Her Dark Knight Read Free

to the front. It took fifty-eight minutes. Fifty-eight minutes of torture standing in her uncomfortable heels. Fifty-eight minutes of hitting Redial and getting a busy signal. Fifty-eight minutes of shivering in the cool April night because she didn’t wear a coat. She didn’t think she needed a coat to acquire one, measly signature.
    The bouncer smiled when she finally made it to the entrance. “Twenty bucks.”
    She laughed, but when he didn’t her laugh trailed off. “Twenty bucks for what?”
    “To get in.”
    She gritted her teeth and barely managed to grab on to her runaway anger. “But I told you I have an appointment.”
    “You’re not on the list. Twenty bucks or you don’t get in.”
    “This is ridiculous.”
    The man shrugged and turned his attention to the person behind her.
    “Fine.” She dug in her purse and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, slapping it into his outstretched hand. “Do I get a receipt for tax purposes?” She couldn’t help the nasty tone in her voice. She was beyond being civil to this barbarian.
    He smiled, folded the twenty into a thick roll of bills and shoved it in his pocket.
    Lainie sighed and bit back her frustration. “How do I find Mr. Chevalier?”
    “Not my problem.”
    She turned on her heel and attempted to stomp into the club but her feet were in agony and the most she managed was a graceful limp.
    Loud techno-pop music vibrated through the soles of her feet and swirling lights had her blinking a few times. The place was packed with writhing bodies bumping and grinding to the beat of the music. This was only Thursday. She couldn’t imagine what Friday and Saturday were like. Chevalier sure knew what he was doing when he opened this place.
    She made her way to the edge of the room and sidled closer to the bar. Maybe the bartender would know where to find him. She had to slip between two men who looked her up and down before dismissing her. Any other time she might have been offended, but tonight she didn’t care. She just wanted to get home and put on her comfortable sweats and make a bag of microwave popcorn.
    The bartender was all dark hair and dark eyes and a smile that would melt a woman’s heart. “What can I get you?” he yelled above the music.
    She had to practically drape herself over the bar in order for him to hear her. “I’m looking for Mr. Chevalier.”
    He barked out a laugh. “You and everyone else. What’re you drinking?”
    Lainie wanted to put her head down in defeat, but defeat wasn’t in her vocabulary. She’d been given this task and she’d accomplish it even if it killed her. As it was, she was pretty sure she was going to lose a toe or two.
    The person next to her slid off the barstool and Lainie jumped up on it, relieved to finally sit. She placed her briefcase in her lap and slid a shoe off to massage the feeling back into her foot. She nearly closed her eyes in ecstasy. “I have an appointment with Chevalier,” she told the bartender. “Do you know where he is?”
    “I don’t know anything about his appointments. There’s a two-drink minimum. What’ll you have?”
    Lainie just barely refrained from pulling her hair out. “I’ll take an ice water with lemon.”
    “Water isn’t part of the two drink minimum.” He shot her a look that said duh.
    She had a feeling drinks here were at least ten bucks a pop. She didn’t have ten dollars to spare on a watered-down drink. Especially after paying to get in.
    “Give me a water to start with while I look at the drink menu.” Liar. Apparently the bartender agreed because he shook his head, but he disappeared to get her water.
    She swiveled around to search the crowd. Someone here had to know where Chevalier was.
    One of the men she’d squeezed between pointed to the dance floor. “That’s him there.”
    “Who?”
    “Chevalier. You said you were looking for him.”
    Quickly she slipped on her shoe and slid off the stool. Throwing a “thank you” back to the stranger,