Bailout Read online

  In return for a few favors, they agreed to not bother me again as long as I didn’t go to the cops about the beating and kidnapping. I agreed to their terms, and I regretted every day that I breathed after it. The cartel brought millions of dollars’ worth of drugs into the city and surrounding areas. They made bank daily while I scrounged with my tech company.

  I needed a drink and a warm body. I decided to visit a smaller club in Midtown where the settings were intimate, and I could quickly find my release. I stripped down and took a quick shower. I splashed on some ‘1 million’ cologne because everyone knew it was all the money I had. I fished out enough cash from my wallet for one last hoorah before my life changed forever. Either my company would close or I’d be indebted to the richest bitch this side of the Rocky Mountains.

  Five

  JAMEY

  Anardana was already full when I arrived, but I knew the owner. He let me in without having to pay the doorman extra. He cleared a stool at the bar as the bartender retrieved a drink for me. I preferred dark liquors. Jacob sat a rocks glass in front of me with 2 ice cubes and two shots of bourbon. I didn’t care what kind of bourbon because I had little money. Top shelf was out of the question.

  As I leaned back in my chair, I watched the crowd. A sultry beat played from the DJ stand as bodies on the dance floor writhed. I unbuttoned another button on my shirt because it was extremely warm in the club. None of the women there caught my eye even though several leered at me. I wanted a blonde. I loved blondes. The ones on the dance floor and mingling in the area just above it were all bottle blondes. Sometimes I didn’t care, but tonight, I needed the real thing. Any woman with dark hair reminded me of Tracy. I wanted to forget Tracy.

  I sipped at the drink hoping that if I nursed it enough I could get by with only buying two drinks for myself and one for my target. A commotion from the front door drew my attention. Several people were arriving and one of the sectioned off VIP areas was being cleared. The manager, Brayden, apologized to the patrons that were being moved. He offered them a back private room for free which they gladly accepted.

  Waiting to see who would draw such a reaction, I sipped the last of the amber liquid. Atlanta was full of celebrities. Football, basketball and baseball players. Rappers. Actors. The state of Georgia was growing leaps and bounds in the entertainment industry. Many new films and television shows were drawn to the low taxes and incentives given by the state to film here. It was a market that I wanted to explore. Our tech added to these large film companies would provide an influx of cash. So, I watched to see who warranted the attention.

  A tall blonde in black heels stood with her back to me as she greeted the owner, Kellan Avery, who had let me in earlier. The short dress she wore was dark, almost black. I couldn’t tell its true color in the darkness. It didn’t matter. It fit her like a dream. It flared out around her shapely ass and swished when she moved. Laughter bubbled out of her as she spoke to Kellan. It was rich and full laughter. Not fake. Her calves flexed as she daintily shifted weight talking to the group of people around her. Kellan was glued to her, but she was under the watchful eye of a large, hulking brute. A bodyguard. Whoever she was, she was important. He surveyed the room as she chatted with Kellan. His eyes locked on me, and I swore that his lip twitched. His eyes cut back to her as if she’d called his name. She placed her hand on his forearm, and he seemed to relax with the touch. So, she was sleeping with the bodyguard. Either that meant, she was the kind of rich girl who knew the value of a good man despite his standing in society or that she needed a good, strong fuck from time to time and he obliged her. If only, I could see her face.

  True golden hair cascaded down her back in loose curls. The mix of light brown and golden blonde had to be natural. If it wasn’t, I couldn’t tell. The curls swayed back and forth as she spoke to those around her. Each face gazing on hers was brightened as she spoke. She owned the attention of the small crowd. She had to be someone important.

  “Earth to Elliot,” Jacob, the bartender, called me from my gaze. “You want another?” My glass was empty. I supposed I drank it as I watched the woman.

  “Yes, please. Sorry, I was engrossed with the new arrival,” I said cutting my eyes back to the woman hoping to see her face.

  “Yeah, she’s something else. Kellan jumps when she arrives. She isn’t here much, but she is a partial owner. She’s the money behind the madness of the club,” he smirked.

  “Money?” I asked as the woman turned to walk down the steps on Kellan’s arm. Her features although delicate were strong. The curve of her cheekbone to her chin had an irresistible femininity to it. Perfect pink lips with no outrageous pout. If she had work done on her face, I couldn’t tell. I, of course, immediately recognized her. The face matched the rest of the exquisite body, but my stomach lurched as I turned to grab the new glass Jacob sat in front of me. His eyes watched her as she passed behind me. “Alexandra Malone.”

  “You know her?” he asked.

  “Not really,” I replied. “We supply her company with tech.”

  “Ah! But you’ve never met her?” he asked.

  “No, actually, I have a meeting with her tomorrow,” I groaned hanging my head over the liquid amber in the glass. I took a deep breath drawing in the tart smell of the alcohol. I needed to go. Kelly was right. I should have stayed home. I heard her laughter waft over the sound of the music. It was magical, and I was drawn to it. Turning to peek over my shoulder, she’d taken position on one of the ornate couches in the VIP area. A man in an expensive suit saddled up next to her. As he talked, she politely smiled at him. She was interested, but not.

  “She’s great. You’ll love her,” Jacob said.

  “I doubt it,” I muttered laying out the cash for the drinks plus a tip. “This is it for me. Thanks, Jacob.”

  “No problem, man. Good luck in your meeting tomorrow,” he said walking to the other end of the bar.

  “Hello, handsome,” a sultry voice cooed next to me.

  I turned to lock eyes with a set of dreamy blue eyes. “Hi,” I responded.

  “I’m Penny,” she said offering her slender fingers to me.

  I lightly shook her hand as she stood at the bar waiting on Jacob.

  “Synclair,” I responded.

  “You look like a Sin,” she said. I grinned. I’d heard it the line so many times it was predictable.

  “I could be,” I returned. Perhaps what I needed was a distraction. Penny stayed at my side, but I offered her my seat. She gladly took it, and I stood by her talking about her life and profession. She was a nurse. I knew nurses to be particularly wild. They were either straight-laced and wouldn’t think of going to a club, or pill-popping whores. Penny didn’t look straight-laced. The red skirt she wore kept crawling up her hips. She pulled it down relentlessly, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Her breasts were on display, but I tried not to leer at them bulging from the extra tight black top. We continued the conversation and soon I forgot about Miss Big Money laughing behind my back.

  Six

  ALEXA

  “Alexa! This is such a surprise!” Kellan said as we stood inside the front door of Anardana. The club I’d given him the up-front money for several years ago, and it was finally hitting its stride. Tucked beneath a hotel in Midtown Atlanta it wasn’t well known, but those who knew of it loved it. Its intimate atmosphere provided the more mature clubbers of Atlanta a place to wind down without the outlandish crowd of college-aged kids in the downtown clubs.

  Kellan Avery and I had been friends since childhood. We went to elementary school together and stayed in touch. It seemed like all he ever wanted to do was to own a club. Once I took over my parent’s company I wanted to invest in small businesses, not just the big ones. If Anardana took off, then perhaps we could open other locations across the country. Kellan dreamed big, and I liked that about him. He was gorgeous, and everyone loved him. Unfortunately for the ladies, he was one hundred percent gay. He wasn’t the flamboyant type either. A very st
eady fun guy who knew how to throw a party yet provided the best advice on the planet. I loved him to death.

  “Kellan, the club looks great. I love the new couches,” I said.

  “We are clearing a place for you and your group,” he said.

  “That’s not necessary. We can join the crowd like everyone else,” I replied.

  “Nonsense! I can’t have my best girlfriend smashed in the horde on the dance floor!” he said as our entire party laughed.

  “If you insist,” I replied.

  “I do,” he said, as he turned to greet the rest of our party.

  Sebastian informed me that our tracker had followed Synclair James Elliot to Anardana twenty minutes ago. We hopped in the car and jetted over. I made a couple of calls to business friends to join us. I wanted to see Elliot in this environment. Sometimes watching a person, in a position in which they are comfortable, shows you a lot about them.

  When I spotted him as we entered, he surveyed the dance floor. I turned my back to him because I didn’t want him to immediately recognize me and run. I wasn’t sure he even knew who I was, but my anonymity ran out several years ago when the local and national news branded me as a celebrity. Most people knew who I was by my face. He wore a Calvin Klein jacket and a white button-up shirt which in all the pictures I’d seen of him, he always left two or three buttons open. Tonight, it was three. It was warm in the club. I stole looks at him when I felt like he wasn’t watching. The most I’d give him was a slight profile of my face.

  He watched our group intently. Especially me. Only me. Feeling his eyes on me, I shifted my weight nervously. I saw Sebastian lock eyes with him. I touched his arm to draw his attention. I didn’t want to spook Elliot. He switched his gaze to the conversation with Kellan.

  I’d invited a couple of friends with us. Madeline Gorgas and Wesley Nolan. Maddie was in the pharmaceutical business, and Wes was an old college chum. He was adorable, and I loved having him around me. We’d hooked up several times in college just for the fun of it. Ashamed of it, because I knew he had a girlfriend and did it anyway, he assured me that his girlfriend was only for show to take home to mom and dad. At the time, it hurt me that I wasn’t the kind of girl you took home to mom and dad, but he later explained that he didn’t feel like he was good enough for my kind. The rich kind. His family was middle class. Not poor by any means, but he intended to make a name for himself. He did. He had completed law school and was now a state prosecutor.

  Kellan took me by the arm and led us to a VIP area just above the dance floor. Elliot turned on his stool to stare at his drink as we approached the red brocade couches. Kellan excused himself to get our drinks. Wes sat down extremely close to me.

  “So, my dear, who are we watching tonight?” he asked playfully.

  “Who says I’m watching anyone?” I said.

  He smiled. “I know your routines. You are here scoping out a target,” he said surveying the room. His head stopped and tilted as Elliot looked over his shoulder at us. Wes grinned and being the devil that his, wrapped a muscled arm around my shoulders. Bastian eyed him.

  “Calm down, Bro. I’m playing the part,” he said.

  Bastian laughed at him, keeping an eye on Elliot. Maddie chatted on about drugs and some guy from the cleaning crew who took a whole bottle of the little blue pills. He apparently had quite the sexcapade before “breaking” his penis and spending several days in the hospital. We laughed and asked stupid questions about the man and how one actually breaks their penis. It was a riot listening to Maddie carry on about it. Wes made crude jokes, and we all continued to laugh as Kellan brought our drinks.

  The conversation quietened down as Bastian and Maddie spoke in soft tones to each other. She was his go-to for a good night in bed. I was sure she was in love with him, but I knew my brother. He didn’t love her and he’d told her so many times. She proclaimed that she didn’t care. I knew she thought he would eventually give into her. I liked her, but I would never presume to make choices for him. Just like Damien, I didn’t care who he dated as long as family came first.

  “Mr. Elliot, I see,” Wes said.

  “Do you know him?” I asked.

  “Only in passing. A womanizer. Terrible businessman. Handsome. Electric,” he said.

  “Electric?”

  “Yeah, I talked to a girl once that slept with him. Only one time. He never returned her calls, but she said sex with him was electric,” he said.

  I laughed. “What does that even mean?”

  “Sparks fly, I guess,” he said staring at me. “Like us.”

  “I don’t remember sparks,” I said, ignoring his innuendo.

  “I do,” he muttered, then I realized he was serious.

  “Wes, what’s gotten into you?” I asked. “You can talk to me.”

  “I know,” he said slugging down the last of his whiskey. “I’m getting older, and believe it or not, part of me wants to settle down. Maybe have a family.”

  Family. Wife. Kids. I knew the sentiment. I’d heard it from men before. I couldn’t fulfill those roles. Not now. Not ever.

  “Wes, you can find a great girl. You are talented, successful, handsome. What more could a girl want?” I said.

  “You tell me. What more do I need to be?” he said staring at me.

  He had my full attention now. Just as Elliot was approached by a busty brunette. I watched Elliot over Wes’ shoulder, but I locked into Wes’ words. I took his hand and kissed it. “Wes, you are more than I could ever hope for in a man, but I’m not wife material. I’m certainly not mother material,” I explained.

  “You love your business too much,” he said.

  “Partially, but there are other reasons that I don’t want to discuss in this setting. I didn’t know you felt this way,” I said.

  “I don’t know what I want. You’ve always been there for me, but you never let me in your head,” he said. Bastian looked up at me with painful eyes. He knew the reasons I was rebuffing Wes’ advances. He would scold me later for it, but for now, I needed to convince Wes that I was good for the occasional interaction but that anything more serious would never happen.

  “Let’s dance,” I offered.

  “What? You never want to dance,” he said.

  “I know, but I feel bad that I can’t explain myself right now,” I said.

  He shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything, Lexy,” he said. His almost black hair glistened under the flashing lights, and his deep blue eyes pierced into me.

  “I know,” I said standing and pulling him with me to the dance floor. He smiled and locked his arms around my waist. The closeness made me nervous, but I pushed it back reminding myself that Wes was a friend. He wouldn’t harm me.

  Pressing his forehead against mine, he said, “You hate doing this. Why are you?”

  “It’s good for me. It will stop in a minute,” I replied. He knew there were situations where I became uneasy in the arms of a man. He’d felt it. He’d seen it. Although I’d never told him the full truth of the reason, I knew he suspected that something awful had happened to me. It had, but it was a long time ago. I needed to get over it.

  My heart rate lowered and finally relaxed in his arms. He recognized it and smiled, “There we go.”

  I laughed as our bodies moved to the music. It had a contemporary beat with a little grind. He pressed his body to mine leading the way. He leaned into my ear while touching my cheek. “Tell me about Mr. Elliot.”

  “His company is in trouble. I’m going to bail him out, maybe.” I said back. He flicked his eyes to him.

  “Player,” he replied. I nodded but watched Elliot over Wes’ shoulder. He didn’t leer at the woman’s breasts. Or slide his hand any lower than her waist. He focused on her eyes and her mouth. Laughing occasionally, he seduced her with interest, not overt sexuality. It was different. I loved to people watch. Most men his age and younger came on strong, but he caressed his way into her good graces. I could tell by the look on her face that she wo
uld follow him anywhere.

  “Yes, but he’s got her,” I said.

  “Good for him. It doesn’t help his business,” Wes said.

  “It might. He’s stressed. Sex is a great stress reliever,” I said to him.

  “I’m totally stressed,” he replied.

  “Oh really?” I asked.

  He nuzzled his nose along my neck and lightly kissed my collarbone. It had been months since I’d allowed anyone to get close to me. I saw Bastian watching closely as his attention was drawn from Maddie to me. “Not here,” I muttered as the tingling sensation of being wanted coursed over my body.

  “Where then?” he asked. I looked over to Elliot who offered his hand to the brunette. She gladly took it as they headed toward the front door.

  The mission for the night had ended. Elliot got his girl. I’d watched him in his natural habitat like the predator that he was, and Wes’ advances surged my senses to a higher level. Every motion of our bodies on the dance floor mimicked the passion between two people. He pressed his body against mine, sliding his hand down the bare back of my dress. I was at the moment when I had to decide.

  “Give into me,” he whispered in my ear. Something inside of me clicked, and I knew I couldn’t do it. He saw the fear in my eyes. I backed away from him slightly. “I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything,” I replied. Nodding to Bastian, he gathered Maddie as we made our way to the door. The heat of the room surged over me. Kellan met us at the door.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “It’s a great club, just a little crowded. I have a full agenda tomorrow,” I said.

  He kissed my cheek. “You should come more often. You look lovely.”

  “Thanks, Kellan. Goodnight,” I said as Wes locked his hand in mine. We stepped out on the sidewalk. The cool night air hit me in the face, and I could breathe again.