Page 73 of Miss Belief

In other words, Chance didn’t give a shit about my reasons.

“So he says he understands. And maybe you go so far as to quit your job there.”

I hated him for being a step ahead of me.

“But you’ve met this crowd. You think he’ll be able to bring you home for the holidays? Would he be able to hold his head up, aware everyone could find out like I did that you stripped illegally? He’d know people would question if you’d also been involved in prostitution because if you’d do one illegal thing, why not another? Hell, they’ll wonder if Reid paid you to be here. And how do you believe your illegal activity plays out in connection with his career in security? You suppose he’ll keep his clearance if your vocation were to be uncovered? You imagine he’ll get that promotion in Australia he put in for?”

I bit the inside of my cheek in order to keep from showing any outward emotion and tasted blood.

“So maybe you two talk it out, but what type of future are you saddling him with?”

“I repeat, what do you want?” A man like Chance always had an agenda.

“I’ll make it worth your while.”

Rage threatened to make me dizzy. “You’d pay me to break up with your brother?”

“Twenty-five thousand, and you walk away with your head high and your secret intact.”

“Go fuck yourself.” No amount of money was worth losing Reid. Yet the voice in my head was already warning I might lose him anyhow. That was, if he’d ever been mine to lose.

His lips twitched while he handed over his card. “Very well. In case you change your mind, the offer expires at midnight, Cinderella.”

I couldn’t shut the door on his retreat fast enough. But once I was alone, anxiety crawled up my throat and threatened to consume me. I needed to talk to Reid. But what could I say?

Simple. I’d tell him the truth. I stripped to fund my niece’s cancer treatment, but now that she was cancer-free, I intended to quit. And I wanted—what? That he shouldn’t be ashamed of me? Reid might not have the best relationship with his family, but he clearly wanted them to remain in his life. Look at the way he’d left to allow his mother to apologize. Did I want Vanessa and her catty bitch posse to have the satisfaction of knowing he’d traded down?

Perhaps that was the crux of the matter. With or without the exposure of my secret, I believed Reid could do a lot better than Cheez Whiz.