“Don’t be judgy and forthright, it’s rude. Besides, we’re members so…yeah. Brick—” He lifts a palm in the air. “—glasshouse.” Clapping hands, he makes a throaty explosion sound.
God, I want to pummel him into silence.
Thundering in my chest, my heart is about ready to explode as I take in the skintight dress she’s wearing, the straps so thin you can barely make them out with the shitty quality of the picture. Her breasts are so fucking pushed up they look ready to spill.
What the fuck is she doing?
She’s always been petite with generous assets, but she looks so thin that she might snap even with the gentlest of touches.
“Bella’s been going there every night,” Leo says, eyes focusing on his glass of water. “That’s what we’ve been doing the last few nights. Keeping a close eye on her. Trying to figure out what she’s doing.”
Before I can stop myself, I’m pacing in front of the table, watching as she disappears into one of the most prestigious private members’ club in London.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You going in there like a bull in a fucking china shop isn’t an option.”
“She’s my fucking wife!”
“Calm the fuck down.” Freddie sits up in his seat, like he’s ready to jump to action if I lose my shit completely.
“Calm down? Calm the fuck down?”
“Yeah.”
“She sat at the bar pretty much all night. She didn’t move once. She barely had anything to drink, and it was water.” Meeting my gaze, Leo blows out a long breath. “She’s waiting for something. For someone. I don’t know…all I can say is that no one sits at a bar for that long without a reason.”
Freddie starts clicking again, and little by little the picture gets lighter with the break of dawn and sunrise. People coming and going, until it’s so bright that the white petals of the flowers in the window boxes look like thin confetti in the breeze.
The black door opens, and there’s a pause. It looks like the picture freezes, but the timer on the corner of the screen keeps going. Ticking. Counting every goddamn second she’s in there, until she finally steps out.
“At least you can see she’s safe.”
“Did you know about this?” Turning to Casper, I watch the way he’s looking at the screen. His jaw is tight and his nostrils flared.
“Fuck no,” he grits. Looking over at Leo, he narrows his eyes, and I s
wear he’s about ready to throttle him. “You said you were looking. You told me you had no idea where she was.”
“He didn’t. I found her. She’s more slippery than a wet fish. Like she knows I’m keeping tabs.” Freddie stops the video and pulls up another.
It’s exactly the same, except she’s wearing a different dress. Her walk is steadier, and this time she doesn’t stop before she rings the bell. Before she reaches the top step, the door opens for her, and she walks straight in.
What is she doing there?
My brain feels fried, my thoughts rampaging inside my head in a violent stampede. It’s so loud that with my blood rushing in my ears, I can’t hear what Freddie’s saying. His lips are moving, but he’s on mute.
I’m hurt and overwhelmed. Fury is clawing and biting at my insides. I don’t know how to come back from my trance. I don’t know how to shake it off.
That’s my wife. How can I not know what she’s doing? How she is. What she’s feeling. Who she’s waiting on… It sure as fuck isn’t me.
“Christopher? Christopher!”
Looking over at Leo, I try to focus.
“There’s a list of members that’s off the books, if you know what I mean? Freddie and I managed to work that out. And whatever she’s doing there…it’s got everything to do with that list.”
His words are an ice deluge over my senses because it screams danger.