Page 110 of Russian Roulette
“We need to go inside that club and check it out,” I say. “Did Jade say why she was there?”
“Only that she found it online, and the club sounded fun to her.”
I snort. “Does Jade strike you as the kind of girl who goes to a club alone for fun? She’s lying. She must’ve found something on Natasha that led her to the club. What’s the name of it again?”
“Platinum,” Kit answers.
“Hey Leroy!” Seven yells upfront to Leroy. “Have you ever heard of a male strip club called Platinum?”
“I’ve heard the name,” Leroy replies. “That’s it. I’m not into swinging dicks. Don’t y’all ask me to go researching those kinds of clubs either, because the answer is a big fat, no way in hell.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t,” Seven answers. “What’s the plan when we arrive at the club?”
“We need to make sure Jade’s car hasn’t moved since last night,” I reply. “Then we’ll go inside and ask some questions. Find out if anyone has spotted her inside the club today. Maybe she’s still there. We might get lucky and find out we’ve all been worried for no good reason.”
“I hope you’re right,” Kit says. “I’m not getting my hopes up.”
We grow quieter the closer we get to Platinum. I’m usually not the type to worry, but something feels off to me, too.
“When we get to the club, should I park the limo or let you all out at the front entrance?” Leroy asks.
“We need to check if Jade’s car is still there,” I remind him.
“I remember where it’s parked,” Kit says. “It’s near the end of the parking lot.”
A few minutes later, Leroy turns off the road into the large parking lot of Platinum. A party bus full of women is in front of us and we’re blocked until every last fucking girl steps off in their shiny dresses and high heels.
“You weren’t kidding about how busy this place is,” I say to Kit. “If they don’t speed this shit up, I’m going to throw them all out of the bus myself.”
When the bus finally moves its big ass out of our way, Leroy drives through the parking lot while we search for Jade’s car.
“There it is, over there,” Kit says. He points to Jade’s beat-up Toyota parked beside a dark SUV with tinted windows three rows over.
“Hang on, Leroy,” I say when he turns the limo to drive closer. “Don’t go over there yet. Is there a man sitting in the SUV beside her car? Someone is smoking a cigarette, and they’ve rolled down the window. There’s plenty of parking spots closer to the entrance. Why would someone park right beside her car at the far end of the lot?”
“What if someone is watching and waiting for her to come out?” Seven suggests. “Leroy, pull into a spot where we can sit for a few minutes and observe.”
Leroy cuts the lights and pulls into a parking spot that gives us a clear view of Jade’s car. The driver in the SUV calmly finishes his cigarette, then opens the door to flick it onto the pavement. He steps out and glances around to check if anyone is walking nearby or watching him.
“What is that fucker doing?” Seven asks.
“He’s up to no good, that’s for sure,” I reply.
Almost before the words leave my mouth, the man pulls out a Slim Jim device and slides it in between Jade’s car window and the door to unlock it. In less than thirty seconds, he’s inside her car and shining his cellphone flashlight into the car’s glovebox.
“Son of a bitch!” I mutter, yanking open the door to the limo. I sprint full speed toward the man, followed closely by Kit and Seven. When we reach her car, I dive inside to wrap my arm around the unsuspecting man’s neck and drag him out. Kit and Seven each grab one of his arms and we force him onto the ground. I kneel on his chest while applying pressure to his neck.
“Who are you?” I demand. The man’s bright blue eyes bulge up at me when I squeeze tighter. “I’ll give you one fucking chance to tell me why you broke into my girlfriend’s car before I kill you,” I tell him. “Start talking.”
He spits in my face and then yells at me in a foreign language.
“He’s cursing you out in Russian,” Kit says. “I understand a few words since I worked with Russians in the carnival. He’s telling you to suck his dick.”
“He’s Russian?” I yell. My blood turns ice cold. The goddamn Russians have finally found Jade and now she’s missing. A murderous rage fills me up and threatens to overflow. My hands encircle his broad neck and I squeeze with every bit of strength in me. I’m going to kill this Russian motherfucker right here in the parking lot. Then I’m going to run over his body with the limo to crush his bones before I set him on fire.
“Where is she?” I scream at him, squeezing out every bit of breath he has left.
“Vulcan stop!” Seven yells, turning loose of the man’s arm to tug at my hands. “Don’t kill him yet. We need him to find Jade. Stop! Don’t kill him! Kit, help me!” They both turn loose of the man and grab onto my hands and arms, trying to break the death grip I have on the Russian’s neck. His hands are free now and he’s struggling with me, too.
