Duplicity Read Online Free PDF Page A

directions in the past.
    “You got it, boss. I won’t go in there unless I have to.” Alec assured him of his obedience and went back to watching the security video monitoring the outside of the house and the territory it was on.
    “I’m counting on that.” Storming out, Maxx got in his car and began driving back to the scene of his near death. Hitting the button on his steering wheel, he used the voice activation to call Jerald.
    “Maxx? Is that you? Where the fuck have you been? We didn’t know if you were alive or dead! They won’t even let us back in the club!” Jerald sounded agitated.
    “Well, I’m alive, and I’m heading back there now. If you’d like to come in with me, you’re more than welcome to meet me there.”
    “Yeah, boss, of course I’ll meet you there. Hey, whatever happened to that bartender?” Jerald asked. “She’s still missing.”
    “Not sure. I barely got out myself. I’ll be there in a few hours.”
    Maxx cut his usual driving time in half and doubted he drove any less than eighty the entire time. When he pulled up outside the club, he was not surprised to see Jerald’s car. If nothing else, Jerald was always on time.
    He walked up to where Jerald was waiting and unlocked the front door, disarming the security alarm.
    “According to the insurance company, there was minor damage. The windows are busted, there are some smoke stains on the walls, and the sprinklers did some water damage, but nothing that will take too much to fix.” Jerald sounded excited about the news.
    “Well, that’s good news, at least. I mean if you’re going to nearly die, get shot at, and have your club get fire bombed, it’s great if it doesn’t cost too much to repair.” He walked into the club and grimaced at the debris from the windows and the water pooling everywhere. He hadn’t expected to feel worse seeing the club. He hadn’t known it was possible, but there it was making him want to hit something. Or someone.
    “Who were the guests in the VIP room Zowie was doing bottle service for?” Maxx asked nonchalantly while heading behind the bar to find the book that kept track of these things. Unsurprisingly, the room she had been in did not have any entries for the night of the fire.
    “Um, I’m not sure. I came down and told her to go up, but I wasn’t the one that checked them in. One of the girls told me in passing what they wanted.” Jerald leaned against the bar.
    Maxx raised an eyebrow and pointed to the book. “No one checked them in. By the way, I’m fairly certain you know exactly who it was up there, because you sent Zowie up to what could have been her death. You most certainly delivered me to what was meant to be mine.”
    Jerald went for his waistband, but Maxx had his gun out before he could complete the motion. “Drop it, asshole. I’m not as stupid as you are. Why’d you do it?”
    Jerald had the grace to look frightened. He dropped his gun on the ground and held his hands up. “They got gambling debts on me, Maxx. If I didn’t try to get you to cooperate, and if I didn’t help them get to you that night, they said they would kill me.  She was meant to be a scapegoat to get you to cooperate, but when you wouldn’t, they decided you were both collateral damage.”
    “So, you decided your life was worth more than mine or Zowie’s despite the fact that you brought your own problems on. Real classy, Jerald.”
    Jerald looked out the front door and smiled suddenly, which caused the hair on the back of Maxx’s neck to rise. “Well, Maxx, I’d say we’re at a draw right about now.”
    The door to the club opened and Alec pushed Zowie in ahead of him with a gun to her temple before closing the door behind him. Zowie looked like she had put up a fight and once again had been struck for her troubles. She was still wearing only his shirt and her panties, as well as the pair of high heels she had on the night before.
    “Please tell me you didn’t fight him the entire