a squeeze. “This is my friend, Trinity.”

Trinity props her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her fist. “I see what she meant by brooding, hard-to-read twat waffle. We are absolutely sticking around. I need to hear why you never cashed in on that raincheck.” She leans in, eyes bright with interest. “Your timing is spot-on. One more day and she’d have… Ouch! Why did you do that?”

Izzy gives her friend a withering glare. “You have a big mouth. Shut it. Oh look, the guys are finally here.”

Rising to her feet, she quickly moves toward the two men battling their way to us. Neither one impresses me. They couldn’t hurt a fly if it landed on her. If she faced a threat, they’d be no help. She’d handle it while they stood there like morons—cause it’s clear her detail would be late.

I don’t wait for introductions. I’m done here. The sooner we get this meeting over with, the better.

Before I do something incredibly stupid.

Like drag her off into one of our private rooms and cash in my raincheck.

Chapter 9

Aiden

“You owe me.” Silas jogs up the stairs to catch up, chuckling. “If I’d not spotted them, you’d have missed out. Not interested, just say so, and I’ll call dibs.”

I throw him a death glare for acting like a teenager instead of the middle-aged arsehole he is. “Dibs? You’ve been hanging out with the younger crowd again, haven’t you?”

“I like the younger crowd. They motivate me, spark my imagination and fuel my ambitions.” He steps in front of me, straightening his jacket. “If you don’t step up and take what you want, and soon, she’s fair game. Understand?”

I nod, my fists clenching at my sides. Like hell she is. If he so much as lays a finger on her, I’ll break his hand. He isn’t ruining her like the others.

If anyone does… it’ll be me.

Fuck.

Reaching the second floor, he slows, gazing down at the level below.

“Testing her limits would be a fun challenge. Don’t you agree? Might need to rethink my decision… see how far she bends.”

The thought alone sets my temper flaring, and I’m one step away from throwing him over the balcony. He knows he’s pushing my buttons and winding me up tight. That damn cocky smirk gives him away.

I hate he’s seen it. The weakness where she’s concerned.

This could go badly for all of us. If he touches her… I’ll kill him.