She puts her ear back up to the phone. “Oh, you heard her. I’m sorry, sir.” She listens again. “Yes, I will let her know.” She disconnects the call with a stupid smirk on her face.
“On a scale of one to ten, how angry was he?”
“Fifteen.” She laughs wickedly. “You know no one turns him down.”
“Yeah, thought so, controlling asshole,” I mutter, even more proud of myself for sticking up to him. “What did he say? You said you would tell me.”
“I feel like if I do, it might make things worse. There is clearly some friction between the two of you. Or chemistry? Don’t want to start a war.”
My brow knits together. “What did he say, Paige?” My voice holds more of a warning now. I need to know exactly what I’m up against.
“Umm.” She winces. “You’re a brat, and he doesn’t need a private suite and blindfold to punish you.”
“He didn’t,” I practically shriek, then glance over my shoulder to make sure no one else just heard me.
She throws her head back. “Yeah, girl, he did. He’s pissed, and I think you’re about to get it. Lucky you.” She knocks shoulders with me.
I slap my forehead dramatically. Here I was thinking I was sticking up to the controlling motherfucker, and I have done nothing but add kindling to the fire. I might not be able to go home tonight, or ever. Knowing the kinky asshole, he will probably chain me to his bed and never let me leave the apartment again. “Or not lucky me.”
“Yeah. Sorry, girl. Good luck with that when you get home tonight.”
“Maybe I will just stay here all night.” I sigh. That idea sounds better by the second.
“You can crash on my sofa if you need to,” she offers kindly.
I offer a half-smile back at her. “Thanks. Might take you up on that offer.”
She kisses my cheek, then she’s on her way out the door. “Go have some fun with the other girls. Try not to think about him. I’ll grab you on my way out.”
I sigh heavily. If only it were that simple, but these Stryker boys have corrupted my brain. I throw my bag over my shoulder and close my locker, heading out into the VIP lounge. I keep my head down and walk right through to the bar at the front of the club where the girls like to meet after a shift, not wanting to run into any clients when I’m in plain clothes.
The girls have a booth table, and one of them, Danielle, waves me over when she sees me walk through. I slide into the seat beside Becky. There are also Tammy and Bea. They have been dancing here for a lotlonger than us and have made both of us feel at home, both backstage and in the dressing rooms.
“What’s your poison, girl?” Danielle, the stunner with long, wavy, chocolate-brown hair, asks, tipping up her empty margarita glass.
“A Fireball whiskey shot?” I ask, knowing how uncertain I sound, but I loved it when I drank with Sloane, and I could do with something stronger than champagne tonight. Especially with what I’m going home to. Cranky-bear Jagger is going to be a pain in my ass over this, I just know it.
“Coming right up.” She saunters her way through the club to the main bar, leaning over as she talks with the girl I met the first day I came here looking for Sloane, I think her name is Myriah.
“I’m glad you joined us tonight. I was starting to think you didn’t like us,” Tammy says with a wicked smirk. She already looks half buzzed. She’s a pretty girl and looks like she spends all her free time lying in the sun, with white-blonde hair and golden skin and flower tattoos snaking up her arms.
“Thanks for asking me every night. Sorry it’s taken me this long. I just have a lot going on.”
“Yeah, I overheard one of the girls saying you just moved here from Italy. That’s cool, girl,” says Bea, the pretty redhead, with the craziest green eyes I have ever seen. She also has massive tits that are hard to miss in the low-cut cowl-neck top she’s wearing.
“It’s been an adjustment, but I’m loving it here so far.” The men, the money, the new friends, the freedom, well, kind of—what’s not to love?
Danielle returns with a fresh round of drinks for all of us. “I got you two; you need to catch up.” She winks at me playfully, making me feel part of their crew already.
I beam back at her as I take the first shot and slam it back, wincing just a little as the burn hits the back of my throat. I feel the buzz almost immediately. The other girls take their drinks, and Danielle takes her seat back across from me.
“Right, I want to know it all. How did you end up in this place? And are the rumors true and you’re living with the boss’s brothers?” She grins from ear to ear.
“I hear Jagger is an asshole,” snips Bea as she sips her espresso martini.
“That rumor is definitely true. He’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.” I smirk back at her.
Becky’s eyes go wide, and she slaps me on the arm. “So, you are living with them?”
