Page 47 of The Afterthought

Knox shakes his head at the banter between the two of us before we leave the shed and walk back up to the garage to meet with a few of the others. Some new protocols need to be implemented to weed out the rat we apparently have in our midst.

Chapter 22

Avalynn

While I drive to work, I let my mind wander. Things between Greyson and I have been feeling kind of normal. It's odd. I find myself missing him when he isn't around, but I still can't let myself fully commit to him. I still have so many questions. How will we make this work if he intends to stay with the Crimson Rose?

I've been feeling increasingly awkward with working at Temptations and have considered quitting a bunch of times. Most of the guys who frequent the place know I've been seeing Greyson. Alec has been keeping them at bay for now because I've been insisting that Grey and I are nothing official, which is technically true. I just don't know how much longer I can stretch that half-truth.

There are other bars I can work at. In a way, quitting means I am choosing Greyson. Am I ready for that? I’ve already chosen him in certain ways over the last few weeks. I know I can’t keep working for his enemy. It’s too dangerous, and it’s only a matter of time before there is some sort of incident.

Me and Grey are complicated. He says that I'm his, but he is also mine, even if I'm not ready to admit it to him. I know if I ever saw another woman hanging around him, I would punch that bitch square in the face.

Mrs. Myers also sent another email inquiry. She's determined to figure out what happened to her son. She’s now offering double the initial amount she was willing to pay. It's too good to pass up at this point. I can take this job, quit Temptations, and take my time finding something else. I guess I’ll be talking to Alec after I finish my shift.

It's the weekend, so I’ll have plenty of time to do a deep dive into Mrs. Myers’ son. It’ll be the perfect thing to keep myself busy while Greyson's out of town. He dropped by this morning with my coffee and muffin and told me that he would be gone for a few days but refused to tell me why he was leaving. I suppose it has something to do with the Crimson Rose, and he doesn’t want to involve me in it.

I tell myself it’s okay to miss him as I park my car and mentally prepare myself to work my last shift with his enemy. The club is already popping when I walk into Temptations. The music is loud, and one of the more popular girls is on the far stage. A large crowd of men gather around her, tossing bills in her direction. Men really are simple-minded creatures sometimes.

I step behind the bar, waving at Bruce. I wasn't expecting him to be working with me tonight. There must be some kind of special client here. He's only ever here when there is someone important in the VIP rooms.

"Hey sexy, over here," a man yells from the far end of the bar.

I roll my eyes and make my way to him so I can take his drink order. If Grey knew people were talking to me like this when I worked here, I have no doubt he would kill every single one of them. It makes me smile thinking about how protective he's gotten of me.

"Yeah, that's right, sway those hips right on over here," the guy yells out again.

I'm not wearing anything too revealing. I never do. Tonight, it's a simple black skirt and crop top combo with my fishnet tights under them. My hair is down and curled. I find it pulls more tips when it's down instead of when it's pulled back. Some people are just disgusting and have no issue sexualizing you after a few drinks, regardless of what you're wearing.

"What can I get you?" I ask, playing nice even though I want to smash his face on the bar.

"If I can't have you, I'll have to settle for a Miller Lite." His head falls down a bit. I can tell he's had several drinks already.

"Coming right up." I turn away, trying my best to remind myself to just get him his drink and move on to the next person.

The next hour or so flies right along. The asshole from earlier went back to the main stage and hasn't bothered me again, thankfully. I've made a decent amount of tips tonight, and I feel good about talking to Alec after my shift.

"Ava?" One of the girls from the VIP rooms calls out as she steps towards the bar.

"Hey, Candy. What did you need?"

"Can you get these orders to the guys in VIP? I really need to use the bathroom," she begs.

"Alec made it pretty clear that I'm not supposed to go back there. Can you have Bruce do it?" I ask.

"Bruce is a bit busy." She points over to one of the tables by the small stage where he is currently sitting while one of the girls gives him a lap dance.

"Fine. Just tell me what they need."

She hands me a piece of paper, and I get to work making the three drinks. Once I have them made up, I wait on the few people who are at the bar, hoping she will come back from the bathroom. She hasn't, so I grab the tray and make my way to the back rooms with the drinks.

It's a lot quieter back here than it is in the main room. The music has a softer hue to it since it's more sectioned off. I'm surprised when I walk through and find all the rooms completely empty, save the last one, which seems to be where our special guests are occupied.

"I need you to be sure you're there on time. They're already getting suspicious," I hear someone say as I get closer. The voice sounds familiar, but I can't figure out why. I freeze and wait to see if they are going to say anything else. Maybe I can figure out who this is if I hear them talk again.

"The Crimson Rose will be nothing but a pile of ash when we are done with them. They will be left with nothing. The drugs will belong to Alec, and the Cobras will have whatever funds you need to get the girls you're after and move them. I think this is the best direction for all of us to go in."

"They've already gotten their hands on Freddy. Greyson almost burned his dick off yesterday. You're sure if we do this, there's no chance they will be able to retaliate?"

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