Page 17

17

ALISSA

Chet raises his eyebrows—which I’m now realizing are white as snow—when he sees us.

“Miss Wonder,” he says. “Great to have you back so soon.”

My cheeks warm. “Guess you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“I wouldn’t want that either.” His eyes sparkle. “IDs, please.”

Maddox and I both hand over our IDs, and Chet lugs out the big book of member names.

“I assume, Miss Wonder, that you are again a guest of Mr. Hathaway.”

I nod. “That is correct.”

He hands back our IDs, grinning. “Everything appears to be in order.”

“Thank you, Chet.” Maddox puts his driver’s license back in his wallet.

Chet gets to his feet and takes out his ring of skeleton keys. He opens the door to the mirrored staircase. “Welcome to Aces Underground.”

This time I don’t hesitate. I start walking down the stairs.

“Wait for me,” Maddox calls.

I stop on the fifth or sixth step. What’s taken over me? Just twenty-four hours ago I was sure that this staircase was going to lead me to some sex dungeon where I’d be kidnapped and sold into slavery. Now I can’t wait to go down.

Something about the heavily perfumed air is pulling at me. Guiding me like the wafting aroma of a pie in a windowsill to a cartoon dog.

“Sorry.” I bite my lower lip. “Just excited, I guess.”

Maddox smiles. “I’m glad you are. I wasn’t sure how you’d react to the place yesterday. It’s…unique.”

I chuckle. “Understatement of the century. But I’ve liked it so far. I want to explore a bit more. We didn’t really go past the Spades section yesterday.”

He nods. “True. It can be sensory overload at first. That’s why we stayed in Spades.”

I turn ahead and continue descending the staircase, holding myself in check to make sure I don’t run ahead of Maddox again. Weird how excited I am. And slightly frightened, as well.

Once we reach the green door marked with the four card-suit symbols, I turn the doorknob and open the door, holding it for Maddox.

He raises an eyebrow. “The gentleman is supposed to hold the door for the lady.”

I bite my lip, offering him my arm. “I think you’ll find I’m full of surprises tonight.”

God, do they pump pheromones into the air here? There’s something about this place that brings out the siren in me.

But I don’t hate it.

In fact…

I walk Maddox over to the bar where DeeDee and Dudley are standing, wiping glasses down. They look up—again, not speaking a word—and widen their eyes in inquiry.

Maddox opens his mouth, but I speak first.

“Vodka martini for me, dry and dirty.” I look over at Maddox, narrowing my eyes. “And the gentleman will have another gin and tonic, I presume.”

Maddox’s cheeks flush a light pink. Damn, he’s gorgeous as hell.

“Yes, he will.”

I whip my gaze back to DeeDee and Dudley. “There you have it.” I reach into my purse and grab my credit card, sliding it across the counter. “Open a tab. Both our drinks are on me tonight.”

Maddox places his hand over my card. “ That I won’t allow, Alissa.”

I turn to him, my lips pouted. “I don’t believe I gave you a choice, Mr. Hathaway.”

He drops his jaw slightly, darts his gaze around the room, and removes his hand from my card. “Are you sure? I’m happy to pay.”

“You paid for my drinks last night. And you drove me home.” I run my hand slowly up and down his upper arm—damn, I can feel those corded muscles through his jacket. “And I hope it’s not presumptive of me to assume you’ll be doing me the same service this evening.”

Maddox swallows, eyeing my breasts, which are fully on display in this tight black dress. “I’ll gladly service you in any way you choose.”

I sear my gaze into his. “Good.” I turn back to the counter and push the card forward. “So there it is. All of my drinks tonight, as well as anything Mr. Hathaway orders, are on this tab. Thank you.”

Dudley grabs my credit card and brings it to a vintage-looking computer in the back of the bar while DeeDee prepares our drinks.

Maddox grabs my hands. “While we’re waiting on those drinks, how about I show you the Hearts section for a dance?”

I bat my eyes at him, fanning myself like a debutante. “Maddox, I thought you’d never ask.”

He smiles, those tiny flames in his eyes beginning to erupt. “Just one rule. On the dance floor, I lead. Non-negotiable.”

God, this man takes my breath away. This little game of back-and-forth we’ve established tonight is so hot. I squeeze my thighs against the tingle between them.

Maddox guides me to the Hearts section. The dance floor, in front of the stage where the singer and instrumentalists are playing, is already populated by a few couples. The floor itself is laid in a gorgeous cherry-red hardwood, lit up by a pink disco ball that catches the lights off the floor-length candelabras that line the perimeter of the area. The singer—Bianca, I think her name is—is framed radiantly by a pink spotlight, its blushing beam also bouncing off the disco ball, giving the section its rosy hue.

Maddox grins at me, his dark eyes cutting through the soft pinks. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

Bianca’s voice fills the room, smooth and rich, carrying the melody of the old Rodgers and Hart classic “My Funny Valentine.” The song is slow, intimate, a quiet confession set to music.

Maddox wraps his arm around my waist, his hand resting just above my hip, firm and possessive. I settle mine on his shoulder, and together, we move—our steps unhurried, in sync, as if we’ve been doing this forever.

The lyrics describe someone imperfect but adored beyond reason. I bite back a laugh. Maddox’s physique is far from imperfect. His broad shoulders command attention, and his presence cuts through the dance floor like a blade. And his mouth? After last night’s kiss, I know for a fact there’s nothing weak about it.

He dips me just enough to steal my breath, his grip steady, his confidence unshaken. Then, with a smooth pull, he guides me into a spin before bringing me back, our bodies flush, not a whisper of space between us.

The song’s final plea echoes around us—stay just as you are. Don’t change.

My heart stumbles. That, I understand completely. There isn’t a single thing about Maddox I’d alter, not even the smallest detail. He’s determined, magnetic, breathtaking. And, God help me, if he kisses me again, I might just let him do a lot more.

I feel a twinge—not just in between my legs, but in my heart.

I look into Maddox’s eyes, but I see through them into his soul.

And I think I might be falling in love.

That’s crazy, though, right? It’s our second date. Third if you count our impromptu tea in his haberdashery two nights ago.

Yet…I feel something for him I’ve never felt for any other man.

Bianca wraps up the song with a jazzy flourish from the band. People on the dance floor applaud. I would join them if my hands weren’t still glued to Maddox.

He looks at me, his eyes flaming again. He reels me in for a kiss.

And everything in me shatters.

This kiss is far more chaste than what we experienced outside my apartment last night, but the emotion behind it is palpable. My lips meet his in a gentle whisper.

For a moment, his tongue slips between my lips, and I delicately tangle mine with his. I get lost in the pink lights of the Hearts section, rising into the rosy clouds of a sunset overlooking all of Chicago while wrapped in the bliss of Maddox’s embrace.

Then I open my eyes. Oh, God… We’ve been kissing on the dance floor, in full view of everyone in the club, for several minutes now. A warmth of blood rushes to my cheeks as I break the kiss.

Maddox opens his eyes, catching the looks we’re getting as well. “Sorry about that.”

I place a finger on his lower lip. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me, Maddox Hathaway.”

He grabs my upper arms, sinking his grip into them. “I’m not apologizing for the kiss. What do you say we get out of here?”

I’d like nothing more—my pussy is more than ready after this dance and kiss—but out of the corner of my eye, I spy Seven holding a tray, looking at us.

“Our drinks,” I say. “We should at least finish them. I don’t want that good booze to go to waste.”

He grins. “I can respect that.”

I nod to Seven, indicating that we’re coming over.

Goodness. Seven.

I haven’t thought of her since last night. I had a few too many drinks, and Maddox has dominated my headspace ever since that ardent kiss last night.

But I thought I caught something in her eyes. A fleeting look of fear.

Maybe I was just seeing things. I was pretty weirded out for the first hour we were here last night. It took a while for me to adjust.

But now I know that Aces Underground is just a regular club with a bizarre coat of paint. Completely harmless and a lot of fun.

I walk over to Seven. “We’ll grab a table back at the Spades section.”

Seven nods and follows Maddox and me as we cross toward the bar and grab a small table in the corner.

She sets down our drinks and whisks away to attend to another table. Maddox grabs his gin and tonic, and I take a sip of my martini. It’s delicious, perhaps even better than the one I had last night. I ordered this one dry, meaning that it has much less vermouth than a regular martini. That allows the rose-petal infusion in the vodka to really shine and blend with the earthy and acidic flavor of the olive juice. It’s delicious.

I take another sip when I notice something at the base of my glass. A tiny blue sticky note affixed to the bottom.

It’s handwritten, in a language other than English. Roman letters, but lots of marks that I don’t recognize.

Maddox raises his eyebrows as he puts his glass down. “What’s that?”

I shrug. “I have no idea. It’s a small note, handwritten.”

“Let me see it.”

I hand it to Maddox.

He looks it over and strokes his chin. “Interesting. I’m not sure what language this is. But the letters are the same letters we use in English, so we can rule out a Slavic language and most Asian languages. Which is odd, because most of the servers here are from Eastern Europe or Southern Asia.” He hands the note back to me. “Probably just a note from the bar. Someone wrote down an order from a patron and it accidentally got stuck to your glass. You can probably toss it.”

I blink. Odd that a note would be attached to my glass. “It could be important. I’ll flag Seven down and give it back to her.”

Maddox looks up. “I think she’s preoccupied.”

Indeed, the middle-aged man at the table Seven served after us is getting to his feet, his gaze lingering on the curve of Seven’s waist and the sway of her hips. A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

I swallow. “What do you mean, preoccupied?”

Maddox discreetly gestures to Seven and the older man. “Watch.”

Seven dips her shoulders just a fraction before she turns to follow the man. Her steps are measured, controlled, but I see a flicker of something in her eyes—resignation? She follows the man to one of the private areas that is cordoned off with velvet rope, and they disappear behind the curtains.

My heart races as I keep my eyes focused on the curtains. “What… What are they doing back there?”

“Could be anything. They could be talking. He could be paying her for a lap dance…or more.”

I whip my gaze back to Maddox. “Or more? ”

He shrugs. “Aces has a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy when it comes to what happens in the private spaces. But rest assured that Seven is being tipped well for any service she may provide.”

I drop my jaw. “You mean the patrons can… solicit the waitstaff?”

Maddox nods. “Yeah. Part of the deal. You have to pay extra, of course. But Rouge encourages it. It’s part of the experience. ‘Pick a card, any card,’ she usually says.”

“But that’s prostitution!”

Maddox frowns. “No, it’s not. The waitstaff are allowed to refuse services of any nature to any patrons. It’s all consensual. Of course, if they refuse a proposition, they won’t get the tip.”

He’s really all right with this? “How can you think this is okay? These people probably came to this country with nothing.”

“And Rouge is giving them the opportunity to make something of themselves. Start fresh. The American dream.”

“Whoring yourself out to the Chicago upper crust is hardly the American dream.”

Maddox scoffs. “You have two degrees in music. You were hoping to monetize your natural gifts and talents. What’s so bad about them doing the same?”

I stand quickly. “You can rationalize it whichever way you want, Maddox. But these people are being used for sex.”

“No one’s forcing them. They probably enjoy it.”

I gasp at his words, and before I know it, I’ve picked up my martini glass and thrown its contents in his face.

“What the fuck, Alissa?”

“What the fuck yourself, Maddox.” I grab my purse, along with the note Seven left behind. I can’t believe I thought I was falling in love with this jerk. “I’m out of here.” I take a few steps away but then turn back to Maddox. “I thought you were different. But no, you’re just like every other creep I’ve dated in this godforsaken city.”

“Alissa, wait?—”

But I’m already storming out. I ascend the staircase and knock three times at the door.

Chet opens the door. “Ah, Miss Wonder. Leaving so soon?”

“You bet your pinstriped arse I am.”

Chet cocks his head. “Trouble in paradise?”

“You don’t know the half of it.” I place a hand on the knob of the black door that leads to the alleyway and look back at Chet. “Or maybe you do. Whatever the hell kind of a business you’re running here, I won’t have anything more to do with it.”

“Miss Wonder?—”

But already I’ve slammed the door behind me. I walk into the brisk Chicago night.

More than brisk. The sun has been down for a few hours now, and even though it was a nice day, it’s gotten much colder.

And I’m wearing nothing but this tight little dress and fedora.

God, this fucking fedora, which I bought to please Maddox. There’s fifty bucks I’ll never see again. The thrift shop where I purchased it has a strict no-return policy.

I’ll get out onto Randolph and hail a cab.

Except…

Damn it all. My credit card is back at the bar. I insisted on paying for Maddox’s drinks tonight. More money I’ll never see again.

But I can’t go back in there, not after the scene I just made.

I’ll call the credit card company and get a new card tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll just use Apple Pay on my phone, and I’ll order an Uber home.

Except.

Damn it all again. My phone is dead.

Guess I’m taking the L. I can just jump the turnstile. People do it all the time, often in full view of the police. I’ll just pay twice the next time I use it. That’ll even things out.

At least I have my keys in my purse. I’ll be able to get into my apartment, to my warm bed, and I can charge my phone.

All that matters right now is that I get the fuck away from Maddox Hathaway and Aces Underground.

Which way to the nearest Red Line stop?

Normally, I’d get out my phone and check, but I don’t have that luxury.

Christ. I’ve lived here for years now. How have I not memorized the lay of the land?

I guess I’ll just walk along main streets until I see something. Hopefully I’ll find a stop before I freeze my?—

“Lost, pretty lady?”

My heart drops in my gut. A gritty voice just whispered into my ear. I turn around and see a ratty-looking man wearing a leather jacket.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Mouse.” He gestures toward the shadows. “Come on, Dodo, Eaglet.” Two other men, also wearing leather jackets, emerge.

Dodo is heavyset with a large nose, and Eaglet is tall with long limbs.

I swallow. “I was just leaving. Nice to meet you all.”

Mouse grabs my arm. “I don’t think you were.”

“Let go of me!” I try to pull my arm out of Mouse’s grasp, but he’s holding tightly.

“I don’t think so,” Mouse says. He cuts a glance toward Dodo and Eaglet, the corner of his mouth twitching as a glint of darkness flickers in his eyes. “Can I interest you two in a race?”