My heart thuds loudly twice in my ears.
As fast as I can, I soundlessly shut the cabinet door and lean my ass against the counter. I have no idea who just walked into the house, but even I know I’d be a dead woman if I was caught snooping.
Footsteps head down the hall, and I nearly recoil when Andre himself steps into the kitchen. His suit is as crisp as ever, as if he doesn’t spend his days doing dark deeds, whatever those may be. If he’s not in porn, my bet is that he’s got his dirty little fingers into the sex trafficking. He’d be the type, I realize. That only means that he wants me dead since he’s so interested in what I offer. The thought doesn’t settle well with me.
“Charlie,” he greets lovingly before glancing at the glass in my hand then the abandoned one that Nix left behind. “Having a little party?”
“Something like that,” I say more clearly than I feel inside with my revelations still stirring about.
He grins, and it’s about as welcoming as slug slime. He digs out his wallet and keys from his pocket, drops them on the counter, and asks, “Before or after work?”
I tip my head a little to the side. Even though he givesme the creeps and I know exactly what he wants to do with my body, I won’t give him the satisfaction of cowering before him. “Does it matter?”
He shrugs a little. “I suppose I’ll find out one way or another if a video is uploaded by tomorrow.”
I pucker my lips because his words are like sucking on a sour lemon wedge. I don’t know why, but I don’t like the fact that he watches my videos. I’m not stupid though; I know men that I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole watch them, but still, I could do without knowing he does.
His gaze swivels around the kitchen to the dining room until his eyes land on the flowers. “Those must be yours.”
“Why would you say that?”
Heading to them, picking them up, and taking a whiff, he explains, “It’s been a long time since flowers were delivered here.” He looks up at me and then crosses the rooms until he’s standing before me. As he holds them out for me, he adds, “It’d be a coincidence if they weren’t yours. Your first hit video was uploaded just the other day after all.”
I set my glass down to take the flowers. “It was just an audition video, nothing more.”
“Not to them.” He leans a little toward me, and I have to force myself not to lean away. “Not to me, either.”
I keep eye contact with him for a few seconds. “What do you want from me, Andre?” Because I know there’s more for this visit than just . . . whatever else he could be doing here. No. He knew I’d be here. I can tell by the glint in his eye that this meeting isn’t just a happy accident.
“Let me take you to my side of the business.” His grin only grows, knowing he’d been caught but not giving a shit about it at all.
“I have a feeling I wouldn’t like your side of the business.”
“You don’t even know what I do.”
I give a little shake of my head and fight the urge to shove him away. “And I don’t want to. I’m Nix’s property, and I draw the line there.”
Finally, he leans away. He raises an eyebrow and studies my face then sweeps my body with his gaze. “Loyal already. I wonder why that is.” He props his elbow with his other arm and cups his chin as if he were in deep thought.
Footsteps down the hall halt whatever I had planned to say next, and Nix’s appearance draws both of our attention. Relief fills me even though Nix’s expression is anything but pleasant. He glares at Andre until Andre takes a step away from me, holding his hands up in surrender.
“I see the loyalty goes both ways.”
To me, Nix says, “I called you a cab, Charlie.”
“Thanks,” I murmur while I readjust my grip on the roses.
“Go wait outside for it.” To Andre, he demands, “Other room. Now.”
Andre peeks at me one more time and wiggles his eyebrows before following Nix into the living room. I stand there for a moment, wondering what sort of mess Andre will create for me, before my eyes land on the wallet and keys on the counter.
My heart skips a beat, and I tip-toe as quietly as I can in heels, making my way to them. With a peek down the hall to make sure they’re not in it, I gently flip the wallet open and read his full name from his ID.
The name burns a hole into my mind, and my adrenaline spikes with this new information. I may not know Nix’s, but I sure as hell have Andre’s, and now I have something to work with. Something to research. A key to a door I hadn’t had before.
As I shut the wallet and walk down the hall toward the door, I can’t help the grin on my face.
Chapter Sixteen
