Maxine grinned. "I'll get you some ice. I should probably go now anyway; I have class in half an hour." She sashayed across to the bar like those seven-inch stripper heels were nothing but an extension of her long legs and filled a cloth with ice for me.
"What class have you got?" I asked when she returned and handed over the ice. I sat on the edge of the stage and unstrapped the Perspex heels she'd loaned me to dance in. She insisted shoes changed the way a stripper moved, for the better, and I had to admit she was right. They added an extra sway to each movement. Sexy as hell, on her.
She sat down beside me, taking her own shoes off. "I'm doing online classes with SGU, working towards my doctorate in physiotherapy,” she told me with a proud smile. "I'm fascinated with muscle structure and how to ease pain for athletes and dancers."
A loud knock on the front door interrupted before I could ask her anything else—or even question why I was suddenly feeling compelled to get to know my staff on a personal level.
"You done in here?" Zed called out through the cracked door. "Agent Hanson just pulled into the parking lot."
I stifled a groan. "Yes, we're done; you can come in."
He pushed the door open further and sauntered in with a curious expression on his face. His sharp eyes ran down my body, taking his damn time checking out the skimpy outfit Maxine had me wearing for practice. She said I needed skin to grip the pole properly, and she wasn't wrong.
"Hey Zed," my tutor greeted him, and his gaze shifted to her briefly before coming back to me.
"Max," he replied, with an edge of... something. Warning? Oh, for fuck’s sake.
She cleared her throat and quickly gathered up her things, stuffing them all into her bag as she moved. "I should run. See you on Thursday, sir?"
I gave her a nod. "Yep, Thursday. Thanks, Maxine."
She all but ran out of the bar, and I glared daggers at Zed. "You fucked Maxine, didn't you?"
His lips curled in a lopsided smile as he came closer to where I still sat on the edge of the stage. "Ages ago," he replied with a shrug. "You jealous?"
I narrowed my gaze. "Just surprised. You never really hide your conquests, and I had no idea about—" I cut myself off, understanding clicking in my brain. "You didn't fuck. You dated." Because the only time Zed was ever circumspect about his love life was when it was more than just fucking.
He cocked a brow, laying his hands on my bare thighs and standing in the gap between them. "Again, are you jealous, Hades? Max and I were over a long time ago."
"Don't call me that," I whispered before I could catch the thought and keep it inside.
Zed tilted his head, the warmth of his hands on my thighs all kinds of distracting. "Hades?"
I gave a short nod as I licked my lips, not trusting my voice. But shit, it just hit differently now. Now that he'd reverted to calling me Dare, I didn't want to backslide. No one close to me actually used the name Hades anymore.
Zed didn't push the issue or make a big deal out of it. He just gave a short nod, then brushed his knuckle over my cheek in the softest of gestures. "Go shower and change, Dare," he told me in a gentle voice. "I'll entertain Agent Hanson until you're done."
I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to make it bleed, but instead of kissing him like I wanted to, I climbed to my feet and headed out to the dancers’ showers. Zed had made his position clear, and I needed to respect that. He wanted me to kiss him and be fully present in the moment with him, and I just wasn't sure I could do that yet. I'd a thousand times over rather torture myself than hurt him again.
Still, all throughout my shower I kept hoping, wishing his control would snap and he'd join me. Vivid fantasies of Zed nailing me against the shower wall played out across my mind, and I had to finish my shower on ice cold.
It took me a whole lot longer to get dressed than was polite, but at the end of the day, I still held the upper hand. Whatever Agent Hanson wanted to discuss, she needed my help, or this wouldn't be a polite meeting on my turf.
Lucas had called earlier to tell me he wanted to stay with his mom tonight, and while I wasn’t thrilled about him being in danger, I also had to respect his wishes. So I took an extra couple of minutes to check in with Alexi and ensure Lucas’s house was under heavy protection in case Chase tried to take another swipe at my Gumdrop. When I received confirmation back that the team was in place, I let a small bit of tension ease and headed back out to the main club.
"Dorothy," I called out as I strode across the dancefloor to where Zed had seated her in a small booth. "Nice to see you again so soon."
She gave me a tight smile but didn't offer her hand for me to shake.
"Agent Hanson, now that Hades is present, why don't you tell us what this is about," Zed suggested smoothly, informing me that she'd been unwilling to fill him in without me. Curious.
The fed cleared her throat and linked her hands on the table in front of her. "Yes, I'll make this quick. I'm here to make inquiries about a young woman named Maryanne Green."
The name meant nothing to me, but I could tell Zed knew something, based on the way his spine straightened slightly.
"I don't believe I know Maryanne Green," I replied to the agent honestly. "I'm not sure how I can be of any help."
Agent Hanson gave a short sigh. "She also used the alias Mercedes Glitter. I understand she was an employee at your club 7th Circle."
That name seemed a whole lot more familiar. Mercedes was one of our back-of-house employees—a high class prostitute. Officially, she was employed as a cocktail waitress, though.
"Yes, I know Mercedes," I confirmed, "but I haven't seen her since 7th Circle blew up." I looked to Zed in question, knowing he had been working on reassigning all our staff to other clubs so none of them were left unemployed. Sex workers or not, they still had bills to pay like any other working adult in society. It wasn't their fault my psychotic ex had blown up their place of business.
Agent Hanson grimaced. "No, I suspect not. Her body was found in her apartment this morning by a neighbor who was investigating the smell. Looks like she was killed at least a week ago."
I flicked a quick glance at Zed and registered the confusion in his eyes before refocusing on Agent Hanson. "That's awful," I said with sincerity. "I'm going to assume it's foul play or you wouldn't be here. Actually, why are you here? Shouldn't this be SGPD’s jurisdiction?"
Dorothy gave a slight nod. "It would be, if the manner of death didn't echo the way some girls were recently killed in three other states. And there’s the fact that she was an employee of a known gang organization."
I met her accusing glare without even the slightest hesitation. If she honestly thought I couldn't look her dead in the eye as I lied, she'd severely underestimated me.
"I think you're mistaken, Agent Hanson," I said in a cool tone. "Copper Wolf Enterprises is a legal business, paying taxes and adhering to all industry standards for hospitality venues. If you're thinking of the Tri-State Timberwolves, I think you'll find they were wiped out some five years ago."
Her eyes narrowed. "Sure they were, Ms. Wolff." The sarcasm was heavy, and I almost laughed. Almost. "Look, I just came to ask if you know of any altercations she might have had while she was under your employment. Any overly aggressive customers or maybe a lover?"