Page 110 of Nails
Then came a knock on the door.
Adam turned, annoyed by the interruption.“What?”
“It’s Erik,” came the muffled reply.“Your guests just arrived.”
Adam looked back at her, smiling again as he smoothed her hair back from her face.“Showtime, gorgeous.”
He opened the door and stepped aside, offering his arm like a gentleman escorting her to a gala.Riley took it, forcing herself to walk and not act like every instinct inside of her was screaming for her to run.
They moved down the hallway in silence.Riley kept her head up, face composed.
But the one thing she couldn’t stop thinking about was Nails, and the fact that he most likely saw Adam kiss her.
The image of him sitting on the other side of that camera feed flashed through her mind.She imagined the tension in his jaw, the rage in his eyes, the helplessness.She hated that he had to see it.She hated that she couldn’t stop it.
They reached the frosted double doors of the VIP suite.
Riley straightened her shoulders and pushed everything down.Every feeling.Every thought.She needed to focus.
The doors opened, and the atmosphere shifted as the music from the club filled the air.The suite was very lavish, overlooking the stage area.She had a bird’s-eye view of the entire club from up there.
But none of it really registered.Because one of the six men standing in the center of the room was someone she recognized from case files and surveillance photos, she didn’t need an introduction.Chen Pham was the most powerful and ruthless sex trafficker known to man.And from the way his curious, hungry gaze swept over her, Riley knew one thing for sure.She had just landed squarely on his radar.
He was listed on the government’s top ten most wanted list.Chen had been in New York during the time of Riley’s last undercover assignment, and though they had no solid proof, it was believed that it was he who slipped through their fingers and took that eighth victim.The one who sold before Riley and her team could rescue her.
To date, no law enforcement agency has ever come close to capturing him.He was that good.He was so good that some people started to believe the guy was a ghost.
But Riley could now confirm that he was real.And he was far too close for her liking.Standing barely ten feet away, she could feel the danger radiating off him like heat from a fire.
This was a huge deal.Monumental.If they could link him to Adam’s operation, they could finally expose him and take him down like the piece of shit he was.
But it was also dangerous as hell.
Adam’s arm curled tighter around her waist, his hand brushing lightly over her hip like a man proudly displaying a prize.She wanted to pull away, but she forced her muscles to stay relaxed, her smile smooth.
“Gentlemen,” he said smoothly.“This is Riley, my newest addition, and already our top hostess here at the club.She’ll be taking excellent care of you tonight.”One by one, he introduced the men surrounding the lounge area: Santino, Umar, Tomas, Raphael, and then, last but not least, Chen and his ever-silent shadow, Ronan.
Riley offered a graceful smile, the kind she’d perfected under pressure, even as her heart thudded against her ribs like a war drum.
Chen’s eyes swept over her with the slow, calculated appraisal of a man used to owning whatever he set his sights on.There was no disguise in the way he looked at her, just cold, consuming interest.He was like a predator marking a target.
“Pleasure to meet you all,” she said, offering a professional smile.Her voice was steady and smooth, even though she felt as if she were a product already on the auction block.Not a person.Not a professional.Just another commodity, something to be sized up, stripped down, and passed around.It made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to hold their gazes, one by one, like she didn’t feel like prey surrounded by predators.
Adam then added casually, “Make sure to keep your wallets handy, because the merchandise will be arriving very shortly.”Her stomach twisted.Merchandise?Did he mean women?Was she about to witness a sale in real time, right here?The question chilled her blood, but she didn’t flinch.She just kept smiling and praying the mic was catching every word.
She noticed that Erik had slipped in the door and gave some sort of hand signal to Adam.Adam then gave Erik a head nod back before leaning in close to Riley’s ear and whispering, “The floor’s all yours, love.Show them why you’re the best.I hate to do this, but I have to step out for just a moment to take care of something.But if you have issues, or if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, Deion is right outside the door.”
She wanted to tell him that he made her uncomfortable.But again, she just smiled and nodded.
With her pen and small notepad in hand, she walked toward the group of men who looked like sharks circling the water—predatory, patient, and ready to bite the second they smelled weakness.
After taking four of the men’s orders, she turned toward Chen and Ronan.
“Can I get you two gentlemen anything to drink?”
“Moscow Mule,” Ronan said, his tone flat and bored.
Chen’s eyes hadn’t left her.“Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year-Old,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly.“And neat.”
