To Die For - Davidson King Page 0,48
to just drive to Max’s was huge. But I didn’t think Dorian would do anything to me, and I also knew avoiding him would only make things worse in the long run.
I took the elevator as soon as I was cleared to go up. The entire time I wondered what exactly it was that Dorian wanted with me now.
When the doors opened, I was met by two of his guys, who frisked me. I rolled my eyes but let them do their thing.
“This way,” one of them said, and I followed them through the insanely opulent penthouse.
Dorian collected things. Things no one ever used or thought to own. But because they had hefty price tags, he wanted them.
“Ahh, Lane, so glad to see you are on time. Have a seat.” Dorian gestured to a wingback chair. He was dressed in an expensive charcoal suit, and while I could admit he looked very good, he repulsed me. After I sat, he offered me a drink.
“No, thank you.”
“Very well. I wanted to tell you I received a call from Atlas Durand this morning. He has rescinded the ban for me at Joker’s Sin.”
I knew he’d do it, because Atlas cared too much, but it was still a huge thing to do. “You could’ve told me this over the phone.”
He shrugged. “I could have. But then I wouldn’t get to see the look on your face when I told you the next part.”
Tendrils of dread crept up my spine when he smiled. I knew whatever he was about to say, I’d hate.
“And what’s that?”
“You and I will be spending the day together. We are going to go shopping for the perfect outfit, and you will accompany me to Joker’s Sin this evening…as my date.”
What the actual fuck? “I have classes to teach, and no way am I going anywhere with you as your date or anything else.”
He reached into his suit jacket and handed me some folded papers. I opened them, and my stomach turned.
“I told you the facility your mother was at was looking for buyers. It turns out the current corporation is filing bankruptcy, and my company can help them out with a delightful merger. Now, what was it you were saying about not spending the day with me?”
He hadn’t signed anything, and there was no way of knowing if he would. I needed to do more research on this and find out how true it was that the facility was in trouble. So, pissing him off wouldn’t be smart right now.
“If you’ll just let me call Nolan and have him make arrangements for my classes?”
“That’s the spirit.” Dorian clapped his hands. “You make your arrangements. Meet me down the hall when you’re done with your calls.”
I waited for him to leave to let Nolan know what was going on. He wasn’t at all happy, but I dare say I was far more upset.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Max
“Halloween is coming, so what do you think Atlas has planned for that?” Shane asked as we shared a pizza before the club opened.
“I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll force me to wear something very uncomfortable.” We both laughed, and when we were done with the pizza, Shane said he’d toss the box into the dumpster out back while I did my checks.
Ciro opened the doors for the night, and one of my bartenders came over to tell me I had a phone call. It was weird to get calls on the club phone, everyone I knew used my cell but whatever.
“Hello, this is Max, who’s this?”
“Hi, Max, it’s Nolan. I’m sorry to disturb you at work. I misplaced your cell number, so I had to call you there.”
I could hear the uncertainty in Nolan’s voice for calling me at work, but it was the fact he was looking for me that had me worried. There was no way he was contacting me to just say hi or to shoot the shit.
“Is everything okay?” I tried to remain calm.
“That’s the thing. I don’t know,” he said. “Lane called me and asked me to arrange for his classes to be taught by Alexandra or to cancel them if I had to because Dorian Birch had requested Lane’s company for the day and evening.”
I gripped the phone so tightly, I could hear it strain under the pressure. “Did he give you any indication what he meant by ‘evening’?”
“No, but well, Max, I could tell Lane wasn’t okay when he called. I’m worried. I wanted to give him the benefit