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“Look, Piper, I already told you I will never, ever give you an exclusive. Especially after all those horrible things you wrote about me.” I took a step forward, and she took one back.
“Hell, Nova, I didn’t even write those things. My boss did and just slapped my name on it. You have to believe me.” Her voice shook as she looked over her shoulder at the people passing by.
“That is the first time you’ve ever mentioned that, and honestly, it sounds like bullshit. Stay the fuck away from me, or it’s not the cops you’ll have to worry about.” I gave her a pointed look and turned to walk away.
“Wait!” she yelled, and I turned as she reached out for me, her hand falling down at the last second. Good. I hoped she remembered what had happened the last time she put her hands on me. “I’ve been getting these creepy prank calls. A man. He’s breathing and sometimes he mumbles something, but I can’t make it out.” She exhaled sharply and gripped her purse to her chest. “And I think someone was in my apartment last week. I’m scared.”
“Why are you telling me?” I threw my hands up in the air. “Call the police.”
“I think… I think it’s Ryzen Goodacre. He was leaving me crazy messages last month and…”
I held up my hand to make her stop talking, my heart pounding in my ears. “Ryzen is fucking dead. I saw his body myself. It’s not him. It’s probably some other person you’ve pissed off with your shitty writing.”
“Nova, please.” She took a step forward. “I don’t know what to do.” Her bottom lip quivered, and I squeezed my eyes shut for a second.
Ryzen was dead. She was crazy. That was all there was to it. This wasn’t my responsibility. If someone was out there stalking her, she needed the police. Not me.
“Do you own a gun? Mace? A baseball bat?” She shook her head, and I sighed. I walked over to Valik’s window and tapped. “Give me the damn mace from the glove box,” I muttered.
He chuckled and handed it over, turning on his headlights, making Piper jump.
I shoved the mace in her hand, my hands wrapping around hers. “Here. This is the only help you’ll ever get from me. Call the police if you’re scared. Next time you show up here, you’re going to regret it.”
With that, I hopped back into the SUV, and by the time I looked out the window, she was running back across the street to her car and peeled out a second later.
“What was that about?” Valik arched his eyebrow as we drove off in the opposite direction.
“Same old crazy Piper bullshit.” I sank deep into the seat and let my eyes close. There was something eating at me inside, and I hated it. Guilt. Which was so stupid because it wasn’t my job to help her. I couldn’t even be sure she was telling the truth about any of it. But if she was and somebody was stalking her, then I was going to feel like a giant piece of shit for ignoring her plea for help. I just… couldn’t trust her. The uneasy feeling stayed with me our entire ride home, and all I wanted was to forget the whole situation.
“Do you need anything from me? Milliani was gonna stop by for dinner, but if you need something?” Valik asked as the elevator dinged on my floor.
I clapped him on the back and shook my head. “No, big guy. Cian’s at Hellfire for a few hours and I’m just going to relax. You go have fun.” He grinned and watched as I went into my apartment and locked the door.
Dinner was leftover chicken and salad that I mostly picked over. I paced back and forth in front of our windows, snapping my fingers. That altercation with Piper had me restless, and the walls in our penthouse that normally brought me comfort felt like they were collapsing in on me.
I needed to get out, but there was nowhere to go. Even though the threat of Ryzen had passed, Cian still didn’t like me going out on my own late at night. Thora was out with Felix, and Juliet was working on a wedding surprise that she was super secretive about. There was only one thing to do.
Break the rules.
I changed into fishnet tights and a black leather corset dress and pushed my boobs up in the mirror, admiring my reflection. Oh, Cian would not be happy with me showing up like this. Excitement coursed through my body as I let my hair down, it cascading down my back. A swipe of mascara and some black heels, and I was ready to cause some trouble.
He would know I was coming because our phones tracked and shared our location with each other. The second I hopped into the cab, my phone buzzed in my purse, and I bit my bottom lip. Making him wait was not a good idea, but then that was part of the fun. Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to the front of the club and the bouncers held up the velvet divider so that I could pass through.
Loud thumping music greeted me, my body on full alert as I walked into the first level of the club. This was the first time I had been back since Ryzen had attacked me, but I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t a damn victim, and nothing was going to keep me from living a normal life. I was taking back my power one step at a time.
Crowds of people danced to the pulsating music, their bodies moving to the beat. I waved at a few of the guards as I sidled up to the bar and ordered a drink. Cian would be upstairs in his office, watching me on one of the many cameras. I sipped on my whiskey and turned facing the camera directly above and blew a kiss. Oh, he was going to be furious with me.
The air was thick from the fog being pumped around the room, laser lights flashing over the crowd, lighting up as some people drank and others ground against each other. My body was burning up in my dress, and I made a mental note to never wear skin-hugging leather to a hot dance club again.
I ordered another drink and threw it back, then made my way to the middle of the dance floor. I let myself get lost in the music, my arms over my head as I swayed my hips without a care in the world. A hand came around my waist, and I tensed, knowing it wasn’t Cian. I turned and wiggled my finger no in the man’s face, and thankfully he moved on, trying to dance with a group of women just a few feet away from me. The last thing I needed was Cian ripping some guy’s head off just because I wanted to have some fun.
My body moved to the rhythm, beads of perspiration glistening all over my body. I threw my head back and yelled along with the music as the beat built up, rocking my hips as the bass vibrated from the floor up through my spine. After a few moments, I could feel eyes on me as I swayed from side to side.
Daddy’s here.
Before I had time to even turn and look for him, I was being lifted off the ground and thrown over Cian’s shoulder. He gripped my thighs as he took the stairs two at a time, his shoulder digging into my stomach. I spanked his ass, and he turned his head and bit me gently through my fishnets, making me arch my back and yelp.
He pushed the door to his office open with his foot, then slammed it behind us before setting me down in the middle of the room. I wrung my hands together as he walked slowly around me in a circle. His breath was warm against the back of my neck, chills spreading up my arms.
