Aliyah’s p.o.v
“Look,” I said, leaning in just enough to make my perfume hit the guard in the face. “Boss sent me. Tonight only. I just need to get in, check the floor, find Julia. If she’s not here I leave. If she is…” I let the sentence hang, practiced and dangerous.
Guard One squinted, trying to read me. “You sure you got the right look for this, sweetheart? We don’t let just anyone through.”
Guard Two snorted, bored, folding his arms. “Yeah, she looks like trouble.” He gave me the once-over like he was weighing the risk of letting a stray cat into a lion’s den.
I smiled slowly. “Trouble pays well.”
They exchanged a look. Fascinated by a pretty face. For a second they kept me there, testing the kind of small ritual every club had to keep control. I twirled a lock of hair, let my li
