Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Not the slightest,” Harrison responds. “Feel like taking a chance?”
“With you?” I bounce my eyebrows. “Always.”
Hans returns and we order the Cherries Reverie. Our plates of sea bass—delicious, but nothing compared to the oysters—come out first, and we’ve barely finished them when the dessert arrives. The Brassica chips turn out to be fried Brussels sprout leaves. At first I’m tentative, but then Harrison encourages me to take a bite.
It’s wonderful. The fried leaves add a crunch without taking away from the sweet tartness of the cherries while bringing out the umami flavors of the salted caramel. It’s not long before the tart is gone and Hans has dropped off our final bill.
“I’ll take that.” Harrison grabs his wallet out of his back pocket and slides his credit card into the check presenter. “I hope you enjoyed your dinner.”
“Harrison, it was marvelous. I’ll definitely return. And the tart at the end was a literal cherry on top.”
He grins. “And we got a little exercise in as well.”
My cheeks warm. “I suppose we did.”
Hans stops by and picks up the check. “I hope you enjoyed your time here at Brassica.”
“It was lovely, thank you,” I say. “And I was just telling the gentleman here how much I enjoyed the cherry tart.”
Hans nods. “That’s one of our most popular desserts.”
“My sister loves a good cherry tart. I’ll have to recommend this place to her.”
Hans nods and leaves with the bill in tow.
Harrison turns to me. “This is one of the more exclusive eateries in Chicago. I’m sure your sister has been here a few times.”
I frown. “Well, she gets so bogged down by all the charities she supports. And all the boards of directors she sits on, plus she runs a bunch of other clubs besides Aces. With all those activities scheduled, she doesn’t have a lot of time to dine out.” I scratch my head. “In fact, come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I saw Rouge eat anything.”
19
HARRISON
My ears perk up at Bianca’s words. “Wait, what?”
Bianca giggles softly. “I mean, of course I know that she must eat, but—”
“No, no. What you said before. Your sister… The other clubs she runs.”
She bites her lip. “Yeah, I thought that was pretty common knowledge.”
I can’t believe the thought didn’t occur to me before now. Aces Underground is the most exclusive club in town, but Rouge’s other clubs allow access to non-members. Chet told me as much last night when I was trying to get into Aces. Maybe I could snoop around those clubs, gather some intel on Rouge, and finally figure out what the hell is going on with Maddox and Alissa.
“Which other clubs in town does your sister run?”
She taps her fingers on the table. “There are five total. Aces, of course. Then there’s the Noir Parlor, MINOS, the Jade Sanctum, and Second Star. I’m sure you’ve heard of some of them.”
I rub my chin. “I’ve been to Second Star a few times, but other than that, the rest are unfamiliar to me. I’m not much of a clubgoer. I only ever went to Aces with my buddy Maddox. I was kind of his wingman, and he always paid for my drinks.”
She nods. “They’re all really magnificent. Say what you want about my sister, but she has an eye for theming and décor. Each club has its own distinct vibe.”
“Are any of her other clubs open during the week?”
“Yeah. They don’t keep the limited hours that Aces does. They’re moneymakers for Rouge, where Aces is more of a den of power and influence. They’re open weekday and Saturday evenings. Closed on Sundays.”
“And you don’t need to be a member to go to those other clubs?” I ask.
“Correct. You just pay the cover, which can be pretty pricey.”
Luckily, money is something I’m not hurting for. I make a very good living as a doctor, especially compared to the squalor I grew up in. I don’t throw it around, but I can absolutely afford a few nights at some local clubs, especially if it’ll help me figure out what’s going on with Maddox.
“Have you been to any of these clubs?”
“I’ve visited them during the day, but I’ve never gone in the evenings,” Bianca responds. “Rouge refuses to let me in without the cover, even though I’m her own flesh and blood. So I’ve always avoided them on principle.”
“How about if I paid?”
She narrows her eyes. “Why would you want to go to one of my sister’s clubs? She just kicked you out of Aces last night. Surely you’re not hoping to give her any more business.”
“What if I am?” I grab Bianca’s hand across the table. “Would you come with me?”
20
BIANCA
I’m not sure what to make of this invitation.
Why is Harrison all of a sudden so interested in Rouge’s other clubs?