“I’m starting to really like her,” Amir mutters. Out loud, unfortunately.
I cast him a hardened glare. “You can look, Hadid. But you cannevertouch.”
He playfully throws his hands up in the air. “Hey, she’ll be my Mona Lisa for life.”
He’s right. Sheisthe Mona Lisa.
Priceless.
THE FRACTURED FANTASY
EMERY
Anticipation thrumsin my system as I scurry to my suite, Larry and Barry trailing behind me like silent boulders. My displeasure with their presence is wholly overpowered by the nervous excitement fluttering inside my chest. It feels so wrong but so right at the same time. I love being watched. I love the spotlight. I love knowing that I’m wanted. And despite Amir’s proclivity toward submissive women, I know he’ll give me every ounce of his attention.
Approaching my suite, I sigh and look over my shoulder to my bodyguards. “Stay out here and don’t look so…obvious.” It’s ridiculous they’re even here. “Got it?”
They nod reluctantly, silently taking their posts on either side of the double doors.
With an eye roll, I swipe my key card and slip inside the suite. Maneuvering through the dark, I enter the bedroom and flick on the lights, immediately darting toward the wardrobe. My gaze sweeps across the various pieces of lingerie hung up, and I sort through the pieces until something speaks to my indecent soul.
As a sexy leather one-piece catches my eye and I reach to bring it off the hanger, a deafening click of a hammer being drawn back sounds behind me.
A gun.
Dropping the lingerie, I gasp and whip my head toward the door. My eyes widen as Toni saunters toward me dressed in a maid’s uniform. My gaze snaps to the pistol in her hand. To the silencer attached to the barrel.
“Scream and I’ll shoot you,” Toni says as panic fills my chest. She tips the gun in the direction of the bed. “Sit, Emery Jones. I just want to talk.”
I control my breathing, refusing to let her see me shaken. I’m fine. It’s fine. She won’t hurt me. She can’t. It’s a show. Perhaps she also enjoys attention. Enjoys praise. Just like me. I can handle this. I can handle her.
With a composed and slightly flirty tone, I say, “Usually when people want to talk, they don’t bring a gun.”
Toni casts me a fractured smile. “This is to make sure you listen.” She motions to the bed again. “Sit.”
With a stabilizing breath, I slowly walk toward the bed and perch down on the edge. Toni’s unreliable, scheming gaze sweeps across my face, and I swallow as she stares me down. There’s something off about her.She doesn’t look as stable as before. Not as…predictable.
“How’d you get in here?” I ask quietly.
Do I turn Luna on? Do I keep her off? I can’t gauge Toni’s intentions.
Toni scoffs, tilting her head. “Do you know how easy it is to duplicate a key card? To sneak into a service entrance?” She glances down at her uniform. “No one pays attention to the help, Emery Jones. Especially not the people who are here this weekend.”
If I scream for help, will she actually shoot? I don’t think she’d hurt me. I don’t think she can. But do I risk it? Or do I play along?
“What do you want to talk about, Toni?” I ask, straightening out my shoulders. I need to look brave. Confident. Or do I? Would she prefer weak? Fuck. It’s harder this time.
“I want the truth, Emery Jones,” she hisses, taking a step toward me. Her grip on the gun doesn’t waver. She doesn’t flinch as she points it at my chest. “Tell me the truth.”
I narrow my eyes, genuinely confused. “The truth about what?”
Her jaw twitches. “About what happened! About… About what you did to me.”
My pulse quickens from disbelief, and I try to keep my emotions level. Balanced. But suddenly, anger burns inside me.
WhatIdid to her? WhatIdid?!
What a fucking psycho.
