“Yes. She’s barely twenty and only there to help pay for her father’s medical bills. I can’t deny she enjoys herself when she’s there and off shift, but I can’t help wondering if she’s using the club and sex to escape from her problems. The other women who work there are different.”

As soon as I finished my statement, I realized how bad that sounded and quickly rushed to explain, “The others are older, more world-wise. They sought employment at the club for the free membership. It’s clear they’re into the scene and were before they started working there. Sammy’s there because it pays well, and she can spend all day helping her father.”

Wilson’s eyes transferred to Asher. Mine followed and when they landed on Asher his jaw was clenched.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Asher lied. “You’ve got forty minutes before you have to leave for work. Before you do, let’s go over Elise.”

My heart rate immediately accelerated. This was it, Asher was going to help.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Start from the beginning.”

The beginning.

I could do that.

Cole sat himself at the table, bare chest and all. Wilson pulled out a pad of paper and nabbed a pen. Asher relaxed his jaw and settled in. Then I started at the beginning and told the guys everything I knew about my best friend.

15

“Calm the hell down,” Wilson clipped.

Calm? Fuck calm. Sloane had been picked up by an Uber and left to go to the club over six hours ago. Six fucking hours of her being alone with Lorenzo—calm was not an option. My head was so full of the multitude of vile, disgusting things that motherfucker could’ve been doing to her, I had no room left to think about anything else—not Elise, not the effort I’d made to look deeper into her friend’s disappearance, not the side-eye I’d caught Sloane giving a shirtless Cole, not the jealousy that spiked, not my reaction to Sloane’s stubborn denial.

I thought Sloane would’ve been relieved she could quit the club. Hell, I was relieved at the thought of her quitting the club and cutting ties with Lorenzo. I needed her far away from the motherfucker so I could keep my eye on the prize—taking him down. Not keeping one eye on her and the other on the scumbag who offered to sell me some poor woman’s virginity.

Fuck!

I could get her fired.

I continued to drum my fingers on the table as I contemplated the option. It would be easy—a total dick move, but easy. Club Joi valued their members over their employees. A simple complaint about Sloane and she’d be free from danger. She’d also be pissed as fuck.

“Whatever it is you’re over there thinking about,” Cole began, “it’s a bad idea.”

I turned to look at my friend and asked, “Why would you say that?”

“Because you stopped the tapping and now you look constipated.”

I flipped him an obscene gesture before I announced, “I’m gonna get her fired.”