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His face drops, and I have my answer. “I hate you being his date,” he pouts.
“I’m not his date.” Shock resonates across his hardened features. “Demi is.”
“She must have one magical pussy.” He steps away from the counter and goes straight up to one of the other girls. I’m not worried one of them will be his date. Dante has a strict business-is-business rule, and up until Demi, he has refused to mix pleasure and business when it comes to his club.
Even knowing this, I can’t help but keep my eye on Max as he talks to each and every girl here.What is he doing?“Careful Sienna, people might start wondering why you keep eye fucking me,” he teases as he walks past, winking at me. He disappears into Dante’s office and the two of them leave together a few minutes later.
Not even an hour has passed when I get a phone call from Dante telling me to cut Demi. I look around and we’re busy enough to keep her. Before Demi showed up, I had never cut a girl early from their shift. She’s not going to like this, but he’s the boss.
“Afriendofminedied because of you.” Jameson sits at a stool in front of me.
I look around to catch a bouncer’s eye to toss him out, but none of them seem to be around. “You’re not welcome here,” I hiss, my heart rate rocketing.
Fear of having to go back to my old life slithers its way down my spine. My entire body tenses and I feel helpless once again. I’ve come to loathe this sensation, and hate how much I’m liking this new life I’ve been creating.
“Before you kick me out, look at this.” He holds up his phone and there’s a video of a little girl on the screen. I have no idea who she is, but it plays on my heartstrings because I can’t help but think of myself at that age. I take a steadying breath, my stomach twisting violently at the image.
“This little angel is going to be important to your boss. I have a man who has her at the end of his scope, if you’re catching my drift. If you don’t do as I say, she dies.” He holds his fingers in the shape of a gun and moves them like he’s shooting something.
“What do you want?” I grit my teeth, bile rising in my throat. I’m a sucker for little kids.
“I need you to come to a function as my date and introduce me to Dante as such.”
I want to say no, but looking at the little girl stills my tongue. Defeated, I reply, “Fine. But if you ever come near me again, I’ll be sending the Mancini men after you.”
“They have never scared me before, but you can try,” he taunts. “Just remember, that little girl’s life is in your hands.”
If I go to Max or Dante, I’ll have to come clean with everything I’ve already done. I’m trapped with no escape. It doesn’t matter where I go. It’s like Jameson knows this with that shit-eating grin he’s giving me.
He walks out of the club and I wish I could do something, anything, to change this path I’ve been set upon.
Maxwalksintomyapartment behind me after my long-ass night at work. Neither of us said a word on our way home. I think he’s still ruffled that I said I wouldn’t be his date. It’s going to look extra bad now that I will be attending with another man. I can only imagine the conniption he’s going to have.
I want to tell him about Jameson, but I can’t have another death on my conscience. I place the bouquet of roses on the counter before changing into my pajamas, forgoing washing my face.
As I’m pulling my shorts over my hips, I realize I’ve been sleeping in my clothes less and slowly beginning to wear PJ’s. It stumps me for a second before I toss my shirt over my head and replace it with a silky soft one.
Over my shoulder, I glance at the roses on the table. Max hasn’t said anything about them, but he keeps eyeing them. They’re the first thing he’s given me and I don’t want them to die, even if I don’t necessarily like them.
Reentering the small room, I grab the roses I’ve gathered throughout the day and place them in the cup with the other one.
“Roses,” he grunts, finally commenting on them. “I thought sunflowers were more your thing,” he says absently, bending down to rub Brute. Brute doesn’t even get up to greet us anymore. It’s like he knows I’m safe so he can have time off from his guard dog duties.
I never told Max I love sunflowers. How would he know? “They are. I would never buy roses. I don’t even like their smell.” I’m too tired to sugar coat my feelings.
“Then why are they in your house?”
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” I go back into my room and Max follows. The bed is calling my name and I slip under the covers.
“Why would that hurt my feelings?” he asks, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Because you went through the trouble of hiding them all day long.”
I close my eyes, but my pillow isn’t feeling right. I smack at it with my hand a few times, trying to mold it to how I like.
“If I were to buy you flowers, I’d have bought you a hundred sunflowers, not a few half-dead roses.”
I lift my head. “What?”
