She shouldn't have gotten into this so hastily. She should have researched this hellhole better beforehand because being lost now was a dangerous game. When she finally found the way from the backstage area, she continued. Luckily, there wasn't such a concentration of people; only lightly dressed women passed by. Some were excitedly laughing and full of euphoria. Others sat leaning against the wall with torn clothes and broken expressions like beaten dogs. Jenny avoided their gaze, hoping to blend in at least a little. Then she finally saw that inconspicuous path to the first floor. Narrow stairs up. She stopped, pretending to adjust her strappy shoes. Most importantly, she waited until the last witnesses disappeared and slowly made her way up. She had to step carefully in her high heels not to make unwanted extra clicks. Deftly overcoming this challenge, she moved on quietly and unobserved, looking for a place to overhear some details about Ward's dirty deals. But it was strangely empty upstairs, not a single soul. Still, she crept cautiously on, eyes and ears alert so that nothing would surprise her. With the tension and lack of time, she could feel her heart in her throat, her breath trembling. Distant laughter was heard suddenly. Jackpot! At a faster pace, she followed the sound until she saw red velvet curtains. Two of his security guards were standing in front of them, so she kept a sufficient distance and remained hidden. It looked like Ward had a visitor, but unfortunately for her, the conversation was still muted. Nevertheless, she tried to concentrate so that all her effort wasn't in vain.
"Okay, so tomorrow at 3 o'clock. Be on time."
"As always, Mr. Ward," and the glasses just clinked.
"Damn it," Jenny cursed softly, realizing she was late.
With her break already used, she hurried back unnoticed to get out of this forbidden area as soon as possible. Many things were running through her head, but she picked up the pace carefully, not to trip in those stupid shoes. She almost cheered when she saw the stairs. Only a little bit left, and she could breathe freely again. She cautiously ran downstairs, not seeing anyone, but when she turned to the left, one of the boss' goons appeared in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her suspiciously, measuring her with his unpleasant gaze.
"I- I just wanted to ask the boss how it works here when I want to take a day off," Jenny quickly pulled out her excuse and smiled nervously. However, his minion was still stone-faced.
"Did you find him?" he asked instead.
"No, I didn't, so I'm going back," she tried to be calm, but sweat started to appear on her forehead. His further questioning might reveal something she didn't want. How easy it was to get entangled in lies.
"Tell Ingrid. She's in charge of you here," he explained dryly.
"Yeah, right, I didn't think of that...," the nervousness was getting stronger, "... but thanks," she quickly slipped past him and hurried to her place on the dance floor.
Panic raged inside her, but she kept going, acting normal. Every moment she waited for his massive footsteps behind her, but she didn't look back. The main goal was to keep the urge at bay because otherwise, she would make it all the more noticeable. How quickly it had turned against her, now she didn't even hope for a smooth rest of the night.
The minion followed her with his eyes, suspecting something was wrong. Her second night, and she was already venturing into places only a few had access to. He didn't like her curiosity. However, he knew that Ward hated mere assumptions. They annoyed him most of all. Mainly, the boss was interested in pure facts, but that didn't matter. He could keep it to himself for now. Then the bounty on her head would be much sweeter. The idea of hunting was intriguing and tempting. It would be a nice change from his stinking, run-of-the-mill routine. Decided. This mysterious hottie had booked a small company for the way home.
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Soulmate
FanfictionTheir working relationship can be considered typical, but when they get stuck on a serious case, Jenny decides to take things into her own hands. Paul is not happy with it, but their teamwork gradually becomes more personal, and they cannot resist t...