Page 80 of Say My Name

“For who then?” Roman asks.

However, I answer before Kurt can, already understanding. “For your father.”

Kurt gives me a wry twist of his lips. “Can’t have Senator Merrick on the member’s list of a sex club. Could you imagine if the press ever got wind that he visited your club?”

“Why did you owe Derek money?” I ask.

Ledger’s mouth pulls up into a smile. “Because the senator can’t very well pay for a Greedy Girl where it can be traced back, right?”

“So, you hired Derek to pay?” It’s all coming together. The senator filtered money through Derek so if the ring got busted, and the girls named names, he could deny involvement because there would be no payment trail of him anywhere. Clever.

Kurt nods. “Yes, but the night Ginger died my father was supposed to meet with her. Derek and I had a deal. He’d pick me up and we’d swing by to pick up Ginger from the club before dropping her off at my father’s hotel.”

“Why?”

“My father didn’t want any unfamiliar cars parked at his hotel where questions could arise.”

“Ok, makes sense. Then, what happened?”

“When we got to the hotel, Ginger said she was too upset to go inside. Said something happened at work. So, Derek and I took her back to her car in the Club Greed parking lot.”

Kurt looks at me with what I like to call “honest eyes.” This man has a way about him that makes you believe every word he has to say. Besides, why would he lie about his father? This information could bury his father’s career.

Ledger and Roman both stare at me and I nod. “I know why she was upset that night.” I hate things turned out the way they did. Maybe if I hadn’t upset her she would have gone to the senator’s place and would still be alive.

I can’t think like that.

The world is full ofwhat if’sandif I only, and I can’t let them control me.

“I don’t know where Ginger went after we dropped her off,” Kurt says. “She sounded like she wanted to go home, so I figured she did.”

“What time did you drop her off at her car?” I ask.

“Probably close to one in the morning.” Kurt stands like there’s nothing else to add to the story.

When I question him about who is running this ring, he’s clueless. I believe him. And I believe him when he says he found out about it through Ginger. We thank him, letting him know we won’t breathe a word about the involvement of his father with the Greedy Girls.

“What do you think?” Roman asks once we’re all in his SUV and driving back to the club.

“I think I want to know who’s running a prostitution ring out of my fucking club.”

“Are you going to call the number?” Ledger asks from the backseat.

“Fuck yeah, I am. I just don’t know what I’m going to say yet.”

“Yeah, I get it, man, but it needs to be done. For all you know, there’s a ton of illegal shit going on inyourclub,” Ledger says.

“That might be true.”

Roman pulls up to the club, and we head inside, going straight to my office.

The club’s packed tonight, and I didn’t see Swan when we came in, but I know she’s here.

I walk to my bar and pour myself more whiskey. The amount at Kurt’s just wasn’t enough. I grab the glass and sit behind my desk, staring at the phone on my desk. “Here goes nothing,” I say before I dial the number on the card. The line beeps and then a recording plays, saying the line is no longer valid. I hang up. “Dead line,” I say.

“Probably with everything going on, they’ve shut the line down,” Roman says.

“I don’t know.” This all makes zero sense. “It’s obviously someone who works here.”

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