“The very same… and by now she’s been missing for almost two weeks. I can’t eat, can’t sleep. It’s bothering the fuck out of me.” His hands ran through his hair, fisting at the strands and nearly tearing them out by the root in aggravation. “I don’t even know her, but…fuck… You should’ve been there, felt the connection like I did… She was fuckingperfectfor us, Levi. Exactly who we’ve been searching for.”
He was really fucking serious…
“And… what now? You want me to go on tour in your place so you can track her down like a fucking bloodhound?” I’m sure the police and the entire state of California were well on their way to finding their precious Malibu Barbie. They sure as fuck didn’t need Lucas for that.
“No, I just—I need time to myself for a couple of days… to set my head straight… to get her out of my system.”
I wanted to feel bad for him, I honestly did. But one, he barely knew her—most likely had a one-night stand based on his current schedule, and two, I wanted to shoot my shot at Evie before he swooped in.
We often shared the same mutual attraction to specific types of women, and if she had me barking at her door like a fucking dog, he’d be there right beside me just as fast.
The only issue here was that I saw her first, and the right to claim her was fucking mine.
My jaw ticked as I continued to stare at Lucas from across the room, the silence between us deafening. As I was working through my split decision, my brother lifted his head, giving me the look of a man down—wounded on my watch.
Goddamnit.
“Fine. I’ll trade.” In an instant, his eyes lit up at my agreement, parting his lips to speak, and I raised a finger to cut him off before he could. “But only for the week, I’ll be back next Saturday and youwillrejoin the tour to finish it out as originally planned… I’m working on a woman of my own, and I won’t have you coming in here and fucking it all up for me.”
“Oh, really? Who?” The notion had his mood flipping like a switch as Lucas quirked his brow with a sly grin, suddenly transitioning from down and depressed to uplifted and intrigued.
Gesturing my head to the computer, I pushed off the desk and rounded the edge, dropping into the leather office chair before pulling up the live security feed.
“Her.” I pointed to Evie on the lounge room camera, positioned comfortably at one of the vanities, applying a layer of gloss to her lips. “Chanelle’s replacement.”
“Pink? Seriously, Levi?” Lucas gave me a puzzled, confused look as to why I would pick a woman like her when I was always a sucker for a brunette.
“Trust me…” I assured him, returning my gaze to the screen as I slouched back with a proud fucking smirk. “You think Tessa was perfect? You haven’t met my newest Sin.”
Ididn’twanttoleave my final shift at the club before our last-minute change of plans without at least getting a sample of my girl, giving her a reason to need me as badly as I’d been holding out for her. And with my brother’s mind busy elsewhere, wondering and worrying about his precious princess, he was the least of my problems.
While initially I had planned to take things slow with Evie, so I wouldn’t end up shooting myself in the foot, I now had no otheroption but to submit to whatever the fuck was now holding a gun to my head. Infatuation.Obsession.
Evie’s current relationship status did cross my mind a few times. Wondering if she had a boyfriend—no ring, so no husband—or if her needs were being fulfilled elsewhere.
The latter was an issue easily rectified. If she was fucking around with someone else, evidently, they weren’t doing their job, seeing as I found her pleasuring herself at work. But if she were taken… Then I’d most likely need to get a little more dirt on my hands, which would still be an easy solution to a minor setback. After all, I’m a man who has few moral boundaries when it comes to taking what I desire most.
I spent the good part of an hour lingering in the back corner of the club, opposite where Evie was dancing, admiring her from afar like a fucking psycho stalker. But I couldn’t help myself. I was waiting for the right moment to catch her alone and take her breath away, just like she stole mine the night of her audition.
It irritated me to no end, having agreed to the trade-off with Lucas, as if Tessa could even hold a candle to my succulent Sin.
There was no doubt in my mind that Tessa had not once performed any of the dance routines seen in her movies, utilizing a body double or someone else as a stand-in. While Evie, on the other hand, had displayed the right moves and knew precisely how to use them in her favor.
Pulse was crowded, and as per usual, when the clock struck midnight, most of the guests were shifting into more hands-on behavior. Men groping women, women giving lap dances, andthen there were the few couples, singles, and groups who were inevitably making their way up to the second floor for even more indulgence.
After taking a quick look at my watch, I returned to fixate my attention on Evie, who was now being harassed by one of the drunk male guests. It took everything in me not to storm over there, cause a scene, and beat the ever-living shit out of the man.
While it may seem irresponsible for me to just stand idly by, I had a good and valid reason. I wanted to see Evie’s overall reaction before interjecting, only stepping in if shit got out of hand between the two of them.
There are a few things you can’t determine by an interview, and one of which is the person’s ability to handle themselves and others in unsettling situations.
If this woman were as perfect as I’d deemed her to be, Evie should be more than capable of taking care of herself with minimal intervention.
Although I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t envisioning that man with a knife jammed in the side of his neck right now.
