Page 71 of Spades

I don’t see any change in her facial expression, though it’s hard to tell what she’s really thinking with that inch of makeup on her face.

Rouge turns her gaze back to me. “Well, at any rate, Chet should not have let you come down here.” She grabs a phone out of her cleavage and sends a text. “He’ll be down in a moment to see you out.” She narrows her eyes back at May. “In the meantime, Seven, back to work.”

May walks out of the room, her head hanging.

“There’s no need to have me escorted,” I say. “I can walk out myself.”

Rouge chuckles. “A curious little kitty like yourself might wander a bit, as you already have.” She gives me another sweet smile, but again it doesn’t reach her eyes. “You are welcome back anytime you’d like, Miss Maravilla, as long as you are the guest of a dues-paying member of Aces Underground.”

Chet’s tall figure looms near the entrance of the private room. “Yes, Rouge?”

Rouge turns to him. “Please escort Miss Maravilla out. And then please see me in my office.”

Chet grabs my arm gently, grinning. “Please come with me, Miss Wonder.”

I turn back to Rouge. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Rouge frowns. “I’ll see to that.”

Chet escorts me back up the mirrored staircase, pulling out his set of keys to unlock the door. Before I exit through the black door that leads to the alleyway, I stop and turn back to him, studying his mustachioed face.

“Chet, what the hell is going on here?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Where?”

“Here. At Aces Underground.” I lean in, lowering my voice. “May—I meanSeven, damn it—she told me that she had a friend who disappeared after her contract here was up.”

“People who work here often go on to greener pastures,” Chet says.

I scratch my arm. “But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something unsettling about this place.”

Chet’s grin widens. “Of course there’s something unsettling here. Everyone here at Aces Underground is a little bit outrageous, a little unhinged, Miss Wonder. I am, Rouge is. Your friend Mr. Hathaway is.” He narrows his gaze. “Youare.”

I scoff. “I’m not.”

He chuckles. “Of course you are, Miss Wonder. Why else did you come here?”

I bite my lip. “Because Maddox brought me here.”

“That was why you came the first time. Why did you return?”

“Because he wanted to bring me back.”

“And why did he bring you back?”

I press my hands on either side of my head. “Oh, my God. Are youcapableof giving a straight answer to a question?”

Chet cocks his head. “Areyou?”

“You know what? I’m done here.” I put my hand on the doorknob.

“Miss Wonder…”

Chet’s voice slithers into my ear, making me twitch. It feels like he’s right behind me, whispering seductively, but when I look back, he’s still seated at his desk.

“Christ. What now?”

He tents his hands together. “You ask a lot of questions. But I wonder, Miss Wonder”—his lips twitch—“what you intend to do if you actually find what you’re looking for.”

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