women, we need someone now.”
“What about one of the girls you arrested? Doesn’t someone need a break?”
“You’d think so but actually, no. Except for minor indecency charges, those girls are squeaky clean.”
Mace nodded. “Obviously, Lombardy’s thought this through.”
“Not good business to have Johnny Law knocking at the door,” Jake agreed.
“The next logical step is to question the staff. Maybe one of them will enlighten us.”
“You didn’t question them after the raid?”
“Only as suspects. We let them believe we were only looking for drugs. We need to know what they know about Lombardy and his organization. I’d like to send you and Detective Turner. You’ll attract less attention.”
“As far as we’re concerned, the club has a pretty good reputation. We make few arrests and when we do, mostly for public intoxication.”
“Good, then they’ll most likely open up and tell you what you want to know.”
The hair rose on the back of Jake’s neck, not because of his mission, but because of the one woman he might find tangled in this whole sticky web with a hairy, hungry spider hot on her tail. For once, he actually considered reassignment. He glanced at his partner who wore the same pained expression.
Jake swallowed hard, careful not to expose his torment. “Anyone in particular you have in mind?”
“Start with the manager, Jimmy Cooper, and the head of security, Brian Hunt. We want them to believe this is a missing person’s case. If you find a lead, go with it.”
Jake glared at the amber colored liquid that resembled whiskey in front him, sorely tempted to grab the glass and swallow the contents in one gulp. Unfortunately, whiskey had a tendency to render him very, very stupid. “When should we start?”
“No time like the present. I have agents inside who report business to be somewhat slow tonight.”
Jake’s stomach rolled over while he pushed thoughts of the inevitable to the side and attempted to reason. He had just left Bri and Dara not thirty minutes earlier. Surely, hopefully, they planned a girls’ night in to catch up.
He looked to Mace, attempting to find an expression of silent confirmation. Instead, Mace appeared just as concerned.
Sonuvabitch . She better not be there.
Jake stood and shifted his weapon on one hip. “We’ll touch base as soon as we’re finished.”
Majors nodded at both he and Mace. “Thursday evening. I’ll contact you with the particulars. We’re counting on you, Detectives.”
Jake swallowed incredible nausea as he stomped out of the bar, silently cursing at the top of his lungs the whole way to the cruiser.
Mace broke the silent rage. “What are you going to do if you find her there?”
“Pull her out by her curly, blonde hair,” he spat.
“Blonde? Bri’s not blonde.”
“She dances blonde.”
“I don’t remember that about her,” Mace mumbled.
“With green eyes.”
“Green? Her eyes are—”
“Blue, I know,” Jake spat.
Mace opened his mouth and then closed it.
As soon as he and Mace stepped inside the Glove , all five of Jake’s senses went on full alert. His body knew Bri – no way could she escape detection.
While Mace talked to the bouncer at the door, he scanned the main room with precise movements from left to right, trained on any color close to blonde or green. Hell, she’d probably be better hidden without her wig. Then again, her long red mane caused him a raging hard-on every time it swayed against her heart-shaped ass. No, that camouflage wouldn’t work for either of them.
Mace cleared his throat. “C’mon, Jimmy and Brian are waiting in the security office.”
Jake followed Mace across the room and back stage until finally reaching a flight of stairs. Directly to the left, a brightly lit hallway led a path to four rooms, two on the left and two on the right.
His heart skipped a beat. If Bri wasn’t dancing on stage, she might very possibly be behind one of those doors, providing