Time

Epilogue

"Get your f*cking hands off me, Luke!" Garrett snarled once they were clear of the hospitals exit doors.

Brushing off his suit, he spun around facing the younger man.

"I'm sorry, Boss" Luke offered, hands up in surrender.  "I caught word that the actual cops were on their way to arrest you so I interfered with some men you had paid off."

With a grunt, Garrett turned his back on Luke, swiping a hand down his mouth.  "This ruins everything!" He growled.  "Now Erin thinks I've been arrested and my plans have to go on hold again!"

"You'll figure something out, Boss," Luke attempted to encourage retrieving Garrett's cell out of his pocket and returning it.

Once they were in the car heading back to the compound, Garretts phone rang.

"Yeah," He snarled.  Silence loomed in the vehicle as he listened, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "Uh-huh...I'll be on the next flight."

"What is it, Boss?"

"Trouble," Garrett stated.  "We need to get to Chicago."

****

"Attention ladies and gentlemen,"  Garrett's voice boomed through the lit dance hall.  "My name is Garrett Falladori and I am the new owner of this nightclub."

Dancers, waitresses and bartenders all shifted uncomfortably, murmuring softly to each other.

"Where is the Boss?" A shy voice asked from the back of the crowd of employees.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Garrett prepared for the onslaught.  "He's...indisposed...arrested for criminal acts.  We were work associates and he's left me in charge of the club.  So I'm the Boss now."

"What does that mean for us?"  One of the dancers asked among the louder murmurs, arms thrown up in frustration.

Garrett shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks.  "It means... none of you are suspects but changes are in order.  I will be diligently interviewing, reviewing all of you, possibly shifting who fulfills what position depending on past performance and your time with me."

****

"How long have you worked here, Diamond?" Garrett asked, sitting behind the large sleek, black desk, scribbling notes from the previous interview.

The tall, slender dancer sauntered toward one of the chairs in front of the desk, slowly sitting and clasping her hands on her lap. 

"I've uh...been here since we opened a few months ago," Diamond answered seductively crossing her slender legs.  "But before than, I worked at the club in LA."

"Mhmm..." Garrett hummed, fervently taking notes.

Several knocks sounded against the door earning a growled "What!"

"Boss," Jerry, Garrett's second sighed as he crossed the room.  He handed Garrett an iPad with a news article open on the screen.  "This announcement was just made.  I uh...thought you'd want to see it."

Taking the device, Garrett leaned back in the chair exhaling heavily through his nose.  Cerulean orbs quickly scanned the article, brows slowly creasing, lips turning down then curling into a sneer.

New Museum Dedicated to Medieval History To Open This Summer

    Liam O'Hagan and his wife Erin stand in front of the chosen building that will be converted to Liam's dream project.  Their goal is to open the new museum before the birth of their child.

Standing there with that man from her hospital room, arms entangled around Erin, hands cupping the just beginning to swell belly. Fingers gripped the iPad so hard Garrett's fingers turned white.  Rising swiftly and in a flash he hurled the device across the room sending Jerry down to duck out of the way.  Diamond squealed throwing herself down to the floor just as the crash of the shattering device hit their ears.  There was more to the article but Garrett had seen enough.  Now it would be even more difficult to reach his goal.