Sloane seemed to run a tight operation, and Nathan supposed the other man had to be careful about who he allowed into the private parties. His meticulous screening of the people he accepted into his inner circle was one of the reasons he had managed to elude prosecution.
After receiving confirmation, probably from Sloane himself, the guard disconnected the call, then unlocked and opened the door to let them through. Nathan led the way down a nondescript hallway that came to an end at another closed door and a younger man dressed in a dark suit. He, too, asked to see Nathan’s ID before finally granting them access into the private club.
Once inside, Nathan discovered the atmosphere was much mellower than he’d anticipated-more like that of an intimate party than the frenetic mood that accompanied most nightclubs. The lighting was dim, and the music was kept at a reasonable level so conversations could be heard as guests mingled in the spacious lounge.
The decor was very provocative, with erotic art hanging on the walls, live girls dancing in gold gilded cages suspended from the ceiling, and strategically placed beds for couples to lounge on. Each one was draped with sheer red curtains and covered with a luxurious silk comforter and piles of pillows. Some were already in use, and while the veil of material had been drawn around the mattress, Nathan could clearly see what each couple was doing, which added to the erotic, sexual vibe in the room.
“I think this is what’s called a den of iniquity,” Nicole said from beside him, her voice tinged with awe. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Yeah, it’s quite impressive,” he agreed, having seen his share of exotic places during his years as a vice cop. The underbelly of Vegas held some very licentious lifestyles, but Sloane’s secret society was by far the most luxurious he’d ever encountered.
Hand in hand, they strolled deeper into the club, and Nathan took a moment to size up the guests. The men ranged in age from thirty-something professionals to older, wealthy gentlemen, and he even recognized a few athletes and lower-level politicians. Women in their early twenties, all dressed very provocatively, mingled with a younger group of girls who appeared to be in their teens.
All in all, it was a diverse group of females, providing plenty of choices for every male taste.
Nathan caught sight of Sloane, heading toward them with a young, pretty brunette by his side. The girl, who was wearing a red strapless dress with high-heeled shoes and had painted her lips a shocking shade of crimson, clung to his arm as they approached. While Nicole had gone the understated route with her choice of outfit and opted for a more natural look for her face, this girl appeared as though she was playing dress-up with her mother’s clothes and makeup. And to Nathan, her appearance and demeanor screamed desperation.
With Sloane’s blatant interest in Nicole, who managed to maintain an air of innocence in the way she presented herself, Nathan wondered if most of the girls whom Sloane was initially attracted to started out looking their age, then gradually felt the need to change their appearance to something sexier in an attempt to compete for his affection and hold his attention, only to be cast aside when fresh blood entered the picture.
Like now. Sloane was staring at Nicole, and while he’d minimized his desire for her at the art gallery, in this environment, teeming with sexual undertones, he did nothing to hide the lust in his gaze. The girl next to Sloane must have sensed the change in him, because she tightened her hold on his arm and moved closer.
Annoyed by the girl’s possessive behavior, Sloane peeled her fingers from his shirt, severing the contact between them. Anxiety and dismay etched the girl’s features, but Sloane didn’t seem to notice, or he just didn’t care.
“Alex and Nikki.” Sloane welcomed them in a cheerful greeting, his gaze lingering on Nicole much longer than necessary. “I’m so pleased that the two of you came.”
Nathan shook the other man’s hand. “Thanks again for the invitation.”
“It was my pleasure.” Sloane’s words held a dual meaning as he turned back to Nicole, picked up her right hand, and pressed an openly intimate kiss on the inside of her wrist. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight, Nikki.”
“Thank you.” Smiling shyly, Nicole tugged her hand back, giving the impression of being demure when Nathan knew she was more likely repulsed by Sloane’s display of affection.
He understood her disgust. It was all Nathan could do to keep calm when he wanted to beat the shit out of Sloane for even touching her.
The young girl had witnessed the exchange, too, and seemed to grow more distressed with each passing moment. Nathan guessed that she was Sloane’s current “it” girl, and was feeling threatened by Nicole’s appearance, and Preston’s obvious interest in her.
“Nice place you have here,” Nathan said, sounding suitably impressed.
“I’m glad you like it. There’s plenty to enjoy, from the open bar, to the dance floor, and even private massage rooms.” He inclined his head at Nathan. “Care to join me for a drink while Holly introduces Nikki to some of the other girls?”
“That would be great.” Nathan couldn’t have asked for a more ideal arrangement, which would allow him some one-on-one time with Sloane while Nicole tried to find out if Angela was somewhere in the nightclub.
They both had a job to do tonight, and the sooner they gathered the information they needed and located Angela, the sooner they could get the hell out of there.
Nicole followed Holly into an adjoining lounge area, feeling the resentment coming off the young girl in waves. Clearly, she didn’t appreciate having to babysit Nicole-the new girl on the block who appeared to have captured Sloane’s attention.
The first thing Holly did was beeline to the bar and order a mixed cocktail and a glass of water, not bothering to ask if Nicole wanted anything to drink. While the bartender set the water on the bar, then began pouring alcohol into a shaker to create her martini, Holly retrieved a pill box from her purse and shook out three tablets. She popped them into her mouth and washed them down with a huge gulp of water.
Nicole had no idea what Holly had just taken, but she was absolutely certain it wasn’t aspirin. “Are you okay?” she asked, genuinely concerned for the girl.
“I just need something to calm my nerves,” she said brusquely. “I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”
The guy behind the bar finished her cocktail, pushed it toward Holly, and she downed half of it in one long drink.
Nicole cringed, resisting the urge to take the martini from the girl and dump it out somewhere. Knowing her actions would draw unwanted attention, she opted for words instead. “Should you be drinking alcohol with those pills?”
Holly glared at her. “What are you, my mother?” she snapped.
“No. But I’m smart enough to know that taking pills with alcohol isn’t a good mix.” She sounded like an adult instead of a sixteen-year-old, but she didn’t care-and Holly was too worked up to notice. With her own past experience under her belt, Nicole knew all about taking drugs to get through an increasingly unpleasant situation.
Which was why watching this too-young girl attempt to mask her emotions with narcotics made Nicole’s protective instincts rise to the surface.
“Well, it works just fine for me.” Holly finished off the cocktail, placed the empty glass on the bar, then walked away.
Grateful that she’d stopped at one drink, Nicole followed Holly, who continued to ignore her despite Sloane’s instructions to introduce her to the other girls. It killed Nicole to see this young girl falling apart over Sloane, who didn’t give a crap about her beyond his own depraved needs.
While Nicole wanted to shake some sense into Holly, she knew she had to take a different approach. She couldn’t just come in and immediately change the girl’s way of thinking and dealing with things. First, she had to gain her trust and put her at ease. Then maybe, just maybe, she could eventually reason with the girl.