Page 5 of Rhythm Of Redemption

The server arched her brows and gave her a pitying smile. “Don’t tell me you never sneaked into bars when you were fifteen?”

“Yes … but that was, well, different.”

“Was it?” she replied, her eyes nervously darting towards her boss. “I’d better get back to work.”

Of course, it was different. Sneaking into the only nightclub in her hometown after a couple of Bacardi Breezers she and her friends had shared around the back of the off-licence was nothing like this. This was San Antonio. The party capital of Europe. It wasn’t safe for two young girls to be there. Maybe she didn’t know her daughter as well as she thought.

Out on the street, Lou gave up trying to fight her way through the crowds of tourists and partygoers wandering the streets. Instead, she allowed herself to get carried along with a crowd of young girls wearing little more than what she’d call beachwear.

As soon as she arrived at the club, she marched to the front of the queue. “Sorry love,” a large man blocked the entrance. “No cutting the line. Anyway,” he turned to look at the other two gorillas in navy suits and sniggered. “We have a very strict dress policy here.” He looked her up and down.

“I don’t want to come into your stupid club,” she said, trying to step around him, completely unconcerned by his comments. Her priority was finding her daughter, not making sure her make-up was in tact or whether her outfit met the club’s strict dress policy “I’m looking for someone.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe you should try the bar over there.” He pointed to a bar on the other side of the road filled with grey-haired customers. “I think you’ll fit in better over there.”

A loud cheer went up from the line.

“Look,” she swallowed hard, trying to hang onto her patience, “I’m not here by choice. I’m looking for my daughter.”

The doorman folded his arms across his chest like a puffed-up peacock, his feet planted wide. “I don’t care who you’re looking for, you’re not coming in. Now if you’ll just move aside.”

“Listen here, you idiot. My daughter is fifteen. Fif-teen,“ she repeated the word slowly, hoping it would have the desired impact. “And if you don’t let me in right now.” She took out her phone and held it above her head. “I’m going to call the police. I mean it.”

The door flew open, and a smartly dressed man stepped out, a girl young enough to be his daughter hanging off his arm. He turned to the gorilla. “Problem?”

“Nah, boss. Just some drunk trying to get in for free.”

The nerve of him. “I am not drunk.” She huffed indignantly. “And I most certainly am not trying to get into your bloody club for free.” She took a deep breath and turned to the bossman. “It’s my daughter, she’s only fifteen, and I think she might be inside your club. Look,” she scrolled through her phone for a photo of Dani. “This is her. Have you seen her tonight?”

Both men looked at the photo. The bossman turned his back on Lou and said something to the gorilla, who shrugged. “My staff are extremely careful about who they let in and no one gets in without ID.”

“Really?” Lou was unconvinced.

“Really,” he replied firmly. “And there is no way she’d have got past my guys on the door, even with a fake ID.”

“Then you won’t mind if I look around inside, will you?”

“Be my guest.” He nodded at the gorilla, who stepped aside.

The noise hit her like a brick wall. She stumbled; her eyes not quite adjusted to the flashing lights. A hand reached out to steady her. It was him, the bossman. She hadn’t expected the boss to accompany her. Did they really think she was so desperate to get inside that she’d made the whole thing up about her daughter? “It’s okay, you know, you don’t have to babysit me.”

He leaned in closer, the fresh citrus smell of his aftershave refreshing after the Eau de Pong currently filling her nostrils, courtesy of all the sweaty bodies surrounding her.

“Sorry?” His breath was hot against her skin, the fine downy hairs on her arms and the nape of her neck sprung to attention.

“You don’t need to babysit me. I promise I’ll leave as soon as I’m done.”

He placed his hand on the small of her back, ushering her through the crowds. “I’m as keen to find her as you are, because if she’s in here, then my staff have got some serious explaining to do.”

Wow, she wasn’t expecting that.

They’d searched everywhere, well as much as you could in this kind of place. As much as she hated to admit it, Dani wasn’t there.

“Happy now?” She struggled to hold back the tears. What a stupid question. Of course, she wasn’t bloody happy now. If Dani wasn’t here, then where was she?

He led her away from the crowds and into a side room where it was quieter. “Are you okay?”

“No, not really.” She leaned back against the wall and slid down, landing on the floor with a thud. “My fifteen-year-old daughter is missing.” She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her kneecaps. “I have no idea where she is and don’t even know where else to look.” She pressed the heels of her hands against her forehead. “What kind of mother am I? A really shitty one, that’s what.”

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