Page 33 of Wild Idol

We asked a few more questions, and I gave her a card. “Get in touch if you can think of anything else that might be helpful. Good luck on the new album.”

Brianna smiled. “I don’t need luck, honey. My shit is fire!”

Before we left, JD asked Ryan if Dale was around.

“No. He’s not here at the moment. Do you want me to have him call you?”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “We’re looking for a place to record our next album.”

Ryan smiled. “This is the best facility on the island. It’s got a vibe. That’s for sure.”

We showed ourselves out and decided to kill a little time before heading over to the Pearl Room. It wasn’t open yet. Eddie Valerio was next on my list of people to talk to.

18

Ahard fist swung through the night air.

It was around midnight when we arrived at the Pearl Room.

The fist connected with a man’s jaw, wrenching his neck aside and dropping him to the ground.

Nearby girls in teeny cocktail dresses shrieked.

The line to get into the club was long, and everyone was dressed to the nines.

The aggressor pounced and pummeled the guy into submission. He’d sucker punched the guy initially. Now he was atop the dude, landing fist after fist.

A girl tried to pull him off, but this guy had the devil in his eyes. “Jake, that’s enough!” she shouted.

The rest of the patrons in line looked on with excitement. This was free entertainment. Nobody stepped in until thebouncers arrived. Two big guys pulled Jake off the guy, who was now a bloody mess.

Jack pulled to the valet as this went down.

A kid hustled to the car and grabbed the door. Jack slipped a wad of cash into his palm and told him to keep it up front. He flashed his badge for good measure.

Jack and I walked up to the bouncers and flashed our badges. They held onto the assailant.

I helped the other guy to his feet. He was still disoriented. “Are you okay?”

He wiped the blood away from his nose, then held his nostril shut to stop the bleeding, glaring at Jake. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He didn’t look fine. His face was full of scuffs and abrasions. His left eye had already started to turn black. The sclera had filled with blood.

“You should go to the hospital and get that checked out,” I said.

He didn’t seem too keen on the idea.

“Do you want to press charges?”

He hesitated for a moment. “No. That’s okay.”

“Are you sure about that?”

He nodded.

The girl who tried to pull Jake off of him was now at his side, clinging to his arm. I suspect Jake’s actions had theopposite outcome as intended. He drove her right into his rival’s arms.

I walked back to the bouncers and told Jake he was lucky he wasn’t going to jail.