Page 86 of The Player's Club

“Probably because you were out with the guy, so now there’s a conflict of interest.” Darren sounded amused.

“There’s not. I promise you. We just got to know each other. He’s a really interesting guy.”

Darren made a noncommittal noise. “Elodie, you know I like you. I also know you pretty well.”

“I like you, too,” was all I could think of to say in reply.

Darren said nothing for a long moment. Then I heard him sigh. “Well, okay. I’ll keep staking out this building for another day or two until Roy is convinced there’s nothing here.”

I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin once I got off the phone. Darren wasn’t stupid. He could probably tell I wasn’t telling him the entire truth.

If he figured out that Mac was a member of an exclusive sex club and that I’d signed a contract with Mac . . . my career would be over. Roy would never let me write another story again. And knowing my boss, he’d also make sure I didn’t write again in this city. Because what good was a reporter who got personally involved with her stories?

I knew it was a long shot, but I called Mac. I needed his advice. I also wanted to hear his voice, because I missed him. Desperately. To my frustration, he didn’t pick up. I wound up leaving him two voicemails.

Before I could think about it, I did something rash. I got off the freeway, turned around, and went straight to Mac’s house instead.

When I arrived an hour later, I was able to get through the security gate with the code Mac had given me. I knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. I peeked inside Mac’s garage, and his usual car was gone.

“Fuck,” I muttered to myself, at a loss. I called Mac a fourth time, but he still wouldn’t pick up.

“Mac, I need to talk to you,” I said in my third voicemail. “I know you’re mad at me. But this is important. I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t.”

I stood in Mac’s driveway, staring at the asphalt, my brain moving a mile a minute. What if Darren got into The Scarlet Rope tonight? And what if Mac was there?

I had to warn him. I didn’t care if he hated me. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for shit to hit the fan if I could prevent in.

I heard footsteps. Looking up, I saw one of Mac’s landscapers. I waved him over.

“Have you seen Mac?” I asked.

I’d only spoken to Josh one time when I’d had trouble getting through the security gate. He’d barely said two words to me. Now, he shaded his eyes and looked me up and down, like he didn’t recognize me.

“I’m Elodie. Mac’s friend,” I explained.

Josh grunted. “Yeah, I know.”

“Have you seen Mac?”

“No.”

I stared, waiting for any more information.

“Okaaay,” I replied, frustrated. “Do you know where he could be?”

Josh shrugged. “Nope.”

I restrained myself from throttling the guy. “Well, if you see him, tell him I need to talk to him ASAP. It’s important.”

I was about to get back into my car when Josh said offhandedly, “Rosa saw him.”

Rosa was Mac’s housekeeper. “She did? Is she here?”

“Nope.” Josh paused. “She told me she saw Mac with a bunch of suitcases.”

I froze. “She did? Do you have her number?”

“Yeah, but she lost her phone. Dropped it in the pool, so you can’t call her.”