Page 78 of Nails
“One of the VIPs earlier asked me about a girl who used to work here.He said her name was Anna.Do you know her?”Riley asked, tossing it out there very casually.
Audrey’s hands paused for half a second.Just long enough for Riley to notice.She set the bottle down a little too precisely.“Anna?”
“Yeah,” Riley said lightly, pretending to watch the dancers instead of looking directly at Audrey.“The guy said she had pink hair and was super nice.She always looked out for him when he came in.He asked because he hadn’t seen her lately.”
Audrey’s mouth quirked into something that wasn’t quite a smile.“We get a lot of girls in a place like this.Girls come, girls go.You know how it is.It’s hard to keep track of them all.Plus, she could also be a dancer.”
It was the same shrug Riley had just heard from her VIP, only this one felt colder, rehearsed.
“That’s true,” Riley said with a little laugh, like she couldn’t care less.“I told him that I would ask.”
Audrey slid a glass toward her, still watching her closely.“I wouldn’t waste your time.If she hasn’t been around in a while, then she’s gone.”
The words made the hairs on Riley’s neck rise.She wanted to press Audrey more, but she couldn't.
Riley gave a casual shrug, playing her part to perfection.“Can’t blame her if she found something better.”
She then picked up the tray and smiled.“Thanks!”
“No problem,” Audrey replied as she moved to the next hostess waiting.
As Riley turned away, her mind was racing.If Audrey knew something, she wasn’t talking.And that meant Riley needed to figure out another way to pry it out of her because she’d bet everything she had that Audrey’s quick reaction to Anna’s name wasn’t a coincidence.
An hour later, Riley smiled at customers as she topped off their glasses, but Anna’s name sat heavily in the back of her mind.Audrey’s reaction hadn’t just been surprise; it had been guarded, the kind of tight-lipped response that only came when someone had something to hide.
After making sure all her tables were good, she headed toward the bar to grab a bottle of water for one of her VIPs.As she approached, she noticed Audrey wasn’t there.
She looked around and then spotted her near the hallway that led toward the dancers’ changing rooms.Erik, the head bouncer, was next to her.She was leaning closely, saying something to him.Riley was too far away to hear anything.
But that was okay, because across the room, by the security post near the side wall, Nails was watching the exact same thing.
His gaze tracked Audrey and the bouncer for a beat before he shifted, saying something to the guy posted next to him.The other bouncer nodded, taking his spot, and Nails started drifting casually toward the hallway, blending into the crowd like just another staff member making rounds.
Riley pretended to fuss with her water, keeping her movements slow so she could watch without being obvious.Nails passed Audrey and Erik without looking directly at them, but she saw the subtle tilt of his head and knew he was catching every word.
A few minutes later, Nails appeared at her side again, moving in so close she could smell the faint clean scent of his soap beneath the club’s mix of perfume and alcohol.His voice was low enough that she had to lean in to hear.
“She knows Anna,” he said simply.
Her heart jumped.“You’re sure?”
“She told Erik something about ‘the girl with the pink hair’ and ‘the deal going bad.’”His eyes were sharp, searching hers.“She definitely knows something.”
A slow chill slid down Riley’s spine.If Audrey was connected, that meant Riley was working beside someone who might know exactly what happened to Anna.
Before she could respond, Nails’ gaze flicked over her shoulder, and his tone shifted back to casual.“We’ll talk later.”
He stepped back, giving her a wink like he’d just stopped by to flirt, and melted back into the club’s flow.
She started to turn back toward the bar when a guy at one of her tables waved his hand in the air, signaling that they wanted another round of drinks.
Riley’s first instinct was to tell him no, that they had already had enough to drink.
The group of three had been there all night since the doors had opened.They were drunk, loud, and way too handsy for her liking.
With a heavy sigh, she walked to the other bar to get their drinks.Once they were ready, she picked up the tray and made her way up to their VIP section, where they were the only table in that alcove.
“All right, gentlemen,” she said over the music, keeping her tone polite.“Two whiskeys neat, and one gin and tonic.”
