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Chapter 5
MaxsecuredErin intoher strollerand started walkingdown thesidewalkon hiswaytoTemptation. They’d arrivedattentosixthatmorning. Byeight,he’d gottensettledinthethreebedroom apartmentEvangelinehadsetup for them.Bynine,he’d been incontactwith allthebartenders, waitresses and bouncers, telling themtocomedowntothebartodoadryrun and tomakesure their training was up toscratch.
Itwasnowteno’clock,andhewasmaking thethreeblockwalkfromhisapartmenttotheclub to inspectthe premisesand testthestaff.Hewaswell-known for being aslavedriver in LA,buthis hard-lineapproach gotresults. End ofstory. Hedidn’tcareiftheydidn’tlikehim.Hewas theretobe their boss,nottheir friend.
In his pocket, hisphonestarted ringing.“Mom?Iseverything all right?”
“Max,honey,I’msosorrytodothistoyou.”
“What’s wrong?”heasked,immediatelyconcerned bythetoneofhervoice.
“It’s your father. He’s had aheartattack.”
Max’s world slowed.“How…Is he…?” hecroaked.
“Hesurvived,”sherepliedand Maxhad heard nosweeter words.“I needto gotoSeattleto be with him.Would youmind if I didn’tcometoNewYork?Iknowit’sgoing tobedifficult,but—”
“Mom,please,don’tworryaboutme.Goand bewithDad. I’ll giveyoua call lateron toseehow he’s doing.”
“All right,Max. I loveyou.”
“Loveyoutoo, Mom.”
Maxslippedhis phone backinto his pocket,completelyshaken to his core. Hehad always been closeto his dad,buthewascloser tohismom.Thankgod shewas abletobewith his dad.He forcedthenews tothebackof hismind and refocusedonwhathewasinNewYorkfor. He could worryabouthis dad laterwhen hedidn’thavetoputthefearofgod intohis staff.
Fiveminuteslater,he slowedas hegothis firstlookof theclub. Fromtheoutsideitjustlooked likea run-down industrial building,butthen thered awningshanging abovethearched doorsmade himlooka littlecloser. Brass railings led up ashortstaircasetothefrontdoors. Thenameofthe club waswritten in brass letteringon thefront.
“Need ahand?”
MaxturnedtoseeJeremystanding there.“Excuseme?”heasked.
Jeremygestured tothestroller.“Wantmetoliftthefront?”
“Oh,yeah. Thanks,man.”
Pulling thekeysfrom his pocket,hepassedthemto Jeremytoopenthedoor.Theystepped inside,Jeremyreaching around thecorner toflickon thelights.
“Can you get the alarm? It’s by the rear exit,” Max told Jeremy, who took off at a jog, leaving Max to look around and take it all in.
“Wow,”Jeremysaid when he reappeared from the back. “Itlooks justliketheLAsetup.”
“Yeah,”Maxagreed.Theinteriordecor inLAmadesense. Itwas basedon aHollywoodRegency design. Butthathadbeen carried over tothe newbar,too.
“I guess it’s apointof difference.Plus, I couldn’tseeEvangelinechanging something thatworksso well.”
Maxwalked farther intotheclub,looking overthetwobarssetacross fromeachotherand the largespacein themiddlefor tables and chairs. Atthetopof thelargeroomwas the DJ boxand dancefloor.
“Whattimeis the staff getting here?”Jeremyasked.
“I told themto gethereatten thirty.”
“Hello?”somebodycalled fromthe door. Ayoung blondewomanwasstanding there,dark glasseson her face.
“You hereforinduction?”Maxcalled.
“AreyouMax?”sheaskedin response. Heground hismolars.
“And you are…?”
