Page 48 of Breaking the Rules
Right around the time the studio had assigned Waverly to befriend Petra. The timing lined up, Waverly mused, but what would prescription drugs have to do with Petra? And where did Dante fit in?
“Thanks for digging. You are, as always, a lifesaver, Chels.”
“Always happy to help. I’ll keep snooping and see if there’s anything that rings funny for Stepanov. In the meantime, I’m sending you my report so your eyes can glaze over and go crossed while you read through it.”
“You’re the best!”
“How are things with my brother?”
“Tune in to Max Heim’s show tonight and find out. Make sure your parents are watching, too. Two words: Puppy poker.”
“Oh, this is going to be good.”
They disconnected, and Waverly was ready to stuff her phone in her bag when a text from Kate came through.
Petra’s at Club Volt! Celeb Spotting just reported it!
Waverly jumped to her feet.Finally, she could get to Petra and get some answers.She looked down at her dress. But first she needed to change. She poked her head out into the hallway and spotted Xavier speaking with a production assistant. She flagged him down.
“I’m going to change. I feel like going out.” She held up her phone with the picture featuring Petra’s arrival with her two bodyguards at Volt on the screen.
“I’ll tell Burke.”
“You’re not trying to talk me out of it?”
“Fastest way to get answers,” he shrugged.
“I promise it will be better than the last time we went to a club together.”
He glared at her. “Not even close to being funny.”
She winked. “Thanks for being a good sport with all this.”
“It goes with the territory, and I want the territory.” He rubbed a finger under her chin. “Go change.”
She felt the zing when she closed the door. She’d been out of action long enough that she’d almost forgotten the adrenaline an assignment brought on. She felt sharp, ready. Or was that the Xavier effect? She pushed the thought aside and dug through the weekender bag that accompanied her everywhere.
Her go bag had been replenished since Belize to better cover both sides of her professional life. Tucked between evening clothes and workout wear, she found an outfit that could pass for club wear. And in the bottom of the bag, inside a soft-sided case, Waverly found a small handgun and a fixed blade knife in a skinny sheath.
She pulled on the pleated black miniskirt and tucked the .38 into the built in waistband holster. Next came the top. It was a long line bustier that stopped a few inches above the waistband of the skirt. It’s molded cups with their butterfly print not only made her boobs look incredible, but they also provided secret access to a tiny pocket that was designed to hold her knife.
She dragged on a cropped leather jacket and examined her reflection. No one would ever guess she was carrying with this outfit. She took a minute to freshen up her make-up and was repacking her bag when Xavier knocked. He stuck his head in the door, “Ready to go?”
Waverly zipped the bag closed. “Oh, yeah.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
It feels good to be doing something, she thought as Burke sped through downtown as fast as traffic would allow. She’d spent enough time waiting. It was time for action.
“So I take it you have a plan?” Xavier asked, tucking his phone into his jacket and shooting yet another judgmental look at her outfit. He hadn’t demanded that she take it off, which she considered progress for him.
“I’m going to talk to Petra and find out what she knows. And I’m probably going to need your help distracting her bodyguards.” She shot him a look. “They’re pretty big guys. Are you up for a little two on one?”
“Exactly how rough is this going to get?” he asked dryly.
“I just need to get next to her. She’ll call them off,” Waverly said with confidence. At least, that’s what she hoped would happen. She had no idea what had happened after Petra and Yurgei had driven off in the boat. She assumed the girl had been on lockdown since. It’s what she would have done if she were Petra’s father. But there was a chance that Petra could have connected her to the mess in Tahoe.
There was only one way to find out.
