Page 151 of Unruly

“You handle the body.”

“Okay.”

Catherine smiled, although, less cold this time. “I’ll handle the girls.”

Catherine rested comfortably on the white leather sectional inside the Four Seasons penthouse suite. One by one, girls trickled in. She had given any girl that was living in California currently—most did—a set time to meet at the hotel.

Finally, the majority had arrived.

Catherine counted heads.

Twenty girls.

Seven were currently indisposed. Some because they lived too far away—two in Miami, one in New York. And another two ladies were currently handling client drops that had come up.

Catherine didn’t mind.

The twenty ladies in front of her would do the job for now. Hell, she would deal with the other seven the next time she saw them. It wasn’t a big deal.

As for the girls’ handlers?

Miguel was passing the same message along that Catherine was about to.

“Sit or stand,” Catherine said with a wave of her hand. “I don’t care either way, ladies, but make it quick. I have a plane to catch in a couple of hours, and I would like to get home sooner rather than later. Make this easy on me, please.”

Murmurs passed between the beautiful women.

None of them had seen Catrina in months.

Catherine couldn’t help but notice in those moments how none of the girls seemed very surprised or concerned that it was only her, and not Catrina. Sure, she had those meetings with them a couple of months earlier, but she figured their patience with her would eventually wane.

Apparently not.

None of them asked about Catrina.

None of them started speaking before Catherine.

She figured it was time to get to business, then.

“As you all know—or a good portion of you ladies—we have had an issue arise over the last year, or thereabouts. It became apparent to me over the last few months.”

Some of the girls nodded.

Others stayed quiet.

Catherine expected both those reactions.

“Someone—a girl who used to do business with us—had decided she wanted to step out on her own,” Catherine said with a little shrug. “Now, when a girl is done doing business with us, she is done. We’re not forcing any of you ladies to be here for longer than you want to be. Right?”

Confirmative responses answered Catherine back.

She smiled.

“And we treat you all well, don’t we?”

Again, more confirmations.

Catherine waved jeweled fingers in the air with a sigh. “Right, we do. Or we try. We supply you with what you need, find your clients, and make sure you’re well compensated. And what do we ask in return for that, ladies?”