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Sonia’s sharp eyes flicked from Pink to Fly
“Ryker,” she responded.
He felt Pink’s eyes on him and knew that if he looked down at her, she’d know. So he kept his eyes averted.
The silence that had descended around them at her greeting, and the correct assumption from the guys and Pink that Fly
“Hello again, Wild Style,” Price said, his voice low and gravelly. The tone left no doubt about what he was thinking.
“Miss Fuentes to you, Price,” Fly
Price set the coffeepot back on the burner, then his coffee cup next to it, never taking his eyes off Pink. “Miss Fuentes,” he said stepping toward her, extending his right hand. “Maddox Price at your service.”
Fly
Pink smiled, a slight blush pinkening her cheeks. As she shook his hand, she batted her eyelashes. “Thank you, Mr. Price,” she said softly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Fly
Damn it all to hell. It was too late now, and despite his feelings, he knew he had made the right call.
That didn’t prevent Fly
Clearing his throat, Fly
In unison they nodded, agreeing quickly, dragging their eyes from her and back to their tablets on the conference table. When Price continued to hold Pink’s hand, she smiled and tactfully disengaged. Then she moved to stand beside Fly
Shooting Price a stay-the-hell-away glare, Fly
Taking the seat beside her, Fly
“Yes, as long as you reciprocate.”
He smiled. “I’ll answer what I can for you.”
“Okay, then ask away.”
“How long have you been working at the Surf’s Up club on O’Farrell?”
“Three months.”
He made a notation, then looked up and asked, “What are your duties there?”
“I cocktail and as of this past Saturday, I was promoted to stripper.” She said the words as if she were promoted to head accountant. No embarrassment or explanation, just a simple statement of fact.
Fly
“As a stripper, what are your duties?”
Folding her hands on the table she said candidly, “Well, most of the girls dance and strip on stage, but Andre just wants me to do private parties for now. Like the one you, Maddox, and Fly
Justin cleared his throat, Price had the decency to look up at the ceiling and Fly
“Do we need specifics, Justin, or can we just move on?” Fly
“I’d like to know the specifics,” Jackson said, sitting forward.
Fly
“It’s sergeant,” Jackson corrected.
“Sergeant Jackson,” Pink said, sweeping her gaze across the antagonistic woman’s face, then to her left hand where there was no wedding ring. “Would you like a demonstration on how to get and hold a man’s attention?”
Fly
Jackson shot Fly
Justin glanced at his laptop, then at Pink. “Do you have keys to the building?”
“No. Only Boris, Andre, and Sherry the bookkeeper.”
“What type of access do you have to the interior areas of the club?”
“All areas except Boris’s office. That’s locked when he isn’t there.”
Making the notation, Justin picked up a thick manila folder from the table. As he came around the table, he sat down beside Pink and opened the folder. It held a stack of 8-by-10 color photos. He spread them out in front of her and asked, “Do you recognize any of these men by sight or name?”
As she leaned across the table in Fly
“I recognize some of them, but only a few by name.” She moved three to the side and pointed to the next three photos. “They were in last week. Boris’s office. It was very hush-hush, but I took them drinks. That one called this one Josef; they were talking about a man named Miroslav. I don’t know the other’s name.” She moved them aside and as she reached for two more photos, her right breast nudged his forearm. The contact caught them both off guard. Pink glanced at Fly
Fly
“This is Sasha,” Pink said, pointing to the picture of a dark-haired younger man. “He comes in every Friday night, likes his vodka warm, and tips well. Sometimes he comes in with a satchel, but he always leaves with one. This other guy is Maks. I think he’s related to Boris, maybe his nephew, because when he comes in and harasses the girls, Andre doesn’t call him out on it. Most of girls have dated him.” She said, air quoting dated.
“Have you?” Jackson asked.
Pink inhaled sharply at the insult. Fly
“Don’t flatter yourself, Ryker. My question’s legit. If she’s dating any of these guys, how can we trust her?”