“I’m glad you’re not seriously hurt,” he told her, pressing a kiss on her neck that nearly made her shiver.
“I’m fine,” Honey assured him. “It’s just a bit swollen.”
“Thank God,” Nikos said, sounding relieved. “Because if you were seriously injured, I don’t think even you would have been able to stop me from killing him.”
Honey didn’t respond with words. She only held Nikos tighter, knowing then that she made the right decision because she didn’t want to be someone who added more blood to Nikos’s hands. Tonight had been her last dance, and she hadn’t even known it.
C H A P T E R
37
“COME IN,” NIKOS SAID AFTER SOMEONE KNOCKED ON HIS DOOR.
When Rheagan entered his office at the club, he was surprised. After what happened the last time at his place, she had been avoiding him. She would either outright ignore him or shoot him glares. To be honest, he liked it that way.
He wanted Rheagan to move on. He wanted her to accept that they would never be together, so she could leave the club and move forward with her life. At first, her presence used to bother him because she was a reminder of Raelyn, but now, her presence simply bothered him because it was her.
“How can I help you?” Nikos asked, hoping it was something work-related.
Rheagan stood in front of his desk, looking at him with a serious gaze that made him arch a brow.
“Where is Honey?” she asked.
It had been a few weeks since Honey last worked here, and the question wasn’t surprising because many of the girls had asked about her, wondering if she had quit. So, Nikos told Rheagan what he told everyone else who asked about Honey’s whereabouts.
“She sprained her ankle from the fall, so there will be some time before she gets back,” Nikos said.
It wasn’t a complete lie. She didn’t sprain her ankle, but she had gotten hurt. But the last part was definitely a lie. He had no intention of letting Honey come back to this club or any club, for that matter. She was his, and no one else deserved to see her dance but him, and he would make sure it remained that way. He had thought his uncle was crazy for only allowing her to dance on the main stage, but now, Nikos couldn’t imagine anyone else looking at his woman again. If it were up to him, he would erase her body from every man’s memory who had seen her before.
“You’re lying, aren’t you?” Rheagan accused him as she looked at him suspiciously, and this time, Nikos sighed.
“Why are you still here?” he asked.
He had been hoping their last conversation would get her to leave, but it clearly hadn’t been enough, and at this point, he didn’t know what he could possibly do to shake Rheagan.
“Because I love you,” she said, and unfortunately, Nikos could hear the sincerity in her voice, and yet, it didn’t move him. It irritated him.
“Well, don’t,” Nikos said. He knew he was being an asshole, but he was beyond coddling her feelings now. “Is that all?”
He hoped she didn’t have any more questions so she could leave. He wanted to hurry up and get this work done on time so he could go to Honey’s place. But Rheagan made no move to leave.
“Have you been around Honey while she’s been gone?” Rheagan asked curiously. The question wasn’t surprising in the slightest.
From the beginning, she had always been suspicious about his relationship with Honey, and at the time, he couldn’t understand, but now her suspicions were correct because he had spent this entire time with Honey. Not a day had gone by without him being in Honey’s presence. Most nights he spent at Honey’s place. But he didn’t need to tell her that.
“It’s none of your business,” Nikos said tersely.
“It is my business,” Rheagan snapped as she trembled with anger, her eyes watering. “And I know I’m right, and you have been with her this entire time. I bet you she isn’t even hurt.”
Nikos sighed. “Rheagan-”
“You want to know why I keep bringing her up?” Rheagan asked. “Because you look at her the way you used to look at my sister but with even more affection. You never looked at me that way before.”
The room was quiet as they stared at each other. Rheagan’s eyes were filled with unshed tears and her face was hurt. It made Nikos sympathize with her because it had never been his intention to hurt her. He knew that this had been all of his fault. If he hadn’t been so hell-bent on revenge against Raelyn, he wouldn’t even be in America right now with Rheagan inside astrip club. It was why he had given her money and allowed her to work here. But he was tired, and he knew Rheagan was too.
“When will you accept the truth?” Nikos asked genuinely.
Her mouth trembled until tears fell, and Nikos looked away, never liking to see a woman’s tears, especially when he had caused them. But he needed this connection between them to end. He didn’t want to bring this kind of drama into his relationship with Honey and didn’t want her to have to deal with someone like Rheagan.
