Page 77 of Nevada

She looks at me levelly, one side of her mouth turning up. “You just figurin’ that out?”

“No ma’am, I guess not.”

“You packin’?” Brew gives me a chin lift.

I nod, and I’ve no doubt Star is. This club doesn’t appear to be the sort to care about metal detectors and disarming patrons, so that'll be to our advantage.

Kyle texts Star to say he found out the owner of the club has dealings with the Skeletons MC, and he’s likely in their pockets like a lot of the underworld businesses in this city. While the mob isn’t prevalent around these parts, gang activity most definitely is. Kyle is a loner, so eating with us wasn’t expected.

Star reads out the text. “His name is Monty Jefferson, owns another bar, office buildings, along with a laundromat and a shitty motel on the outskirts of town. He’s prominent around the city and he’s on the FBI Task Force watch list for gang related dealings.”

“Citizen of the year,” Riot mutters. “Doesn’t say much for the company he keeps.”

“It also tells us that if anyone’s gonna know about trafficking around here, it’s gonna be him,” I agree.

“So, where do we find this motherfucker?” Haze looks ready to rumble as he impatiently moves from one leg to the other.

“Kyle says he has a room at the club, but he’s always heavily guarded,” Star tells us, looking down at her phone. “And I doubt he’s gonna be tellin’ us shit about his underworld dealings.”

“Unless he thinks we’re here doin’ business?” I shrug. The Nomad brothers both look at me simultaneously. “I mean, it could work.”

“You could be right.” Brew scratches his chin. “We sniff around askin’ for some cheap whores, all we need is one of ‘em to open their mouths if their bosses won’t talk. Pillow talk is universal, after all.”

I feel Star grip my knee from under the table. I of all people know how badly she wants this, and we’re getting one step closer.

“Then again, the whores could’ve been told not to tell anyone anythin’.” Haze isn’t so convinced as he winces at the idea. “Fear of punishment and beatings could deter them from tellin’ us shit, that’s if they do know anythin’.”

It feels unlikely any girl from the most recent trafficking ring would be working in a club in Mississippi, but then again, a lot of the time the girls are split up and go to different states. As well as out of the country. I don’t even want to think about that option.

“Girls who are forced to work in those situations will do anythin’ for money, or an escape,” Riot adds. “But there’s also a chance they are just sex workers who aren’t bein’ forced to do anythin’.”

“What about checking out the other businesses, see where some of the staff are living? One of the biggest red flags are lots of people living in cramped conditions, usually with their employer on-site,” Halo says out of nowhere. For most of the conversation she’s been pretty quiet, but I’ve no doubt she’s been taking it all in. “I know this is crazy, but I could pretend to be looking for work?”

Star’s hand on my knee balls into a fist. “No,” she says. “Absolutely out of the question.”

“Why?” she shoots back. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, I have the NOLA Rebels to protect me.”

“It’s not safe for one,” Star bites back. “Plus we’re not at that point where we have to put another person in danger.”

“Not at that point?” Halo leans over and takes the hand Star has on the table and squeezes it. “Honey, we’re way beyond that point.”

“That isn’t what I meant.”

“I’m just saying it’s an option. I could be a decoy.”

“I could be the decoy. You don’t need to endanger yourself.”

“But it’s better if I do it because you need to be in the thick of it doing what you do best,” Halo says, like it’s obvious. Like she’s already decided. “And that’s finding the bad guys.”

Star is adamant. “I won’t put you in danger.”

Riot steels his jaw. “She wouldn't be in any, like she said, we’ll be right there. She’s not goin’ anywhere with anyone, she’d just be askin’ around.”

“I definitely don’t like the idea,” Star maintains. She checks her watch. “And it’s time to go.”

I roll my lips as Halo still watches her friend tentatively from across the table. It’s selfless; offering to put yourself in danger for the sakes of helping out another person. And it isn’t like we’d be letting Halo actually go through with it.

“You said you’d do whatever’s necessary,” I remind Star as she slides out of the booth.

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