The Contract

Chapter 06

I extend my hand, and of course, she takes it! Her friend can’t stop staring at me.

“Oh, thank you!” I hold back a laugh.

“You’re welcome! Just be more careful next time,” I say, keeping my composure. I watch them leave. The brunette hurries out, and I think she might trip again.

I head to my next class. To be honest, I can’t get Navarro out of my mind. I need to find out everything about her.

As soon as I finish my classes, I go to the college cafeteria.

I order a sandwich and an orange juice.

“Excuse me.” A blonde, slim, with black eyes and shoulder-length hair, approaches me.

“Su... Sure.” She doesn’t even wait for my response before sitting down.

“My name is Britney Veg.” She smiles and places her elbows on the table, showing off her cleavage even more.

“Henry M...”

“I already know who you are. I’m your student, but I didn’t attend your class today,” she says, playing with her hair.

“To what do I owe the honor?” I take a deep breath, trying not to lose my patience.

“There’s going to be a party tonight at one of the nightclubs—”

“No, thank you,” I interrupt her.

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“No need.”

“All the students will be there,” she pouts. If all the students are going, Navarro probably will too.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Give me your number,” she says, smiling again and adjusting her neckline. “No need, I already have it.” I’m incredulous at her response.

“You already have it?”

She stands up and leans in close.

“Of course I do, handsome.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek. What a girl, huh? Then she leaves, swaying.

I finish my snack and head to the police station.

I meet the staff and review some cases. There are quite a few piled up—Thiago is so disorganized.

“Come in!” I call out as soon as someone knocks on the door.

“Excuse me, Henry.”

“Take a seat, Guilherme,” I say, gesturing to the chair.

“What’s the urgency?”

“I need you to find out everything about one of Thiago’s students.”

“Hmm, what’s her name?”

“I didn’t have time to check. I only know her last name is Navarro.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t argue, but he looks confused.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, actually...” He furrows his brow. “You’ve never asked me for this kind of service, at least not personally.”

“I don’t want anyone to know who I really am. I always had my henchmen handle and discover everything I wanted.”

“Okay.” He grabs his tablet and does a quick search. “It’s Liz Navarro. She’s 21 years old and lives in the L’Bella condominium.” That’s the condominium where my wife lives, so for now, I can’t go there. “And her name is on the list for a nightclub party tonight.”

“See what else you can find and send me everything.”

“See you later, Henry!” Guilherme says, heading towards the door.

I’ll have to go to this nightclub. As it happens, I know the owner.

“Henry McNight! Long time no see!”

“And you still have the same wit, John!” We laugh.

“Are you in New York?”

“Yes, I arrived a few hours ago.”

“There’s going to be a party at my nightclub tonight. Come, let’s talk.” That was exactly what I wanted.

“Of course.”

“See you!”

“See you.” With John, it was always a party. He was much older than me.

Eric’s father introduced us; maybe he knows something.

I get home, take a long shower, and put on a white shirt that shows off my muscles, along with black jeans.

I can’t wait to see Navarro. Just thinking about her already gets me worked up.

I head to the garage and decide to drive my black sports BMW.

I don’t need to wait in line; the security guards already know me. I go straight to the VIP area, where John is waiting for me.

“Henry, I’ve missed you!” He hugs me. “How’s your father?”

“He’s fine. I came here for business.”

“I understand.” John had been in the mafia but left after getting married. For some, it was easier to leave. I wish I had that luck. “How long are you staying in the city?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m filling in for Thiago.”

“Don’t tell me that...” John turns as white as a sheet, though I’m not sure that’s possible, as he’s already pale, with many expression lines and gray hair. Much shorter than me, about 1.65 meters tall, he always wears a black suit.

“No, he had emergency surgery. I took the opportunity to look into Eric’s case.” I pause.

“Don’t even mention it, Henry. Haven’t you found any leads?”

“They’re very vague. At the very least, I want to find his body, give him a decent funeral.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Henry!” A high-pitched voice catches my attention. I already know who it is.

“Miss...”

“Britney Veg!” She comes over and gives me two kisses, one on each cheek.

“Hi, Bri.”

“Hi, John! I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Henry and I are old friends.”

“Old?” She emphasizes the word. I hold back a laugh. John is much older than me.

“Excuse me.”

“Of course, John,” I say. He glares at me—he doesn’t like being called old.

It’s just the two of us now, along with a few other girls in the VIP lounge. The lounge is large, with velvet sofas in red and black, which are very comfortable. There’s a pole for dancing, and some of the girls are taking turns on it.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Britney says, fiddling with the buttons on my shirt. Her scent is nice, but she doesn’t excite me, let alone turn me on.

“I’m surprised too,” I say, gently removing her hands from my shirt.

I walk towards the railing and start scanning the room, trying to spot Liz.

“Listen, Henry, I know how to separate professional from personal.” I turn to look at Britney, only becoming more certain that she’s not my type.

“Listen, Britney, don’t take this the wrong way, but—” Before I can finish, she gives me a peck on the lips.

“Oops, that was an accident! I’ll get us a drink.” She doesn’t wait for my response and leaves.

I turn back to the scene below. The bar is crowded, and still no sign of Liz. The dance floor is packed. A quick glance reveals her red-haired friend from earlier today, and next to her is Liz.

She’s in a blue dress—low-cut, short, and flared, with an open back down to her waist. She’s wearing heels that accentuate her butt and curves even more. Just seeing her in that outfit has me aroused. For a few seconds, our eyes meet.

A guy approaches her, and I frown, clenching my fists. He hands her a drink, which she downs in one gulp. The guy whispers something in her ear.

What the hell!

“Here you go, my handsome.” Britney again—I had already forgotten she existed.

I take the glass from her hand, feeling satisfied when I taste the whisky. At least she got the drink right.

“I’ll be right back, handsome.” She tries to kiss me, but I’m quicker this time and sidestep her.

She leaves the VIP lounge.

I decide to look for Liz, scanning the club. She’s dancing with abandon, so light on her feet that I feel even more aroused. I start imagining tearing that dress off—it doesn’t even seem like a dress, more like a piece of cloth.

I snap out of my daydream when I see a guy approach her. They start dancing together. Too close. She’s rubbing against him. My blood is boiling. I feel like punching that bastard in the face. Who the hell does he think he is? No one’s touching her as long as I want her.