Ruby rounded the island and put her hands on my arm, shoving me toward the door. “What the fuck are you doing here? Go apologize.”
I was nearly twice the size of her and locked my knees, which made me immovable. “You don’t think I’ve done that? I just came from her place. She won’t talk to me.” I stared at my best friend, hoping she’d have the answers. “What the fuck do I do?”
Her eyes were compassionate and her voice gentle. “Do you love her?”
I hadn’t said it out loud, but it was easy. It came without hesitation. “Yes.”
“Then you don’t give up.” She exchanged a look with Kyle. “You keep trying until you find a way to get through to her.”
All I wanted was to talk to her. Five minutes to tell her the truth about everything. But I wasn’t a fool. I’d hurt her, and she was smart. She wasn’t going to let her guard down or let me get near her.
She can’t see you if she’s blindfolded, and can’t avoid you if she’s restrained to a table.
Well, that wasn’t going to work either. Julius wouldn’t let me near her or his club.
My gaze settled on Kyle.
Last year, Ruby had slipped up and mentioned the blindfold club. It was the first I’d heard of it. She’d been the one to plant the seed in my head and set me in search of the place, even when she said she knew nothing about it and to leave it alone. It had only been a misunderstanding with Kyle, she claimed. So, I knew he was somehow involved, but she had locked up any discussion. It was all attorney-client privilege, according to her.
He was an attorney as well. Would he be able to talk? It was worth a shot.
“Rube,” I said, “do you mind giving Kyle and me a minute alone?”
He went wooden. It might have been the first time I’d used his real name to address him. At least, that was the way they both were acting.
She hesitated, unsure. “Uh, are you going to be nice?”
I eked out half of a smile. “Yes.”
She gave me the evil eye. “Okay . . . I guess.” She went to him. “What about you? Are you going to be good?”
His tone was loaded with innuendo. “Me? I’m always good.”
Her smile was coy as she went into the bedroom and shut the door.
As soon as she was gone, his smile faded, and he looked at me, wary of whatever I was going to say.
“There’s a club here in town,” I said. “A brothel where the girls are blindfolded.”
Kyle’s posture went stiff again. “If you say so.”
“I went there,” I announced. “I wanted to break the story on that place.”
The hammer he was holding was thrown down on the counter with a loud clatter. He looked nervous, but also . . . adversarial? “Don’t say anything else.”
“I lied to get in,” I continued, “and negotiated a deal.”
He glared at me, his eyes full of fire. “Did you not hear what I just said? Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’re going to get me in there again.”
His expression was pure surprise. “What? No. Why?”
I wasn’t going to give away Tara’s secret any more than I already had. “I can’t tell you that.”
“No,” Kyle snapped a second time. “You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m going to help you. I couldn’t even if I wanted to—which I don’t.”
“Why? You have a client who works there?”