Page 6 of Bishop

He smiled then. “No, I’m sure of it.”

Don’t let him remember, don’t let him reme-

“High school. Fuck yeah, it’s been driving me crazy. Stanky Emerald…”

There was no waiting to hear what he said next. I was already out of the door and dashing down the steps. I was starting to remember why I hated that Zane Bishop in the first damn place.

ZANE

One week later…

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” The bill for the bike was in my hand as I stared at Ryan Mccaferty. He was one of the best bike mechanics in Lower Ninth Ward. It was the only reason why I was even entertaining the price.

Ryan whipped his hands with a rag and then looked between me and my wrecked bike. “Insurance is going to pay for all of it.”

“Oh yeah,” I sighed. “I just have to get in touch with that jackass who ran it over.”

Ryan winced. “Heard you beat the fella up pretty bad.”

“He hit my bike on purpose,” I shrugged.

Ryan nodded. “Well, I’ll get on working on this. You handle that insurance situation.”

Whipping out my cellphone as I approached the brand-new Shelby Mustang, I saw I had two missed calls from Cory. She’d left one voicemail stating that a few bartenders had called off for the night.

“Fuck!”

Snatching the door to the sleek black car open, I jumped inside. I didn’t feel like trying to rustle up people out of nowhere tonight.The Conjurewas my pride and joy. I’d figured outeverything I needed to get that night club off the ground and make it a success.

Whatever I needed to do to make my club run more smoothly, I’d do it.

Tonight, that meant playing bartender.

I was three hours into making drinks when she appeared in the bar.

Emerald Landry.

Leaning back against the bar, I watched as she looked around, noting the clientele. This wasn’t her type of scene and we both knew it.

She was dressed much like she had been in the courtroom nearly a week ago, only this time she wore a light blue fitted power suit and high heels that made her appear taller, leaner than she was. However, when she turned to the side there was no hiding the fact that the woman had an ass on her.

An alligator in the swamps would’ve loved to take a bite out of her apple.

Her hair this time was pinned up into a tight bun and the second she spotted me behind the bar, I saw her eyebrow raise.

“Take over for me,” I told one of the guys who had bothered to show up for his job.

“Sure, thing boss,” he nodded.

Drying my hands on a towel, I tossed it in a bin and came from behind the bar just as Crystal, one of my best dancers, popped out onto the stage. Just as I was approaching someone grabbed at Emerald, who looked shocked.

“I’m not a dancer!” She hollered at the man who had the nerve to look embarrassed as she shook him off of her.

“Ms. Landry, here for me?”

She noticed I’d arrived then looked at me and the man. “Yes. Is there somewhere we can talk…in private.”

“Yes, follow me.”

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