of offers from several of the women—freebies so to speak—he’d never taken any of them up on it. He wouldn’t start now.
“We haven’t seen you all week. Are you cheating on us?”
“Would I do that to you?” He forced a chuckle, even though he wanted to get back to sleep so he would be refreshed by sunset to continue searching for Ursula. The night before, he’d stopped by Amaury’s place, finding only Nina at home. He’d eliminated their home as Ursula’s hiding place after his visit and driven to Zane’s house. The dog had been the only one at home. Nobody had answered the doorbell, and after climbing a fire escape and peeking into the windows on the upper floor, he’d determined that there was no trace of Ursula. Besides, Zane would never leave her alone in his house, knowing that she would probably try to escape.
“ . . . so I figured I’d call you.” Karen’s voice drifted to him.
Shit, he’d missed half the conversation!
“Mmm,” he answered, wondering what she’d been telling him.
“So what’s the deal? Why doesn’t she like you?”
Confused, Oliver scratched his head. “Who?”
“That girl of course. Have you even been listening?”
“Of course I have. What girl?” If this was one of her long-winded stories that could go on forever, then he had to make up an excuse to get out of this pointless conversation. “Listen, I’ve gotta go.”
“Come on, just tell me. Did she come onto you and get pissed off because you’re not into Chinese girls?”
Oliver was instantly alert. “Chinese? What’s she look like?”
“Well, Chinese of course. Long black hair. Pretty.”
Could he be so lucky? Was Karen talking about Ursula? “What did she say to you?”
“Well, she didn’t say it to me, but I overheard her. She said you betrayed her the first chance you got. Sounded pretty pissed off to me.”
He wasn’t surprised at that, but he cursed nevertheless. “Ah, shit! You wouldn’t know where she is now, would you?”
“She’s staying up in room 407.”
Shock made him catapult from his bed. “In the brothel?”
An annoyed huff came from Karen. “We don’t call it that!”
Oliver backpedaled. “I meant, at Vera’s . . . uh . . . establishment?” But he didn’t listen to Karen’s next comment, because all he could think of was that he knew where Ursula was. Of all places, Zane had hidden her in a brothel. Did that big oaf have no concern for Ursula’s feelings? To hide her in a brothel, when she’d been imprisoned in one for three years!
“Thanks Karen, you’re a sweetheart. Please, may I ask you for a favor?”
“ ’Course you may, hon.”
“Don’t tell anybody you told me about her. I’ve gotta keep a low profile on this. Promise?”
“What do I get for it?” she negotiated.
Oliver thought about it for a moment, wondering what would pacify her. “Flowers? Tickets to a show?”
“The best seats?”
“Only the best for you.”
When he disconnected the call, he was ready for action. He went into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. It was no surprise to him that his cock was already fully erect the moment he soaped up. No wonder—he was imagining Ursula’s hands touching him. Of course, before that could happen, he had to first explain to her that he hadn’t betrayed her secret. Considering her current opinion of him, he doubted she’d let him hold her hand, let alone make love to her.
For the remaining hours until sunset, he paced in his room, practicing in his mind what he would say to her, how he would start his explanation to make sure she believed him.
The time seemed to stretch forever, but finally, the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. On his way out, Oliver stopped in the library and unlocked the supply cabinet where Quinn kept spare electronic gadgets. He grabbed a cell phone and headed out the door. He left the car behind, wanting to be as inconspicuous as possible. Just in case anybody from Scanguards showed up at Vera’s, he didn’t want them noticing his car parked in the area. Besides, Vera’s was in Nob Hill, which lay adjacent to Russian Hill and was therefore only a short walk away.
Since it was still early evening, it would be quiet at Vera’s. Most clients would show up later as the evening progressed. Therefore, he had to be extra quiet. Knowing he couldn’t simply march into the place, he walked around to the small alley that framed one side of the building, where a fire escape was located. Room