Chapter 62

**LUKE**
“We don’t have time to waste!” We stopped in the middle of the hallway. I turned around and faced Rebecca’s worried expression. “It’s only four days, Rebecca. Four fucking days since I left this place, and here I am again because you told me that the club owner came here earlier than expected. Now, you are telling me that I fucking need to wait for another three days? Come on!” I turned away and continued to walk.
“But Luke, you have to calm down. She’s not the type of person to be treated lightly.”
“I talked to you two days ago on the phone. I told you that I hate waiting.”
“Luke, she just came here and—”
“Then you shouldn’t have told me that she came.”
“This is Miss Waltz’s office.” The man in the two-piece black suit led the way for us. I don’t think his boss didn’t know we were coming. He would not welcome us like this if she didn’t know.
He tapped a keycard on the door. He pulled out the handle and told us to get inside. “Miss Waltz is inside, sir. You may come in.”
“Thank you,” I acknowledged. I entered the room. Rebecca followed me quietly.
An enormous white room appeared in front of us. Two people were inside. A man was sitting at the desk, and a woman was standing behind him. It must be her.
“I didn’t know Mr. Waltz was coming,” Rebecca whispered, referring to the man by the desk. “That’s Zachary Waltz.”
I thought I had heard that name before. “They’re siblings?”
“Yes. Ah, here they come.”
“Mr. Alejandro. The man who rocks New York City,” she said in her Scottish accent. “Please, come in.” a smile playing on her red lips.
I was beginning to hate the atmosphere. “Thank you, Miss Waltz.” I kept my voice flat. I had to know who I was dealing with. We walked closer to their table. His brother remained silent in his seat, watching our movements.
“Please sit, Mr. Alejandro.” She grinned at us. “Zach, I’ll talk to you later, please.”
“Alright.” Her brother stood right away. “I’ll see you later.” He narrowed his eyes at me before he walked out of the room.
“I’m sorry about that.” She exhaled a heavy breath. “I’m just waiting for him to leave. My name is Cameron Waltz. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She reached out her hand to us. I shook her hand.
“It’s my pleasure, Miss Waltz.”
“My brother isn’t always like that. You must have felt the atmosphere.”
I don’t give a damn about your brother.
“I heard from your secretary that you are interested in my club,” she added.
Rebecca cleared her throat. “Lawyer.”
“I’m sorry. I must say that I’m surprised.” She looked at me. “I saw you once when I went to Manhattan a year ago. At a party.”
“Then I’m glad you know about me.”
“You and I aren’t so different, Mr. Alejandro.” She smirked. “I also rock Edinburgh. But before everything else, I wish to talk with you alone.” Cameron’s eyes lingered on Rebecca.
Rebecca looked at me. I gave her a slight nod.
“I’ll see you outside,” she said.
“Okay.”
“Excuse me, Ms. Waltz, Luke…” Rebecca stood and walked to the door.
She waited for Rebecca to come out of the door before speaking. She cocked her head slightly.
“So, tell me, Mr. Alejandro. Why do you want my club?”
“I am going to tell this straight. I needed to bring someone down. I think you know who that is.”
“Ah! Velazquez, I see. Can you tell me the reason?”
“It’s a personal reason.”
“I didn’t care anyway.” She grinned. “Well, let me tell you something then. I wanted the club’s full ownership, but Velazquez is a gambler. He won’t let you take everything away. It’s all he’s got. I wanted to sell my share because I didn’t want to work with someone like him. I’m looking for a worthy person.”
“So, you are really selling your shares?”
“Yes. I must say I’m impressed. Your secretary did a good job of finding me. You came here right away when I told no one that I was coming today. I’m scheduled to come here on Friday. Anyway, that’s not important. If I am going to sell my shares to you, you have to prove your worth. And it’s not going to be simple.” She smiled.
“How?”
“Be my date.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Be my date. I needed someone to accompany me to this weekend's gala I’m attending. I got invited to sit on the VIP list in a fashion show. I need you to come with me on that too and also be my date at dinner tonight.”
“That is not going to happen.” I clenched my fist. Rebecca’s right. She’s not easy to deal with. “I won’t get out in public just for this.”
“Then you have no reason to be here.”
“Just name your price, Miss Waltz.”
“I don’t need your money. I need you to be my date. Simple.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Do you have a girlfriend? Is she pretty?”
Yes, and she definitely won’t like this. “Yes.”
“Okay. Then you may leave, Mr. Alejandro.”
I wasn’t this kind of person. But this was my only chance. “Wait. I can agree with that. Two events and nothing more. But you have to do something.”
“Okay, carry on.”
“I need the club’s full ownership.”
“I already told you that working with Velazquez is not easy. He’s a dirty hand—”
“I’ll double the price. Just give me the damn club.”
“I’ll see what I can do. See you at dinner, Mr. Alejandro. I’ll tell your lawyer about the place.”

***

This whole damned thing was eating me up. It’s like a problem that has no solution. My head was fucking killing me. I checked my phone to see if I had a text from Scarlet, but there was none. I sent her three messages earlier, and I still got nothing. Her silence worried me.
Ryan came from the kitchen with a glass of juice and a sandwich. “Mr. Alejandro. Have a snack.” He handed me a glass of orange juice.
“Thanks, Ryan. How’s the search?” I took a sip of the juice and placed the glass on the center table.
“Still nothing, sir.”
“He was already within our reach, and we lost that son of a bitch again.”
“I’m looking at other gambling places. We can’t find him anywhere.”
“Did you look everywhere?”
“We suspect that he went back to his wife.”
“Damn it!” I exclaimed out of pure anger. I slammed the table with my fist.
“Sir, we are not sure of that. I’m trying to look for a trace if he went out of the country.”
“And?”
“I’m still waiting for the feedback.”
“Fuck! If he went there, there might be a chance that we would have to start all over again.” I ran my fingers on my scalp in frustration. “The plan is to drain his bank account. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized for raising my voice at him. “I couldn’t help it.”
“Luke? What’s going on? I heard you shouting.” Rebecca came down from upstairs. She had already taken a shower and changed into her nightclothes.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Not coming out tonight?”
“What am I doing? Luke, we are tired. We need to rest.”
“Am I the only one right here who is worrying that the fucker is right there somewhere?” I asked them.
“Luke, we’ve been awake for eighteen hours straight. We’re not your slaves. Ryan didn’t rest looking for that guy on CCTVs, talking to trackers, hacking IP addresses just to find that man. Don’t talk to us like we are not doing our jobs.”
I gasped at her. I didn’t know she would talk to me like that. But she was right. I was being paranoid. Ryan remained silent. He put down his sandwich with a single bite on the plate.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, then stepped away.