her?”
“Of course,” Alex said.
“You wait here,” Lacey said to Chloe. Then she stepped closer to Chloe and said quietly, “If Claire’s husband comes, you have to delay him.”
“Lacey, I don’t even know what he looks like.”
“He’s sixty-eight and he’s rich. You’ll recognize him if he comes in.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and by the way,” Lacey said, “don’t think I didn’t notice that you totally have the hots for Alex.”
Chloe blushed again. It was so adorable it made Lacey smile. Chloe was a real pro when it came to being a call girl. Lacey had seen her handle such intense situations so calmly and confidently that she would have thought nothing could possibly embarrass her. Now she saw that even the mention of her liking Alex caused Chloe to turn bright red.
“Alex,” Lacey said, “will you take care of my friend. I’ll be right back.”
Chloe shot her a look like she wanted to kill her. Lacey left them and went directly to Claire’s table. From up close she could see just how attractive Claire Lally was. She looked nothing at all like her father. She had shoulder length hair that shined beautifully and every detail of her clothing and jewelry was perfect.
“Excuse me,” Lacey said to her, “you’re Claire Lally, right?”
Claire looked up at her. She seemed friendly enough, but a little surprised at being approached by a complete stranger.
“Yes,” Claire said.
“Do you mind if I take a seat?” Lacey said.
Claire shook her head.
“You don’t know me,” Lacey said, “but I really need to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Not right now. I need to talk to you in private.”
“What about?”
“Your father.”
“You know my father?” Claire said. She sounded troubled when she said it. Lacey wasn’t surprised. With a father like that, there weren’t very many positive things that someone would want to talk about.
Lacey nodded.
“Look,” Claire said, “whatever he did to you, I’m really sorry. I honestly am. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Lacey wasn’t sure what to say to Claire. She’d been determined to talk to her but now that she was here she didn’t know if Claire could help her. It had been her instinct that had told her to find Claire. She still remembered the way Lally spoke about her. That first night she’d seen him, when they had her on the bar at the mansion, Lally had spoken about his daughter as if she was worse than an animal. Lacey’s instinct told her that Claire could help her, somehow. She decided that the best approach was to be honest.
“I’m trying to bring your father down,” Lacey said in a hushed tone.
“Excuse me?”
Lacey nodded. “I think he’s a bad man. I know he’s cruel. And I want to get even with him.”
“You’re crazy,” Claire Lally said.
“I know.”
“Do you know how dangerous my father is? Do you know how much power and influence he has in this city?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You have to leave, right now,” Claire said. “Get away from me. If he found out about this he’d have you killed. Just like that. He wouldn’t even think twice about it.”
“I know,” Lacey said.
“Then why the hell do you want to have anything to do with him? You should be terrified of him.”
“Claire, believe me, I am terrified. I know what a man like that is capable of.”
“Do you? Do you really? You didn’t grow up in his house.”
“You’re right. I didn’t. But I grew up in a bad place too.”
Lacey looked at Claire. She knew her instincts had been right. She knew Claire had no love for her father. The only thing that was preventing Claire from cooperating with her was that she was terrified of her father.
“What do you mean?” Claire said.
“I don’t want to presume anything about your life,” Lacey said. “I don’t know you. I don’t know what your life has been like, but I can say that I grew up in a place where there were a lot of cruel men. I know what that’s like. I
“Of course,” Alex said.
“You wait here,” Lacey said to Chloe. Then she stepped closer to Chloe and said quietly, “If Claire’s husband comes, you have to delay him.”
“Lacey, I don’t even know what he looks like.”
“He’s sixty-eight and he’s rich. You’ll recognize him if he comes in.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and by the way,” Lacey said, “don’t think I didn’t notice that you totally have the hots for Alex.”
Chloe blushed again. It was so adorable it made Lacey smile. Chloe was a real pro when it came to being a call girl. Lacey had seen her handle such intense situations so calmly and confidently that she would have thought nothing could possibly embarrass her. Now she saw that even the mention of her liking Alex caused Chloe to turn bright red.
“Alex,” Lacey said, “will you take care of my friend. I’ll be right back.”
Chloe shot her a look like she wanted to kill her. Lacey left them and went directly to Claire’s table. From up close she could see just how attractive Claire Lally was. She looked nothing at all like her father. She had shoulder length hair that shined beautifully and every detail of her clothing and jewelry was perfect.
“Excuse me,” Lacey said to her, “you’re Claire Lally, right?”
Claire looked up at her. She seemed friendly enough, but a little surprised at being approached by a complete stranger.
“Yes,” Claire said.
“Do you mind if I take a seat?” Lacey said.
Claire shook her head.
“You don’t know me,” Lacey said, “but I really need to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Not right now. I need to talk to you in private.”
“What about?”
“Your father.”
“You know my father?” Claire said. She sounded troubled when she said it. Lacey wasn’t surprised. With a father like that, there weren’t very many positive things that someone would want to talk about.
Lacey nodded.
“Look,” Claire said, “whatever he did to you, I’m really sorry. I honestly am. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Lacey wasn’t sure what to say to Claire. She’d been determined to talk to her but now that she was here she didn’t know if Claire could help her. It had been her instinct that had told her to find Claire. She still remembered the way Lally spoke about her. That first night she’d seen him, when they had her on the bar at the mansion, Lally had spoken about his daughter as if she was worse than an animal. Lacey’s instinct told her that Claire could help her, somehow. She decided that the best approach was to be honest.
“I’m trying to bring your father down,” Lacey said in a hushed tone.
“Excuse me?”
Lacey nodded. “I think he’s a bad man. I know he’s cruel. And I want to get even with him.”
“You’re crazy,” Claire Lally said.
“I know.”
“Do you know how dangerous my father is? Do you know how much power and influence he has in this city?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You have to leave, right now,” Claire said. “Get away from me. If he found out about this he’d have you killed. Just like that. He wouldn’t even think twice about it.”
“I know,” Lacey said.
“Then why the hell do you want to have anything to do with him? You should be terrified of him.”
“Claire, believe me, I am terrified. I know what a man like that is capable of.”
“Do you? Do you really? You didn’t grow up in his house.”
“You’re right. I didn’t. But I grew up in a bad place too.”
Lacey looked at Claire. She knew her instincts had been right. She knew Claire had no love for her father. The only thing that was preventing Claire from cooperating with her was that she was terrified of her father.
“What do you mean?” Claire said.
“I don’t want to presume anything about your life,” Lacey said. “I don’t know you. I don’t know what your life has been like, but I can say that I grew up in a place where there were a lot of cruel men. I know what that’s like. I