Page 17 of Miss Trust

I tuned out as he introduced the room. Although I understood customer service was the cornerstone my business, I had a limit to my socialization skills. “Nice to meet you all. Enjoy your night.”

I was about to leave when one of the younger men grabbed my arm. Malik stepped forward, but I waved him off, instead removing the man’s hand with my own strong grip. The fellow appeared several drinks deep, judging by his flushed face and glazed eyes.

“Sorry. Um, where do you think we could get a couple of these girls to go? I have a hotel room a few blocks away.” He laughed hilariously at his own joke before wiping his nose as if he’d recently done a line or two of cocaine.

“The women are here for your entertainment in the club only.” I didn’t deal in prostitution, nor would I ever. I wasn’t about governing anyone’s morality, to each their own. But I was adamant about my responsibilities. Here, under my roof, I could guarantee the safety of the women who worked for me. In some asshole’s hotel room after he’d had too many drugs, chased by too many vodka tonics—? Not a chance.

“Come on. How about the blonde over there?” He pointed at one of the girls currently on the pole.

“People are not for sale.”

He laughed again. “Bullshit. Name your price.” He brought out a money clip from his suit pocket as if the sight of his currency would change my mind.

Bill must’ve sensed my change in mood as he stepped forward, but I held up a finger to ask for a moment. Then, so this asshole would hear me, I leaned down.

“Put your fucking money away. This is not a negotiation. And if you expect to enjoy this evening or any future ones in my club, you will learn no means no. Mind your manners, sit your ass down, or have it thrown out.”

He sputtered. “But I’m here with Bill.”

I arched a brow and glanced towards Bill, who apologized profusely. “Sorry, Chance. He’s new and had too much to drink.”

“Tame him or I will.” In case anyone forgot who was in charge, I surveyed the room, my expression reinforcing the only acceptable answer.

“I will.” Bill pulled him to the side quickly.

I gave the drunk one last menacing glare before walking out with Malik on my heels. “Tell Mark to have eyes on that room at all times tonight.”

“Yes, sir.”

I had top-notch security in the club. If the man so much as breathed wrong, someone would immediately be there to intervene. There was a small part of me tempted to be the one who threw him out, but taking out the trash was not what a man in control did. I didn’t lose my temper, nor did I let someone rattle me.

By the time I hit my office, I’d mentally moved on.

While Malik was my right-hand man when it came to security, Carmen Mendoza was my right-hand woman when it came to accounting. She had once been a dancer but had worked her way up to management. She now oversaw the books for all of my US clubs. I spent the evening with her, going over the accounts of the club in Vegas. We were interrupted when her wife, Susan, knocked on the door.

“Hi, if you two are still working, I can catch an Uber home.”

Jesus, was it three o’clock in the morning already? Carmen seemed equally surprised by the hour. “I can stay, boss, if you need me to.”

“Not necessary. We’ll continue tomorrow. Enjoy your night, you two.” Once they left, I stood up and stretched, having been hunkered over my laptop for the last few hours. Although my family had money, I hadn’t taken a dime when I’d opened this club. Instead, I’d taken out a loan, put in the blood and sweat, and after three years I’d been able to open a second club. Now I’d surpassed my father’s net worth and was a multimillionaire, something I was proud to have accomplished on my own.

The phone rang with Reid’s number flashing. “Hey, Reid,” I answered.

“Hi.”

I wondered when his greetings would no longer hold an edge of anger. “What’s up?”

“Now a good time?”

“Yes.” I got up and stretched again as I looked out the one-way window onto the club floor. The cleaning crew was already hard at work.

“I heard you moved Tory and Penelope into your house.”

“I moved her into a house which I happen to own, yes. She’ll be managing the renovations there. If you’d seen the state of her apartment, you’d understand why it was important to relocate her and her daughter to a safer place.”

“Mona is watching Penelope?”

“Yes. She’s offered to be available. Tory will interview her to be sure, but as we know, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Mona was the only mother figure my brother and I’d had while growing up. She might have been hired as the live-in nanny, but it had always been clear how much she genuinely loved us, even into adulthood.