Page 108 of Russian Roulette
“Okay, as much as I hate to go, I must.” He kisses the top of my head once more before reluctantly leaving me to enjoy my coffee alone.
I walk to the window and watch him back out of the garage and drive away. I promised him I wouldn’t run away again, and I won’t. These three men mean too much to me now. But I didn’t promise not to leave the house.
I need to make another attempt to talk to Natasha. I’m convinced now more than ever that she’s the woman I’ve been searching for. The pure fear in her eyes when I said her name told me everything.
She deserves to hear the Russians are close on her trail. I’m not dumb enough to think she’ll trust me at first, if at all. She’s evaded the Russians this far by being careful. After going back over in my head everything that happened at the club last night, I should’ve handled things differently. Blurting out her name scared the crap out of her. I might’ve even spooked her into leaving town. I need to talk to her today before it’s too late.
Since the guys didn’t hesitate to put a tracker in my car, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re tracking my cellphone too. There are still three unopened prepaid burner cellphones in my suitcase. If I leave Kit’s today, I’ll take one of those with me instead of my regular phone.
With the security systems in his house, I’m sure he’ll be notified the minute I leave. Picking up my car at Platinum is a good excuse to go there. The guys can’t expect me to sit around all day, doing nothing while waiting for them to come home and entertain me. If they want me to stay in town, they’ll have to accept me the way I am. I can’t change myself for them even if I wanted to.
I scrawl a quick note to Kit, telling him I’m going to pick up my car at Platinum and not to worry because I’ll be back before he gets home from work tonight. He might get mad again, but he shouldn’t since I’m telling him exactly where I’m going and when I’ll be back. That’s a stretch for me and the most I can give at this point.
After switching cellphones, I walk out the front door of his house, and to the gate to meet the rideshare.
My days of running are over.
55
JADE
The rideshare driver pulls up beside my car in the parking lot of Platinum and I step out. I’m relieved my car hasn’t been towed or booted for parking there overnight. There are a few other scattered cars parked there, too. Probably left behind by customers too intoxicated to drive home.
I don’t take the time to search through the glovebox to find and toss the air tag the guys placed in my car to track me. At this point, it doesn’t matter anyway since I plan to drive straight back to Kit’s after I leave Platinum.
I leave the car where it’s parked and walk into the club. It’s still a little early, and the club doesn’t appear busy yet. A female hostess greets me at the front door.
“Are you here for the private party?” she asks.
“No,” I answer, shaking my head. “I’m here to speak with a woman about a job. I’m embarrassed to say I forgot her name. She’s tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She told me to drop by this evening. Can you help me out?”
I’m making up the story on the spur of the moment. I’m sure Natasha isn’t going by her real name, if that is her name.
The girl smiles at me. “Oh, you must mean Bridget. She does most of the hiring. Take a seat at a table and I’ll tell her you’re here to speak with her.”
I sit at the table she points to and wait. In a few minutes, a woman walks across the room to greet me. I recognize her as the hostess who introduced the men on stage last night. She’s impeccably dressed in an off-white linen business suit and matching heels.
“Hello,” she says politely. “I’m Eva, the owner of Platinum. I understand you’re here to speak with Bridget concerning a position?”
“That’s right,” I reply. “She asked me to swing by to speak with her.”
“She’s in my office catching up on paperwork. I’ll take you back. Follow me.” She takes me through double doors, then leads me along a hallway to an office. She opens the door and politely waves me inside in front of her. “Right this way,” she says. “Have a seat.”
The room is elegantly decorated with light-colored leather furniture, resembling a corporate boardroom more than a back office at a strip club. A two-way mirror runs across the full length of the room. Through the clear glass, I can see everything going on in the entire club and stage.
I take three steps inside the office and the woman shuts the door firmly behind us. Instantly, an arm grabs me around my neck from behind and I feel the razor-sharp tip of a knife at my throat.
“Who the fuck are you, and why are you looking for me?”
I recognize Natasha’s voice immediately.
56
VULCAN
“Something’s wrong,” Kit tells me over the phone. “Jade’s split again. She left a note saying she was gone to pick up her car and would be back before I got home tonight. I’ve been home for two hours now and she hasn’t returned.”
“Fucking hell!” I yell into the phone. “How many damn times do I have to tell you she’s going to keep running? You and Seven always act like a bunch of dumb motherfuckers, all surprised when she keeps doing this same shit over and over. How long has she been gone?”
