a thousand times over rather torture myself than hurt him again.
Still, all throughout my shower I kept hoping, wishing his control would snap and he'd join me. Vivid fantasies of Zed nailing me against the shower wall played out across my mind, and I had to finish my shower on ice cold.
It took me a whole lot longer to get dressed than was polite, but at the end of the day, I still held the upper hand. Whatever Agent Hanson wanted to discuss, she needed my help, or this wouldn't be a polite meeting on my turf.
Lucas had called earlier to tell me he wanted to stay with his mom tonight, and while I wasn’t thrilled about him being in danger, I also had to respect his wishes. So I took an extra couple of minutes to check in with Alexi and ensure Lucas’s house was under heavy protection in case Chase tried to take another swipe at my Gumdrop. When I received confirmation back that the team was in place, I let a small bit of tension ease and headed back out to the main club.
"Dorothy," I called out as I strode across the dancefloor to where Zed had seated her in a small booth. "Nice to see you again so soon."
She gave me a tight smile but didn't offer her hand for me to shake.
"Agent Hanson, now that Hades is present, why don't you tell us what this is about," Zed suggested smoothly, informing me that she'd been unwilling to fill him in without me. Curious.
The fed cleared her throat and linked her hands on the table in front of her. "Yes, I'll make this quick. I'm here to make inquiries about a young woman named Maryanne Green."
The name meant nothing to me, but I could tell Zed knew something, based on the way his spine straightened slightly.
"I don't believe I know Maryanne Green," I replied to the agent honestly. "I'm not sure how I can be of any help."
Agent Hanson gave a short sigh. "She also used the alias Mercedes Glitter. I understand she was an employee at your club 7th Circle."
That name seemed a whole lot more familiar. Mercedes was one of our back-of-house employees—a high class prostitute. Officially, she was employed as a cocktail waitress, though.
"Yes, I know Mercedes," I confirmed, "but I haven't seen her since 7th Circle blew up." I looked to Zed in question, knowing he had been working on reassigning all our staff to other clubs so none of them were left unemployed. Sex workers or not, they still had bills to pay like any other working adult in society. It wasn't their fault my psychotic ex had blown up their place of business.
Agent Hanson grimaced. "No, I suspect not. Her body was found in her apartment this morning by a neighbor who was investigating the smell. Looks like she was killed at least a week ago."
I flicked a quick glance at Zed and registered the confusion in his eyes before refocusing on Agent Hanson. "That's awful," I said with sincerity. "I'm going to assume it's foul play or you wouldn't be here. Actually, why are you here? Shouldn't this be SGPD’s jurisdiction?"
Dorothy gave a slight nod. "It would be, if the manner of death didn't echo the way some girls were recently killed in three other states. And there’s the fact that she was an employee of a known gang organization."
I met her accusing glare without even the slightest hesitation. If she honestly thought I couldn't look her dead in the eye as I lied, she'd severely underestimated me.
"I think you're mistaken, Agent Hanson," I said in a cool tone. "Copper Wolf Enterprises is a legal business, paying taxes and adhering to all industry standards for hospitality venues. If you're thinking of the Tri-State Timberwolves, I think you'll find they were wiped out some five years ago."
Her eyes narrowed. "Sure they were, Ms. Wolff." The sarcasm was heavy, and I almost laughed. Almost. "Look, I just came to ask if you know of any altercations she might have had while she was under your employment. Any overly aggressive customers or maybe a lover?"
"Nothing I can think of right now," I replied truthfully, "but I can have Alexi, my head of security, look back through our logbook and check for any incidents involving Mercedes."
Agent Hanson gave a small nod. "I'd appreciate that. You have my number if you find anything."
She got up to leave, but I clicked my tongue thoughtfully. "I