Chapter 66 66
Lucas sat hunched in the metal chair of the report room, elbows on his knees, staring at the scattered papers like they might rearrange themselves into a different truth.
Five minutes stretched into an eternity—each tick of the wall clock louder than the last.
His phone finally shattered the silence, vibrating insistently against the table.
He snatched it up, voice drained and tight with anxiety.
“Brooks.”
Reyes’s voice came through.
“We might have something, Mr. Brooks.”
Lucas shot to his feet so fast the chair scraped back against the linoleum.
“What?”
“Yes, sir. You might not like to hear this, but… you’ll want to drive to downtown, sub-town district. Right now.”
Lucas was already moving, grabbing the folder and shoving it into his jacket.
“That’s no issue, Reyes. I’m coming.”
He ended the call mid-stride, bursting out of the report room and down the corridor without a backward glance. The nurse at reception barely had time to look up before he was gone.
Minutes later—traffic parting like it knew better—Lucas sat rigid in the back seat of the black SUV.
The vehicle slowed to a stop outside a low-slung brick building with a faded sign: The Velvet Room. Red and purple neon pulsed above the door. A handful of smokers lingered outside, music thumping faintly through the walls.
Reyes waited on the sidewalk, hands in his coat pockets, expression unreadable under the streetlight.
Lucas stepped out before the car fully stopped.
“Talk to me.”
Reyes fell into step beside him, voice low.
“Mr. Brooks, the woman you’ve been searching for—Blair Rivers Hernandez—is said to work here.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.
Reyes continued, quieter now.
“That’s… a disgrace to the Brooks name, sir. Word is she’s one of the main attractions. Famous lap dancer. Regulars come just for her set.”
Lucas stopped walking.
“Sshh.” The word came out sharp.
“All I want to see is my child.”
Reyes exhaled through his nose, glancing at the pub’s entrance.
“Mr. Brooks… who knows if it’s even your child? They say she’s been here five years straight. And—get this—you actually encountered her here five years ago. Same place. Same girl. Before everything went quiet.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed, fixed on the glowing red door.
The memory hit him then.
He’d left before dawn and never saw her again.
Until the reports. Until the name. Until the baby boy.
He took one step forward, then another.
“I need to see her,” he said, voice flat. “Tonight.”
Reyes hesitated, then nodded once.
“Alright. But if this goes south, sir… we’re walking away clean. No headlines. No family fallout.”
Lucas didn’t answer.
He just pushed through the heavy door into the pulsing dark of the Velvet Room, the bass swallowing him whole.
He took one step in, eyes scanning the crowd—trying to stay focused, trying not to look too hard at anything.
But the girls noticed him immediately. A tall one in black lace and thigh-high boots spotted him first. She peeled herself off the bar, hips rolling as she walked straight toward him.
She stopped close her big breasts brushing his chest as she leaned in, glossy lips curving into a slow smile.
“Hi handsome,” she purred, voice low and sweet like honey. “Want a good girl tonight?”
Lucas kept his eyes on her face, jaw tight.
“I’m just looking for someone,” he said, voice flat. “Not here for that.”
She laughed softly, not moving back an inch. Her hand trailed lightly down his arm.
“Everyone’s looking for someone… till they find what they really need.”
Before he could step around her, another girl slid up on his other side—curvy, caramel skin. She tilted her head, long curls falling over one shoulder.
“You want some dance, baby?” she asked, voice soft and teasing. “I can make you forget whatever’s stressing you out. Private booth, just you and me… nice and slow.”
Lucas exhaled through his nose, shoulders stiffening.
“I’m good. Thanks.”
She pouted playfully, pressing closer so her curves molded against his side.
“Come on… you look like you need to relax. Let me take care of you.”
A third girl appeared from the shadows near the stage—blonde, bold, her huge chest bouncing slightly as she moved. She licked her lips, eyes locked on him like he was dinner.
“Maybe someone to suck you good?” she said straight-up, no shame. “I’m real good with my mouth, handsome. You won’t even remember your own name.”
The three of them circled him now—soft hands brushing his jacket, perfume mixing in the air, bodies pressing in from every side.
Lucas raised both hands slightly, creating space without touching them.
“Listen,” he said, voice low but firm. “I appreciate it. But I’m not here for a dance. Not here for anything else. I just need to find someone who works here. That’s it.”
The first girl—black lace—tilted her head, studying him.
“Aw, you’re one of those serious ones, huh?” She smiled wider. “Okay, baby. Who you looking for? Maybe I can help… for a price.”
Lucas didn’t smile back.
“Blair Rivers Hernandez. She here tonight?”
The girls exchanged quick glances. Something flickered in their eyes—recognition.
The blonde one shrugged, still smiling.
“Blair? Yeah… she’s around. Back stage, probably getting ready for her set. But she don’t do walk-ins. You gotta wait for the show… or book her private.”
Lucas nodded once, already turning.
“Then I’ll wait.”
One of the dancers—the tall one in black lace—gave her friend a knowing side-eye, lips curling into a smirk.
She stepped even closer to Lucas, her perfume hitting him like a wave, breasts brushing his arm as she leaned in.
“Mr. Handsome,” she drawled, voice dripping with mock sympathy, “the woman you’re looking for? Blair? She’s done with her shift already. Had a real busy night—couple of private orgies in the VIP rooms. She’s probably still catching her breath somewhere.”
Lucas’s face went blank for half a second, then twisted.
“What?” he spat, the word sharp enough to cut through the music.
The blonde one caught the look from her friend, winked at her, then turned back to Lucas with an exaggerated pout.
“Aw, don’t look so shocked, baby. Blair’s a shameless little whore. Got kids from different daddies all over town. Word is, she doesn’t even know who half of them are. You sure you still want to chase that?”
Lucas stood frozen for one long, burning beat.
The bass kept thumping.
The lights kept flashing.
But something inside him snapped clean in half.
He’d heard enough.
Without another word, he shoved past them—shoulder clipping the blonde’s arm hard enough to make her stumble—and stormed toward the exit.
The heavy door banged open as he pushed through it, col
d night air slapping him in the face.
Reyes was right behind him, coat flapping, already pulling out his keys.
“Boss—” Reyes started.