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Realization dawned on me. “Risa,” I said, remembering one of Julian’s exes. “He’s the one who coaxed her into leaving and betraying you.”
“Yeah. And if you give him the chance, he’ll do the same to you. Then who will you have in your life when he scrapes you off? No one. Because you sure as fuck know that Dad will disown you if you turn on us.”
That really didn’t sound like a bad fate at all. I’d prefer to have Jorge out of my world for good. Despite how strainedthings were between myself and both my mother and brother, I did love them. But there didn’t seem to be a way to be involved in their livesandbe free of Jorge’s clutches. Not unless they stood up to the old bastard, which I doubted either of them would ever do.
Julian’s phone beeped. He looked at the screen and cursed. “I gotta go.” He gave me a pointed glare. “The time for rebellion and pissing Dad off is over. Get your head out of your ass and do what you need to do, Cat.”
Julian left, seeming perfectly confident that—regardless of my announcement that I would not be cooperating this time—I’d do exactly what Jorge expected of me.
But then, hadn’t I always?
Not anymore.
Those days were over. They’d figure that out sooner or later. And I really had no idea how they’d react. I wasn’t looking forward to finding out.
Chapter Six
“Oh come on, Cat, I’m not asking you to go to the basement,” said Briar a week later as we spoke on the phone. “Just come see a burlesque show with us.”
Letting my head fall back to lean on the car’s headrest, I looked up at my apartment building through the windscreen. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day. I want to get off my feet.”
Walking around a shopping mall for hours was more tiring than one might think. The soles of my feet throbbed like little bitches. All I wanted to do was go home, take off my shoes, sift through my purchases, and try out one of my brand-new bath bombs. The idea of a long soak in the tub sounded like heaven right now.
“You’ll be sitting on your butt throughout the entire show,” Briar pointed out. “There’ll be no strenuous activity. It’s been a while since we, Izzy, and Inaya went to the club together. You’re currently playing a hefty membership that you don’t even take advantage of. That’s just senseless. And come on, Cat, youloveburlesque.”
“I really can’t be bothered to get all dressed up.”
A sigh. “You said you’d come see a show with us some time, but you always have an excuse. You’re tired. Your head hurts. You’re busy with work. You’re constipated.”
I felt my brow crease. “I never once said I was constipated.”
“Huh. Must have been someone else. Anyways, I know you said that you want space from Danton, but there’s no risk that you’ll bump into him on that floor.”
I righted my head. “I thought you said that you were going to stop pressuring me to return to the Vault before I felt ready.”
“What I should have said is that I’dtrynot to push.”
I snorted, my lips quirking. To be honest, I’d expected my bossy and incredibly tenacious friend to resume coaxing me to go back to the club at some point. She didn’t handle it well when someone she cared for was hurting. It made her want to fix it. And in her mind, getting me back in the basement’s saddle where I could find myself a new play partner was what I needed. Dragging me to a burlesque show was simply a way to get me back to the Vault.
“All in all, it’s been a month since you were last there,” Briar went on. “And if you want the truth, Danton has—”
“I don’t want to hear about anything he has or has not done,” I stated, fisting my hand on my lap.
“Yes, but—”
“No, I don’t want to know. If I keep track of what he is or isn’t doing, I’m giving him mental space that I don’t want to allot him.” He took up enough of that as it was.
“Fine. Consider the subject dropped.Notthe part where I want you to come see a show with us, though. That part of the conversation is not over.”
I groaned. “Briar—”
“Pleasecome. It’ll be fun.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Being tired never stopped you before. Chug down some coffee, and maybe even take a cold shower—the latter will wake you right up.”
Dropping my hand back to my lap, I sighed. “Woman, you are so freaking—”
