Page 67 of Spades

I lost Laurie.

I don’t regret choosing the shop—I love working here, and I would be miserable at Yale—but I still lost her.

I’m not going to make the same mistake with Alissa.

23

ALISSA

I drop my jaw.“It’s a cry for help?”

Dinah purses her lips. “I don’t know if it’s acryper se. You said you weren’t even sure if this message was meant for you.”

I rub at my forehead. “Yeah, it was just stuck to the bottom of my glass. I suppose it could have just ended up there by mistake.”

“Then it could be anything. It could be as simple as a message to one of the other waiters to help her with a drink order for a large party or something.”

“Or even if itwasmeant for me, it could mean anything.” I scratch my chin. “She doesn’t speak any English. Maybe she’s asking for help with that. Or maybe she heard me talk about how I work in the hospital. Maybe she wants medical advice.”

But I think back to the very first time I saw Seven. The flash of fear I saw in her eyes. I know that look, and I recognized it in the instant that she let her mask slip.

I didn’t think much of it at the time. I ended up getting distracted by my intense attraction to Maddox, and after that first kiss outside my apartment, my mind was completely clouded over.

And of course, the sex last night…

I shake it out of my head. Bigger fish to fry right now.

Maybe I can go back to the club…

The club!

My credit card is still there.

Perfect cover to go in and check things out.

Will they let me in without Maddox?

They have to, right? My personal property is in there.

What would happen if I left my card there and Maddox dropped dead—God forbid—and couldn’t let me back in?

I suppose I could always just get a new credit card.

But whatever. They have to let me settle my debt if they want to make money.

I turn to Dinah. “Can you cover for me for an hour or so?”

Dinah widens her eyes. “Alissa, you’re not going to do something stupid, are you?”

I grab my purse off the counter. “I’ll let you know. Please, Dinah, will you?”

She narrows her eyes. “Are you sure you’ll be safe?”

“Of course. I just remembered I left my credit card at the club last night. It’s around the corner. I’ll pop in and grab it. If I happen to see the girl who left me the note, maybe I can clarify if she meant for me to receive it.”

“All right.” Dinah glances at the clock behind the nurses’ station. “One hour?”

“One hour. Text me if there’s any news on Lou.”

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