Page 9 of Such a Good Girl

“It’s an exclusive nightclub that caters to the rich and famous. We think the victims may have frequented the place, or possibly known the owners somehow. We’re not sure if it’s relevant or not, but we need to figure out if the club is a link in their murders.”

I looked at the photos a little closer, disturbed by the way the women were so tightly bound. Their bulging eyes were lined in thick black eyeliner, contrasting with the white face makeup and bright red lipstick smeared on their skin.

“This is fucked up,” I muttered. “Why are they tied up like this?”

“It’s Kinbaku.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, wrinkling a brow.

“Japanese bondage,” she replied. “There’s an art to it, apparently.”

I looked closer at the intricately tied knots, the tight ropes wrapped around the victims’ bodies and shuddered at the thought of dying while tied up like that. The girls must have felt so powerless.

“Why do you think there’s a connection with the club?”

“Friends and families of the victim have all mentioned it. Take this file home. Study it thoroughly. You’ll need to know everything about the Hush Hush Club and its owners.”

“Why?” I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“We’re sending you in. We need you to go and get a job there. See what you can find out. Strictly intel, Carson. You won’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But if you’re able to lure the killer out of hiding, then all the better.”

“You’re sending me in as bait?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“We have to catch this asshole before he does this to another woman. You have any other ideas?”

I sat back in my chair, the images of the strangled women now burned into my brain. Swallowing, I shook my head.

“Fuck. When do I start?”

“Soon.”

“This is why they put that shit in my locker, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so. They’re just jealous that you’re getting such a big case.”

I nodded, everything clicking into place now. Fuck Hoskins and his cronies. They thought they could intimidate me into leaving or doing a shitty job, and they had no idea how wrong they were.

“I’m in,” I said, standing up and taking the file from the desk. “Call me with the details.”

“You got this, Carson. I have faith in you. Besides, you don’t really have any choice.”

I walked out silently, ignoring the snickering I heard as I walked back to my desk.

ChapterThree

WEST

Theo’s point about Danika never leaving me alone was driven home as I walked out the front door and my ears were assaulted by the piercing voice of my nightmares. Danika was in Derek’s face, stabbing a perfectly manicured, black-lacquered nail into the center of his massive chest. She was dressed in her signature all-black, but with a bit of a bondage flair tonight.

I recognized the leather collar with a sparkling ruby perched in the middle of it as the one I’d bought her right after we got married. She wore it around her neck just to fuck with me, just like she did everything else just to fuck with me. I had no doubt about it.

It seemed to be her favorite thing to do. I’d given her everything in the divorce — our main residence in Bel Air, a Mercedes, a Porsche, the biggest one of our two penthouses in Manhattan, and the beach house in Malibu. I’d kept only the house in the Hills, and agreed to an offensive amount of monthly alimony just to get her to go away quietly.

I’d been so naive to think that would actually happen.

And now, here she was, showing off every voluptuous curve and artfully etched tattoo that she’d used to craft her image. She knew it was my weakness. In fact, I’d probably never have gotten involved with her if it hadn’t been for those very curves and tattoos. But not tonight. Nothing about her petite and curvy frame was attractive to me anymore. I’d seen what was contained in that exquisitely wrapped package, and that ugliness far outweighed the outward beauty.

Standing next to her tonight was a nameless model I recognized from the latest cover of Italian Vogue. He was the opposite of me, of course — tall and dark and exotic, with big full lips and a flowing mane of long dark hair. He towered over Danika, keeping a vapid look in his cold blue eyes as Danika ranted.

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