Page 136 of Filthy Elites

Something snicks and a door is pushed open and fresh air wafts in. I don’t even care, I shove him forward in order to get out of the confining space. My knees hit the ground as I gasp for more air, feeling the freshness of being outside finally clear up my head.

Hard gravel digs into the skin of my knees. I look up and spot an open entrance down at the end of what’s obviously a side alleyway next to the club. Fuck this shit. With Josh’s hand no longer keeping me locked to him, I don’t even think. I push up from the ground and take off running.

“Haley!” I hear his shout at my back, but I don’t care. I’ve got to get back inside. I’ve got to get to Viks. My heels aren’t as tall as most club goers, but they’re high enough that I’m not exactly running like a track star. More like stumbling along until I feel like keeping them on will only be a hindrance.

Unfortunately, the second I pause to kick them off, a shadow falls over my front. I look up and freeze. “Well, hello there,” a hauntingly familiar voice says. A toothy grin appears on the man’s face and as he reaches up, sliding his unnecessary sunglasses from his face, I feel rather than see Josh come up behind me.

“I told you not to scare her.” My head turns as if in slow motion at Josh’s words. The familiarity with which he speaks to the man in front of me as he grabs ahold of my shoulders, pulling me back against his slightly larger frame, is the most disturbing thing of all.

Patrick Kennedy steps forward and tucks his chin against his chest as he looks at me from beneath his lowered brows. “Now, I’ve told you, boy,” he says. “Pretty girls are meant to be frightened. Makes ‘em that much easier to tame.”

I should’ve asked the question,I realize.And I should have fucking known better.

TWENTY-TWO

Viks

Sweat makesmy t-shirt stick to my skin as I roamInferno. Young women in practically transparent club dresses eye me with interest. I ignore them all in favor of searching for my prey. After Cain’s speech that kicked off the start of the night, the club has been taken over by the elite upper echelon and their partying.

The music is loud. The scent of weed, alcohol, and expensive perfume is heavy on the air. It makes my nose twitch with irritation. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I take a step back when a gaggle of laughing and already half-drunk women passes by as I answer it.

“Report,” I say curtly.

“I’m not finding him anywhere.” Jackson’s voice comes through the phone with a clear tone of irritation. “Are you sure he’s going to show tonight?”

“Carter was pretty set on it,” I answer. “And I agreed, I don’t see why he wouldn’t check this place out.”

“But on opening night?” Jackson asks.

I don’t know.Fuck, I don’t know what this bastard is thinking.A sense of dread is digging at my instincts, though. Enough that I don’t think we can just call it a night and all go home. Something will happen tonight. I just don’t know what—and not knowing or even having a suspicion is messing with my head.

“Just keep looking.”

Jackson groans into the receiver. With the phone to my ear, I let my gaze drift upward, frowning when I scan the row of balcony rooms above. I see dancers and partiers and even a few businessmen enjoying the scenery down below as they sip their thousand-dollar scotch. I don’t see Haley, though.

That sense of dread only swells within me.

“I need you to check on something for me.” Even as the words come out, I’m already on the move. I keep my eyes trained upward, searching for a hint of her, but still she doesn’t appear. “Look up the security feed for the private rooms on the second floor. Room Number One.”

“You think he’s in a private room?” Jackson asks. The sound of his fingers typing and clicking echo into my ear.

“No.”

My feet pick up the pace as I shove through the crowd towards the staircase on the other side of the dance floor. Anxiety creeps into my veins.She’s fine,I tell myself. Surely, she’s fine. I left Troy with her and he’d never let anything bad happen to her. Troy is as solid as a man gets. Loyal. I trust him.

It’s hard, though, even through that trust—not seeing her at the railing that she’s been practically glued to all night is making me panic.

“What exactly am I looking for?” Jackson asks a moment later.

“There should be a girl in the room with Troy.”

“Uhhh.” There’s some clicking and I can just imagine him sitting there shaking his head. “No, man. No one’s in the room. No girl and no Troy. You sure this is the right room?” Jackson pauses and then, “wait, I think I see something. That’s … shit—Troy’s in there, but I think he might be hurt.”

The staircase entrance and the bouncer come into view. I don’t even respond to Jackson or stop to show the bouncer my ID again. Instead, I leap over the velvet rope and shove the man to the side, my heart fucking pounding.

When he gets back up and begins to follow me, I get halfway up the stairs with the man hard on my heels. Without even hesitating, I reach into my back holster beneath my shirt and pull my gun free, turning and pointing it straight at his forehead.

“Don’t,” I warn.

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