Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

Miklos chuckled. “It’s ladies hour. You know, when the chicks drink for free for the hour.” Miklos looked around smiling. “It’s good for business. They get wrecked and the guys get lucky for the night. A win-win situation,” Miklos added.

Aces gave his brother a nod as he scanned the room. He was looking for something. Someone different. Something to alleviate the monotony of the night. He had big plans to arrange, and once he set everything up with the okay then he could focus on his own needs. His brother gave his side a tap.

“Check out the prospects, jefe. Looking like some hot mammas tonight.”

Aces scanned the bar, his eyes not landing on the usual women but instead a group of four women and one dressed in off-white. She looked different, sexy, kind of high class to be hanging in Phaze, yet not unusual to see. Her shoulders were bare, the dress strapless and low in the back showing off her muscular physique and what appeared to be part of a tattoo that disappeared down her dress along her hip. He licked his lips and wondered if it led to her inner groin. He suddenly thought he would find out. If her face were as lovely as her ass and back, he definitely would make a move.

“What’s got your eye?” Miklos asked, then he must have followed Aces’s line of sight because his brother whistled low.

“Damn, that’s one fine wom

an, and her friends aren’t bad either.”

“If she would just turn around, so I could see her face.” As Aces whispered to Miklos, the blonde turned around, seemed to look right at him, give him the once-over, and then turn away.

“She fucking turned away from us,” Miklos said and started heading over. Aces grabbed his brother’s arm. Miklos was a hothead, had a short fuse and a temper on him. The psycho had caused him so much trouble over the years, but Miklos was his brother and he loved him.

“What the fuck, Aces? She should know who we are and show respect.”

“She’s not from around here. Her friends aren’t either. But with offering free drinks for an hour there are sure to be a lot of strange faces in here tonight. Be cool and we’ll see what happens,” Aces said and then licked his lower lip. He glanced toward one of his guards and nodded toward the women. He nodded back and then moved a little closer. Two of the women started laughing and then toasting something. The one in the white dress, looking almost virginal, smiled wide and clinked her martini glass against her friends’. The other girl spilled her drink and they all laughed.

It was time to make a move.

* * * *

Lauren spotted Aces and Miklos as they came from the back room. She hoped to grab their attention and was almost worried her plan had failed when he stared at her. She gave her fellow female cops the sign and they played up their roles as young women out to party and celebrate.

She glanced back toward Aces and felt the deep penetrating stare. She had an instant eerie and spooky feeling come over her. But she focused on her part. The one she was making up and developing the further along she hoped this situation went. Her focus was to make him interested and to get upstairs to that meeting area so she could listen in on the big gathering.

Just as she expected, she snagged their attention immediately with the off-white mermaid-style dress. It hit just above her knees, adding a classy look, yet was full-throttle sexy with no straps and a low back. The guys at the department and the agents weren’t too sure about leaving the wardrobe decisions up to her but once she stepped from the room at the warehouse where they all got dressed, she could tell they were impressed. Her fellow undercover cops she was mingling with were dressed by the wardrobe people the agents had on payroll. They looked like a bunch of bimbos in the clothing, and they weren’t too happy about it at all. Especially Monica from the gang unit, who was very well endowed.

She got a look from one of the female cops and when she turned to look where her eyes landed to she saw Aces and Miklos. They appeared so pompous and acted like she would melt from their appreciative stare so she gave them the once-over and turned away as if she weren’t impressed. She wanted to keep an air of arrogance, confidence, and classiness that separated her from the normal women these men seemed to choose. As one of the women pretended to spill her drink, one of the others got up and started to head toward the stairs to take position near the private balcony or as close as she could get so maybe she would be chosen to sit with the men. And then Lauren heard the deep voice, the Latin accent, as her friends looked away.

“Such a beautiful dress for such a lovely woman,” Aces said as he took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the top of it. She held his gaze and then slowly pulled her hand away.

“Thank you,” she said and then looked away.

“I haven’t seen you here before. I know if I did I would remember, and you would have, too.”

She looked him up and down. “How often does that line work for you?” she asked. He raised one of his eyebrows, an expression of surprise flashing quickly on his face, and then he smirked.

“Every time.”

She lifted the martini toward her lips, looking at him over the rim. “Apparently not every time.” Then she looked toward the bar.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked her as he saw his brother Miklos about to say something.

“No, I don’t.”

“My friends call me Aces.”

“That explains the tattoo on your neck. You like to gamble?” she asked.

He looked over her cleavage and then back toward her face

He stepped closer, licking his lower lip as he stared at her face as if memorizing every detail. It made her feel very exposed and vulnerable. She didn’t like that.

He reached up and brushed his knuckles along her cheek and jaw.