When I Say Yes (Necklace Trilogy 3)

“Not here. Not for a long time. Not since all of his success.”

Until me, I think, and a part of me wonders if I’m not the problem. If I don’t need to just go away. But even if I am the issue, not his father, and this time I do think it’s his father, he’s neck-deep in trouble now, tonight. I have to pull him out of the quicksand before I can walk away.

“And I’m going to piss him the fuck off if I take you to him,” Lucifer adds.

“Oh,” I say, my gaze jerking to his. “Oh okay. I just—can you—”

“Take you to him?” he asks. “Sure. I don’t care much who I piss off unless they’re a client of Walker Security. Your boss just happens to be a client of Walker Security.” He leans closer and whispers, “Not that I really care if I piss him off either.” He glances at his watch. “It’s seven o’clock. The first fight will be at eleven.”

“Are you fighting tonight?”

“Not tonight,” he says. “I have a job in progress. I keep my play out of my day, if you know what I mean.”

“Then you can’t do this.”

“I’m a client,” Mark replies. “I’ll pay Walker to do this for you.”

My eyes go to Mark’s. “You’d do that?”

“Of course, I would. I am.”

“Nah,” Lucifer says. “I’ll do it for free, but there’s no way I’m taking you there to the club. It’s not the place for a lady. Here’s how this plays out. You go home. If Dash is on the card—which I won’t know until my inside man calls me back—I’ll send a car for you. That car will pull up to the front door. I’ll ‘bump’ into you at the front door and you’ll beg for my help finding Dash. Make it loud. Make it obvious.”

“And then?” I ask.

“Then I blow you off, but not really. I’ll tell Dash some chick is upfront trying to see him. He’ll freak, of course, and I’ll follow him up front. Just so I can be there if someone causes trouble. You and Dash can then do your thing, whatever that ends up meaning. Cool?”

“Yes,” I say. “Yes, thank you, Lucifer.” I glance at Mark. “Thank you.”

He gives me a barely perceivable nod.

“Will you be there?” I ask.

“Yes, and that’s part of the plan. I’ll be the way you made it to the club.”

“He’ll be furious with you,” I say. “And if we do work things out, I don’t want him to hate my boss. Isn’t there another way?” I don’t give him time to answer. “Actually, there is. He already hates Tyler Hawk. And Tyler knows about his fighting. Tyler told me where the club is located in Nashville. It would be believable that he tracked down this one as well, though, in truth, he tried and failed.”

“No to that,” Mark states, his tone absolute. “While Lucifer is inside, someone has to be outside, in case you need help. That means me.”

“Jacob can go,” Lucifer offers. “I already talked to him. He’s on standby. He eyes Mark. “That keeps Mark out of the mix and since Jacob oversees the security team at Riptide,” Lucifer adds, glancing at me, “it would be easy to have assumed you’d go to him for help. He’ll be the fall guy and no one hates anyone. If everyone agrees, I’ll get to work.”

“Agreed,” Mark states.

“Agreed,” I say as well.

“Good,” Lucifer says. “Go home, Allie.” He slaps his hands down on the table. “More soon.”

Mark lifts a finger in my direction, “My car is outside. The driver’s been instructed to take you home. He’ll also be the one picking you up should Dash show up at the club.”

In other words, I’m dismissed but I’m pretty alright with that right about now. I need to think and process on my own before I see Dash tonight. And I will. He’ll be at that club. I feel it in my bones. “Thank you both. I know I’ve said that, but I mean it.” I glance at Mark. “I owe you for this.”

“Your loyalty is my price, Ms. Wright. And I’m aware that Dash makes that complicated, but I’m a forward-thinking man. I do believe we can find a working solution for all. Go home and drink a glass of wine. You have time to use its influence to calm down, but not fall down.”

It almost sounds like a joke, but Mark Compton doesn’t tell jokes. Does he?

I decide he does not.

I push to my feet, offer both men small nods, and walk toward the door. A few minutes later, I’m in the hired SUV, and a man I’ve seen with Jacob a time or two greets me. He’s dark, Hispanic, I think, and good-looking, with a friendly disposition. “I’m Adrian. Your guardian angel.”

“You work for Walker,” I assume.