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It came as no surprise when Silas told me Katie had accepted his proposal.
“Shut your mouth,” Katie says, a fake scowl forming on her face. “We’ll never act like a typical married couple.”
“If you say so,” I reply, then turn to Silas. “I’m heading out. You good here?”
“Yes.”
“How are the new girls doing?”
It’s Katie who answers. “They’re both good. Learning the ropes. I like them, especially Trixie. She’s got moves that even turn me on.”
Her statement earns a grunt from Silas and she glares at him. “Get that shit out of your head because it’s not happening.”
While she says it like she means it, we know if Silas really wanted Trixie to join them for a bit of fun, Katie would be on her back with her legs spread wide as Trixie went to town on her. Silas and Katie may be devoted to each other, but they also like to play, and that includes adding a third. And they don’t discriminate. Men and women are welcome.
After leaving the pair, I stroll down the hallway and take the stairs to the first floor, the soft beat of music getting louder. As I pass by one of the rooms the girls use to get ready for the night, one of them steps out into the hallway. She’s wearing a skimpy red bikini that exposes more than it conceals. I keep my eyes on her face.
“Oh, hey, Hunter,” she says, a cheerful smile curving her lips.
Annika has worked at Slate for four years as an exotic dancer. When she came to us, she had just graduated high school and had just left home, where she had been abused for years by her father. The desperate look in her eyes and the fresh bruises on her neck spurred Silas and I to offer her a job. The next night, Silas and I visited her father. Our night ended with the sounds of grunting pigs devouring the bastard.
Annika’s currently in college, working her way toward a master’s degree in social services. She’s a good girl and a hard worker. She brings in a lot of regular clients due to her sweet and innocent girl-next-door looks.
“Hey, Anni,” I greet with a smile as I slip my keys from my pocket. “How’s school going?”
She tucks a long strand of her red hair behind her ear. “Good. I’ve got finals coming up, so I’ve been spending a lot of time studying.”
“Grades still good?”
“Yep. A 3.7 GPA.”
Slate offers to pay college tuition for any girl who works for us. The only requirement is that they keep a GPA of at least 3.0 and remain clean.
I tip my chin up. “That’s good.”
“Tell Cat I said hi.”
“Will do.”
Cat doesn’t come to Slate as much as she used to, but she knows most of the girls. Annika has always been her favorite.
I go out to the alley and get into my SUV. My phone rings just as I start the engine. Tension tightens the lines around my eyes when I see the number.
“Hunter speaking.”
“Hey, Hunter, it’s Katherine at The Grove,” the woman answers, like she hasn’t called me a hundred times before, and I wouldn’t know the number. “You’re needed.”
Nothing further needs to be said. Athena is the only reason Katherine would call.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
After ending the call, I drop the phone in the console and speed out of the alley. Eight minutes later, I pull to a stop in a parking spot and hop out of my SUV. Katherine is waiting for me when I walk inside, her expression grim. Without a word, she spins on her heels, and I follow.
“Is it bad?” I ask in a low, deep voice filled with dread.
Instead of leading me toward the community room where I usually sit with Athena, she heads up the stairs to the second floor where the patient rooms are.
As she ascends the stairs, she glances over her shoulder at me. “It’s been worse, but she’s not having a good day.”
