What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,114

had to pick some stuff up.”

“If she gets back here before I do,” Ari said, starting to jog backwards down the hall. “You tell her to wait for me. Understood? She doesn't leave until I get here.”

“Mr. Sharapov, I don't think -”

But he didn't hear her as he caught an elevator just before it closed and rode it down to the basement parking.

She better fucking be there.

Traffic was a complete fuck show, an accident shut down multiple lanes on the way across town. Ari ground his teeth and flexed his hands around his steering wheel, wishing death on everyone around him. By the time he finally pulled up to Caché, it was almost ten o'clock. He bypassed a couple heading towards the entrance and went straight to the bouncer, a man he knew well by now.

Which was why it was shocking when the guy held out his arm and wouldn't let Ari enter.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” he demanded, staring down at the hand pressed to his chest.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Sharapov, but your membership has been revoked.”

Oh my, she must be really angry.

“Jesus christ,” he growled, and he stomped away.

He walked to the end of the block and turned the corner, then prowled down the alley. The back door to Caché was open, and several workers were standing outside it smoking. Serge, the inside bouncer, was among them.

“Ari, man, I'm sorry,” the giant said, climbing to his feet when Ari walked up. “But I can't let you in.”

“Yes, you can,” Ari replied.

“I can't. You know how it is, Saint Valentine's word is law around here,” Serge said, holding up his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

“You know what? Then you go tell Saint Valentine to get her ass down here, now,” Ari ordered.

“Eh,” Serge sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck as he stepped closer to Ari. “I don't think that's such a good idea. You see, she's real upset, and you're real upset, and I think that just isn't a good place to be in when y'all are trying to communicate. Let her blow off some steam, okay? Call her in the morning.”

“I've been calling her all day, I ... she's blocked my number,” Ari suddenly realized out loud. Serge winced.

“Tough break, man. That Val, she's a little ball buster, huh? You win some, you lose some. Why don't you go home, man. Sleep it off,” Serge suggested.

“Sleep it off? No. No, fuck that. Tell her to get down here right now.”

“I ain't about to do that,” Serge sighed. “But I'll tell you what I am about to do – I'm about to throw you head first through that brick wall over there. I figure as thick as your skull seems to be, it can handle it. What do you think?”

Ari glared up at Serge. He knew it wasn't a hollow threat – he'd seen other people get bounced from Caché. But he also didn't want to leave without talking to Valentine first. He glared at the other people staring at him, then he started groping around the pockets of his jacket. He felt an envelope, so he pulled it out, then grabbed a pen that was sticking out of Serge's front pocket.

“Alright. I'll go home. I'll cool down. But you know me, Serge, you know I'm not just some guy trying to get in to see 'Saint Valentine',” he said through clenched teeth, scribbling a hurried note across the envelope. “You know that. This should be between me and her, but she brought it here. So will you bring this to her?”

Ari folded the envelope in half, then held it out. The bouncer looked at it like it was a snake for a long moment, and Ari was pretty sure he was gonna get screwed once again. But then Serge heaved a sigh and snatched the paper out of his hand.

“Fucking kids,” he grumbled, stomping up the stairs to the back door. “Passing notes like fucking kids. When did this become my job? This note better not make her cry some more, asshole. I hate seein' tears on that face. And don't be here when I get back, got it?”

Ari didn't say anything, just watched as Serge disappeared into the house. Then he turned away and started out of the alley, wondering just what in the ever loving fuck was going on.

She was crying. He saw her crying. Valentine is tough, she never cries in front of other people, and never at work. And