Chapter 699
“Out with it. What do you really want?” Xander finally asked, cutting through the back-and-forth. Now that I was certain who he really was, there was no point in holding back. “I have a friend who might be at DracoLux. I need to know how she’s doing—and make sure someone’s protecting her.” I hesitated before adding, “Her name is Demi Young.”
Silence. I couldn’t tell if he was shocked or if he’d already known. Considering he had his reasons for infiltrating DracoLux under a fake identity, it wouldn’t surprise me if Demi was already on his radar. After all, he’d been there for months. He must’ve uncovered something.
“Fine. I’ll help you,” he said at last, his tone firm. “But you’re not putting yourself in danger.”
That protective edge might have comforted someone else, but for me, it only made my chest tighten. He said DracoLux was dangerous—but Demi was already inside. Had something already happened to her? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. “Did you hear me?” Xander pressed when I didn’t respond.
I swallowed hard. “Xander, why are you helping me like this?” What I really wanted was for him to admit it—for him to say he was Hayden and that he was doing this because he loved me. But instead, silence.
I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m having dinner with Wayne tonight. I might need you to come pick me up.” It wasn’t just an update—it was a warning. Wayne had been toeing the line lately, and if he tried something tonight, I wanted backup. Last time, I’d faked being drunk to keep things under control, but if he pushed harder this time? I wasn’t so sure I could stop him.
Xander caught on immediately. “Then why are you going at all?”
I scoffed faintly. “What do you think?”
By the time work ended, I still hadn’t heard anything from Demi—no texts, no calls. The silence was eating at me, and I almost gave in to the urge to check her place. But if she was at DracoLux, she probably hadn’t been home at all.
Chapter 699
Just as I was about to leave, Wayne sent over the dinner details. Coincidentally, the restaurant was near the bar I’d recently taken over. Instead of heading home first, I drove straight there.
The bar wasn’t busy yet, but the staff on the evening shift were already in place, prepping for the night ahead. “Welcome!” The staff member at the entrance greeted me with a bright smile, motioning me inside like I was just another customer.
As I stepped in, I took a quick look around. The place had definitely changed—sleek, modern, with a touch of edge. Tanya had clearly been killing it as manager. “Please, have a seat!” A server approached me politely.
“Where’s your manager?” I asked, skipping over the offer to sit. The server hesitated for a second, then tilted his head. “Are you here to apply for a job? If so, interviews are that way.”
Apply? I blinked, thrown for a second. The bar was hiring? Tanya hadn’t mentioned anything about this. Then again, I had told her she didn’t have to tell me about every little thing. Clearly, she’d taken that to heart.
“What kind of beauties are you recruiting? Just women?” The server gave me a once-over. “If you’ve got questions, you’ll want to ask over there.”
Following their gaze, I spotted two men and a woman walking out of a side room, chatting quietly. No doubt they’d just finished an interview. I found a seat nearby and watched as more people shuffled in and out of that same room. In just half an hour, at least ten people had gone through. Tanya was clearly hiring big. For a bar this size, though? It seemed like overkill. Then it hit me—she’d already started setting up our plan, casting the net for the “fish” we needed to catch.
I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick picture of the interview area, firing it off in a message. Before I could even pocket my phone, Tanya’s voice came from behind me. “You’re here? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Chapter 700