Page 11
CHAPTER TEN
ZAND
A s I stepped out of my Impala, I slammed my car door shut and trekked across the parking lot to the back-alley entrance of The Castle. Since the club took up the entire corner and an entire block, some considered the back-alley as the side of the building.
This was a busy night at my club. My eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign of trouble. My club had an hour before we were officially open. Nick was standing guard at the back door. He greeted me with a head nod as I entered.
Making my way to the private elevator to the upstairs office, that was more of a conference room. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss.
“Alright, everyone,” I called out, gathering my security staff in the dimly lit room. “I needed to have an urgent meeting. I’m sure you’re wondering why.”
A tense atmosphere settled over the room like a heavy fog. Their faces were etched with concern as they took their seats around the large wooden table. I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. I was the boss, and without me, things didn’t happen.
“Listen up,” I began, my voice low and steady. “Our vigilance is more important than ever. There’s a potential threat we need to be aware of. Her name is Marisol Lopez.”
I turned to face my staff; their eyes locked on me with an intensity that reflected the gravity of the situation. The word threat would do that for any vampire. “To give you all some context,” I began, my voice steady but impassioned, “For those of you that don’t know. Marisol Lopez is the sister of Alonzo Lopez, a dangerous man who has caused me trouble in the past. He is no longer a threat.” My eyes flickered around the room, gauging their reactions. They all knew what that meant.
My security staff exchanged intense glances. Some of them knew about Alonzo. They either helped clean up the mess in the apartment or wiped the security footage that I had him in it. Memories of her brother Alonzo and the chaos he’d caused was still fresh in my mind, and the thought of another Lopez causing trouble was unsettling, to say the least.
“Marisol Lopez has already been snooping around one of my apartment buildings,” I continued, my gaze sweeping over each person in the room. “We cannot afford to let our guard down. Not even for a moment. We will send photos of this woman to your cell phones. Be on the lookout. She will probably be armed.”
They all nodded. I trusted them to do what was necessary to keep our patrons and staff safe. Chanel and Morgan weren’t the only humans I had to worry about. I couldn’t have any violence at my club. Trouble brought the law and an investigation.
Marco spoke up. “This woman, is she human?”
“Yes. If you spot her, I want her brought to me.”
“Dead or alive?” Marco asked. He wasn’t just a bartender. He was one of the first people I met when I arrived in Chicago.
“Alive would be preferable. Thank you all. Any acts of violence should be handled discreetly,” I said. “Any questions?” I waited for a moment. “That is all.”
As the meeting adjourned, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of foreboding gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. Marisol’s presence at my apartment had stirred up a storm of dangerous emotions and memories. Her brother had made me turn into a monster. I didn’t want that to happen again.
This time, I wasn’t going to let the other Lopez sneak up on me. I was one step ahead of her. Marisol didn’t know I was supernatural and that I would do whatever it took to protect those under my care.
Everyone but Natasha, my head of security, left the room. “Boss.” She stepped forward then, her Chechen accent adding a hard edge to her words. “We have reason to believe she’s already been scoping out the club.” She glanced at me for confirmation, and I nodded, giving her the green light to proceed.
With a few deft clicks on her iPad, Natasha brought up surveillance footage. I looked down at the screen and saw that date. It was from earlier this week. The grainy black-and-white image showed Marisol lurking outside our doors, her dark eyes scanning the area as if plotting her next move.
“Look at her,” Natasha said, disgust dripping from her words like venom. “She’s clearly up to something. I will be prepared for whatever she has planned.”
“Did you share this with the security team?”
“Not yet. I wanted to show it to you first.” She added.
“I don’t need this right now. Harlen seems to think Teresa is still in town and she will try to stir up trouble.”
“You have two women trying to cause you problems.”
“It sure seems that way.” We exchanged uneasy glances.
“Boss, there’s no need to worry. We cleaned up after the Alonzo situation and we’ll do the same with Marisol if need be. Teresa, on the other hand, may be more difficult to track down because she is a vampire. But I can send her picture out also.”
“We need to be prepared for anything. Harlen seems to think Teresa is up to something.”
“Do you trust your brother is telling you the truth?”
“I don’t know. But he seemed genuinely concerned.”
“Either way, we will be on the lookout.” Natasha was good at sounding confident.
“She might try to infiltrate the club. Marisol or Teresa.”
“I will never let that happen.” Natasha assured me. “Marisol is just a human, and Teresa was a human just a few years ago.”
“Less than ten years.” It was somewhere around seven or eight years.
“She could never best me or any of the guys. We are trained. She is not.”
As much as I hated to admit it, Natasha was right. My concerns were probably unwarranted. I just wanted to keep Chanel and Morgan safe. My need to protect after what happened to Morgan’s boyfriend was clouding my judgment. The thought of moving Morgan out of the apartment complex felt like an admission of defeat, a sign that we were letting Marisol dictate our actions.
“Natasha, I know I sound concerned,” I said finally, my voice heavy with the weight of my decision. “We need to ensure their safety. But they’ll stay close to me. That’s the best way to keep them safe.”
“Boss, you don’t have to worry. Nothing will happen to your humans,” she vowed like a good obedient soldier.
“We’ll face this threat together, as a family. That’s what we’ve always done, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
As my words filled the room, I could feel the resolve of my head of security strengthening. Natasha’s loyalty was unwavering, even in the face of danger. We were bound by love, trust and respect, and nothing, not even Marisol Lopez, could tear us apart.
“Come to my office.”
I went down the hall to the office with Natasha close behind me. The image of Marisol lurking in the shadows outside the club haunted me. I paced back and forth in my office, rubbing the back of my neck in frustration.
“Boss,” Natasha said. “I understand your loyalty to Harlen, but we can’t ignore the risk he can pose to everyone here. We need to do something before it’s too late.”
I stopped pacing. “Like what?”
“We need to keep an eye on him. He can’t be in the inner circle until he proves his worth. I understand he is your brother. But the maggot isn’t my brother. I do not trust him. He shows up here at the same time as your ex.”
“I asked him about that, and he made it appear to be a coincidence.”
“Whatever. I still don’t trust him.”
“Natasha...” I began, feeling the conflict swirling inside me. It was a battle between my love for my brother and my responsibility to protect those who depended on me. “You’re right. Something needs to be done. What do you propose?”
“I can have someone watch him 24/7. And needs to report to me. If he wants to be part of the team.” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Agreed. Harlen works for you and reports to you. He needs to go to you first to get to me.” I added.
“He can keep his little job of keeping Morgan safe, but I have plans to give him assignments to prove his loyalty.”
“I’m sure you do.” I replied. “Have someone tail him just to make sure he isn’t conspiring with my ex.”
“I already have that in place.” She smirked.
And this was why Natasha was my head of security. She always had my best interests at the forefront of her educated brain.
If my brother could pass whatever tests she had for him, I knew he could be trusted.