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My stomach dips as it hits me that will be sooner rather than later.
I make a beeline for the staircase, but another trickle of awareness goes through me and this time when I scan the room, I spot him.
Vaughn.
Anger flares inside me and before I know what I’m doing I storm over to him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I spit.
“Nice to see you too, baby.”
Checking the coast is clear, I grab his arm and yank him out of the room and into the bathroom. “You can’t be here,” I seethe.
“But I’m having so much fun. These rich kids have more money than sense.” He lets out a dark chuckle.
“What do you want, Vaughn?” I sigh.
“I thought that was obvious. I need your help. One last job.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Seems perfectly simple to me. You do this final job for me and then we’re even.”
“Even?”
“Even?” A bitter laugh rumbles through me. “You sold me out, remember?”
“It wasn’t even like that.” He tsks. “You knew the risks. You knew—”
“I LOVED YOU,” I shriek, shaking with rage. “I loved you and you left me there to take the fall.”
“Raine, baby.” He reaches for a strand of my hair, but I swat his hand away.
“Don’t. Touch. Me.”
“You know, it’s funny. That you think you have any choice in this,” he sneers. “What, you think just because you’re fucking some rich prick from Saints Cross that you’re suddenly better than me? I know where you came from, Raine. I know who you are. And if your boy out there knew half the things you’ve done for me, he’d throw you out of here quicker than you could blink.
“You’re not one of them, baby. You’re like me.” He grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my face to his.
Pain explodes along my scalp, but I bite back the scream building in my throat as fear saturates every cell in my body.
“You talk about me letting you take the fall but the first opportunity you had to screw me over, you took it. You caused a lot of problems for me, baby.
“Does he know? Does lover boy know you let old men fuck you for money? That you let them do dirty depraved things to your bod—”
“Stop,” I plead. “Just. Stop.”
Vaughn releases me with a hard shove, and I stumble backward, clutching a hand to my throat. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can. Because you need to remember who you belong to. And because I want to see you hurt, the way you hurt me.” He grabs my face and squeezes my cheeks.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to end it with Ashworth. Then tomorrow night you’re going to check in at The Grand Hotel. I’ll text you the details. Wear something sexy. I’ve heard Mr. Stanley Harris likes his girls docile. Make sure to give him what he wants.”
Tears drip down my cheeks as the final walls of my resolve crumble.
“Oh, and Raine. Make sure you break his heart. The last thing we need is Ashworth to come looking for you. It’s time to come home, baby. Back where you belong.”
I stare at him, tears dripping down my face.
