Page 11 of Raff
“What’d you get kicked out of the club?” Jack asked, turning toward me with a creak of the ancient leather on his chair.
“No. I actually have a question for you.”
“If it’s about what I told Hail, that’s—”
“No, it’s not—wait, what did you tell Hail?”
“That if he’s gonna have an orgy, he has to do it in his room. Not in the hallway. It’s bad enough I gotta clean the sheets. I don’t want to spend my time bleaching the fucking walls too.”
“As soon as he’s off probation, he will be taking his orgies to the clubhouse full-time.”
“The steady money has been nice. But having to restock the fucking vending machine twice a day because of his ravenous ass… not so much.” For someone on the thin side like Hail, he really did shovel away a lot of food. “So, if not for Hail, why are you here?”
“Is Lula staying here?” I asked.
Jack managed to mostly keep his face in straight lines. But there was the tiniest tick to his brow that told me everything I needed to know.
“You know I can’t tell you about who is staying here. Or not staying here.”
“Her car is out back.”
“Is it?”
I wasn’t going to get far with him. He was usually open with information. But when we were pressing him for it, it usually involved some sort of dangerous situation. If this wasn’t that, then he was doing the right thing by protecting Lula’s privacy.
“Does she seem panicked? Is she hiding from something?”
“If, hypothetically, she was staying here—which I can neither confirm nor deny—someone who, hypothetically, saw her might say she toggles between devastated, determined, and angry. They wouldn’t, hypothetically, say she seems scared.”
“And if, hypothetically, that changed, would you tell me?”
“I’ve never been the sort to casually sit by and watch bad shit happen to women.”
I reached for a random sheet of paper and ripped off a sliver to jot down my number.
“Just in case you need it,” I said, sliding it over to him.
He gave me a nod but said nothing.
I didn’t either as I made my way back outside to stare down the line of rooms with lights on, wondering which might be hers. And what the hell was going on in her life to have her crashing there?
I moved toward the sidewalk, glancing down toward the main street of Shady Valley, knowing my club brothers were in The Bog likely saving me a drink and the ‘something pretty’ I requested.
But for the first time, instead of chasing the good time I was guaranteed to find there, I walked back to the clubhouse by myself.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lula
The stains in the carpet matched the stains on the paisley bedspread when I arrived at room four.
It was my favorite number.
I chose to take it as a sign that things were going to look up soon when Jack handed it to me after asking exactly no questions—not even to inquire if I was going to stay longer than the month I paid for when I showed up.
I had to give Jack credit—the bedspreaddidreek of bleach. Like he, unlike major hotel chains, did actually launder the full bedding instead of just the sheets. That said, I couldn’t get over the possible fluids that had touched that damn thing.
As such, it sat, untouched, behind the door where it wouldn’t be in my way. The sheets had been stripped as well, then the mattress completely soaked in disinfecting spray that created a cloud of scent so noxious, I’d needed to air the room out for hours.
