“Paperwork?” I turned with a confused look and watched as Malcolm shook his head.
“Old fucker is getting senile. His son Jeremy is about to put him down. Jer’s the one that will be paying you. He’s in—” Malcolm held up his phone showing a ‘yeah’ text. “He’s been watching and listening the whole time. Likes to let the old man think he has a say. Three kilos doable?” he huffed as he shuffled his feet.
“Done.” I held out my hand to shake his. “Tomorrow. I’ll meet you on the corner of Milton and Warner. 10pm,” I nodded as I turned to leave. “You need more than that, just let me know.”
“Dude, you wanna hit for the road?” Malcolm pointed to the line still on the mirror.
“I’m on a suicide bike. Better not,” I snickered as I slipped out of the room. As I headed back to where I’d left my bike, my feet moved faster and faster. I wanted to get as far from here as possible. I needed a shower and sleep. I felt disgusting after being there. I also needed to report back to Dev about this Jeremy character. He wasn’t in the file, and now I wondered how much recon the department actually did. Things just got a lot more interesting with this new information. Who knew how long I’d be under, and if I’d ever get out?
Chapter 5
Tiffany
The days seemed to blur together as winter finally began to dissipate and make way for spring. The warmer days should have lifted my mood, but they didn’t. Dev and Sam had tried to cheer me up at first, but I was so angry with Jase that I wouldn’t let anyone reach me. He’d shredded me when he snuck away without even a goodbye. He’d taken a job undercover and completely written me out of his life.
Over the last few weeks, Dev had given what little detail he could, but he assured me that it was in Jase’s best interest if I didn’t know anything. According to him, Jase was still in town and the risk of running into him was great. I didn’t know if I liked this information or not. Was I supposed to ignore him if I saw him? I didn’t know if I could do that. All I really wanted to know was why? Why had he done this? Why had he pushed me away, again? Why had he taken on a job that he didn’t have to?
“You ok?” Sam nudged me where I sitting at a table rolling silverware. I’d finished all the other opening chores and was helping the servers some tonight. We were supposed to open in an hour, and I needed to stay busy to keep from exploding.
“I’m fine,” I snapped. “I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
“You don’t look fine,” she sighed as she sat down across from me. “Talk to me, Tiff. I know what you’re going through.” She reached across the table and placed her hand over mine, causing me to pause and look up at her.
“Do you?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “When Dev left, he pushed you away, did he? He didn’t tell you anything about what he was doing, and he left you in the middle of the night? Funny, I don’t remember it that way,” I muttered as I pulled my hand away. I heard her gasp, and a guilty pang zinged through me. “I’m sorry,” I blew out a frustrated breath. “I didn’t mean...” I trailed off as I watched the hurt slide across her face.
She shook her head at me as she bit her lip. All she’d been trying to do was be there for me, and I managed to unleash all the anger I had for Jase on her. “I didn’t mean it. Really,” I shook my head before slamming my fists down on the table and releasing an angry growl. “You know what?” I watched her jump slightly at my outburst. “I’m fucking tired of this shit. If he doesn’t want to be with me, then I don’t want to be with him either. Let’s go out tonight,” I stood and watched as Sam appraised me cautiously.
“What are you asking me?” she wrinkled her nose.
“Come out to a club with me. Dev too. You’re mom has Mara, right?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Let’s go cut loose like we used to. Maybe I can find someone to help me forget he who we don’t talk about,” I released a self-deprecating laugh.
“I have been wanting to try that new place near your apartment,” Sam shrugged as she nodded, smiling.
“Let’s do it then,” I grinned, forgetting the earlier sadness that had been holding on.
“Do what?” Mason, our doorman, called from behind us causing us to jump.
“The Stoplight. You heard of it?” I flipped my hand in the air as I watched him.
“That new club right on the south side? You sure that’s safe?” he grabbed the back of his neck as he watched us.
“I live on the same block. It’s not on the south side, just near it,” I shrugged as I began cleaning up my workspace. “Bring your girlfriend. We’ll have fun. Bar closes at ten tonight since it’s the middle of the week.”
“Sure,” Mason’s lips turned down in a ‘what the hell’ frown before giving into us.
“Sweet,” I giggled.
“What’d you drink?” he chuckled as he watched me. “You’ve been moping around here for weeks and now this.”
“I’m tired of letting men determine my happiness. Time to take matters into my own hands.”
“My kinda woman,” Mason chuckled as he walked off.
The evening seemed to breeze by, and as closing time approached, my feet became lighter and lighter. My mood seemed to match, and when Mason finally locked the door, I couldn’t help the little bounce I had in my step. I darted between high-top tables as I grabbed empty bottles before tossing them into the recycling bin we had behind the bar. Sam was counting the drawers and Mason began flipping chairs up so the morning crew could mop. Lena was finishing up behind the bar, and when I tossed my apron underneath in its usual spot, I turned to face her. “Got any plans tonight?”
“Sleep, if that counts,” she laughed as she tossed a few damp coasters in the trash. “This job, and school... it’s just too much.”
“Well, we’re all going out tonight, if you wanna join?” I shrugged as I pulled my t-shirt from my jeans. “Just the normal crew, but it might be fun to wind down, dance, and not worry about anything for a few hours... you never know.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I really do have to sleep. I’ve got an early class tomorrow. Maybe next time?” She smiled as she reached for her purse and then motioned Mason to walk her to her car.
“Sure. Whatever,” I called as I began walking to the back office. I wanted to go home and change, and then I’d just meet everyone there. If I truly was going to look for a man tonight, I needed to be in something other than jeans and t-shirt that smelled like beer.
Ooooooooo
After rushing home, jumping in the shower, and then spending the next hour primping, I was finally ready to go. I’d slipped into a pair of black pants that hugged every inch of me and paired them with a red sparkly top. It had no back and a large scooped neck. The way the fabric draped it barely covered my breasts. I had a nice body, and I wanted to show it off. I’d spent too long in the deep depression Jase had left me in, and I was now slowly moving into the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ phase.
I swept my hair up, leaving just a few pieces hanging down on my shoulders and neck, and went to work on creating a smoky eye. The red lipstick I was wearing matched the top perfectly. I hadn’t worn it in months. Jase didn’t like it because it always left a stain on his neck where I’d kiss him, so I’d packed it away. Now, I didn’t care anymore.
After slipping into a strappy pair of heeled sandals, I grabbed my coat and purse. Sam and Dev were supposed to be meeting me in twenty minutes, and with the shoes I was wearing, I knew it would take me that long to get down the block. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to walk, but I didn’t think much could happen in one block. My apartment building was literally one block and a street away.
The air was brisk with a slight bite of chill as I stepped out on the night street. The street lamps illuminated my path and my heels clicked along the sidewalk. I tugged my coat tighter around me and kept my gaze down to avoid any unwanted attention. I could hear the low beats of the club up ahead, and when I rounded the corner, there was a line a mile long at the door. I rolled my eyes and si
ghed as I followed it around the back corner.
“It’s about time!” I heard and snapped my head up to see Sam standing about halfway back. She waved as she grinned at me. Dev was talking to Mason who was standing behind them, rocking back on his heels with his hands in his jeans pockets. They motioned for me to join them, as the line began to creep forward. I knew the people behind them would not be happy with someone cutting, but I really didn’t want to be out here once they were inside. As I started to move again, Mason reached out and grabbed my elbow. His mouth turned up in a grin as he tugged me closer. “Hey Baby, what took you so long?”
I tipped my head up with a confused expression as I crashed into his chest. “What are you doing?”
“Keeping the mob at bay,” he whispered as his voice rose again. “I told you that you should have let me pick you up; it’s what boyfriends are for.” His arm wrapped around my shoulder as he leaned down, pretending to nuzzle my neck. “You’re welcome,” he murmured.
As his warm body pressed up against mine, I couldn’t help but sag into him. It’d been so long since I’d felt this. Jase had never taken me on dates. We hung out at the bar, and we fucked. We’d had this weird connection, but it hadn’t included all the things that dating and being with someone did. “I thought you were bringing...” I paused when his grip tightened. He leaned over once again as his voice lowered, “We’re not together anymore.”
“Mase,” I looked up as I pulled away. “Why haven’t you said anything? We’ve been talking about her at work. I’m sorry,” I placed my hand on his chest, and could feel the beat of his heart thundering away under my palm.
“I don’t like to talk about my problems at work. She just couldn’t handle the women,” he shrugged. “No big deal. Her loss.” His eyes twinkled as we shuffled forward in line. “Besides,” he grinned “I’m kinda enjoying where I’m at right now.”
I felt my face heat at his words, and that tingly feeling you get low in your belly was beginning to surface. Mason was a great guy, and any girl would be lucky to have him, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to be that girl. Jase was still fresh on my mind, and Mason had spent the last three weeks listening to me talk about him. “I’m just looking to cut loose tonight,” he mused as he moved closer to the shell of my ear. His lips grazed the soft skin, causing a tremor to run through me, and he chuckled.
My mind was racing so fast, I’d failed to realize that we’d made it to the front of the line until Mason was paying my way in. “Wait! You don’t have to pay for me,” I grabbed his hand and pushed it out of the way as I began digging in my purse.
“Nonsense,” he shook me off as he slapped the twenty into the doorman’s hand. “You can get the first round,” his head tipped inside.
“Deal,” I blushed. This was starting to feel like a date, and it was confusing the hell out of me.
Once we got inside, Mason gave a guy head nod to Dev as he pulled me in one direction and Dev took Sam in the other. “They’re going to find us a table. I wanna talk to you for a minute.” My eyes widen. I hadn’t known what to expect here, and I’d never seen this side of him before. He grabbed my elbow once again, and led me over to a darkened corner. He spun us so my back was to the wall, and he braced his arms over me to block us from other patron’s views. “I’ve watched you be miserable for the last few weeks, and I know you don’t deserve it.” His head dropped as his shoulders rose and fell with his deep breaths.
“You deserve better, Tiff. You deserve someone who can let you smile and have fun. Someone who doesn’t constantly tell you they can’t be what you need.” I started to open my mouth, but he lifted his hand to stop me. “I’m not saying that’s me. All I’m saying is I want to try and show you what you should be looking for. I’m not looking for serious; I’m just looking for a fun night. That’s all,” he shoved off the wall and took a few steps back. “I just got out of a relationship. I’m not looking to jump back in. I am, however, looking for a drink and maybe a dance.” He grinned.
“I can do that,” I smiled back at him. “Let’s go find the rest of our group, and we’ll see about taking care of those things.
“My kinda woman,” he laughed as he tossed his head back. When I stepped around him, I slipped off my coat and heard him suck in a breath. “Damn woman. You wanna see me get in a fight tonight, don’t you?”
“Whatever do you mean?” I giggled as I wiggled my hips.
“You look,” he reached up and rubbed his chin.
“What?” I tipped my head to the side.
“Wow,” he sighed as he closed his eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t know all that was underneath the uniform.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I teased. “Now, about that drink.”
“Yes, the drink.” He turned and slung his arm over my shoulders. “I think I’m gonna need a few.” We began laughing as we went to find Dev and Sam.
oooooooooo
It was dark in The Stoplight, and Mason had successfully redirected my thoughts for the evening. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings anymore. I was concentrating on him and his promise for a fun night. What that was, I wasn’t sure yet, but I did know it didn’t include pining after Jase. We swiveled through the crowds, passing several tables with large groups around them until we came to the spot where Dev and Sam were waiting. When we approached the table, Dev looked as if he’d seen a ghost. I couldn’t figure it out until I scanned the group several tables over.
There, in the back corner, was a man dressed in a dark suit. He had several scantily clad women hanging around along with a small group of men all dressed alike. He couldn’t be more than forty, and the look on his face just spelled out trouble. “I told you we shouldn’t have come here,” Dev hissed at Sam.
“We had no idea they’d be here,” she snapped back.
“Who?” I darted my eyes between them before looking back at the group. Right then, I knew what they were talking about. When one of the women moved, my eyes connected with his. Sitting beside the other man was none other than Jase. He didn’t look like Jase though.
A black beanie was pulled down low on his head. He was wearing a dark shirt that pulled tight at the muscles on his arms. His scruff was longer, and the happy glint that sometimes filled his eyes was nowhere to be seen. The hardness that he exuded was in full force, and as I stared, he showed no recognition of me. His eyes broke away as one of the women sat on his lap. His gaze darted back to mine as she slid comfortably into his embrace and began sucking on his neck. My stomach dropped as I watched his hand glide up her thigh and disappear under the skirt she was wearing. She nuzzled into him, and he laughed.
The sick feeling that I’d had so many times before reappeared in full force as my eyes welled with tears, and I turned away. “He’s on the job,” Dev sighed as he reached out to touch my arm. “You can’t fault him when he’s on the job.”
“Yes, I can.” My lip trembled as I swallowed back the sob that was fighting come out. “Did you mean it?” I looked up at Mason, “about having fun tonight?”
“Uh,” he grabbed the back of his neck.
“Come with me,” I took his hand and began leading him to the dance floor.
“Don’t do something you’re gonna regret tomorrow,” Sam called after me.
“I don’t get tomorrows, remember, only todays, and two can play whatever fucked up game is going on in his head,” I growled as I disappeared onto the dance floor with Mason following me.
Two could definitely play this game, and he was going to see just what it felt like.
Chapter 6
Jasen
What the fuck was she doing here? When Jeremy said he wanted to come to the Stoplight, I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn’t tell him that. My background said I was new to the area. I had come up from Florida. I couldn’t let on that I knew Chicago like the back of my hand. But I knew I was playing with fire when I’d agreed to come. I knew I’d get burned if I became too complacent, and that’s exa
ctly what was happening.
Jeremy had found a table in back and asked us to keep watch. It’d been pretty low key so far, but something felt off tonight. Mitch, one of the other ‘enforcers’, as Jer calls us, had been on his phone most of the night, and when I saw the group of honeys coming over, I knew why.
“Help yourself,” Mitch waved his arms in the air as a tall red head seated herself beside him. She draped her legs over his lap, and as he leaned back, she leaned in to nibble on his ear.
“I’m good,” I rolled my eyes at him.
“Come on, dude. It’s free pussy,” he chided as a blonde came to seat herself on my lap.
“Hi,” she smiled as she leaned into me, and that’s when I felt her stare.
I lifted my eyes, and they connected with the one person I did not want to see tonight. Tiff. She was leaning against a high-top table, sipping some girlie drink, and she looked fucking hot. Her eyes blinked a few times like she was trying to process whether it was me or not. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink, couldn’t do anything but stare with hard eyes. I couldn’t show recognition or feeling. The blonde shifted on my lap, and as I watched Tiff, I felt my dick harden. The blonde cooed, thinking that my reaction was to her, and leaned in closer. She started placing kisses on my neck, and I played the part of asshole perfectly. I pretended she was Tiff as I closed my eyes and laughed. My hand slowly ran up her thigh and under her skirt, as I searched for her panty line.
“Wanna go somewhere a little more private?” she giggled as she sunk her teeth into the soft flesh of my ear. “It’s free the first time,” she moaned. “I think you’ll be worth my time.”
“Free?” I mumbled as I squeezed her ass. I’d had to fake it so many times before, but at the moment, I was lost in the fantasy that this was Tiff, and we were really going to sneak off in the bathroom or a dark corner, hell, my car would work too.
“I’m one of Mitch’s girls. He didn’t tell you?” She pulled back and stared at me. At that moment, the fantasy that had been building in my head melted away. Her hair wasn’t soft like Tiff’s; it was stringy. Her eyes weren’t the gray I was looking for, but brown instead. The soft smile that I usually saw when I was pleasuring a women was now all business.
Promise Me Tomorrow: Book 3 in the Witness Series (Volume 3) Page 5
