Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Richie wasn’t inside. I asked his guard—the one who had escorted us to the room in the first place—and he informed me Richie was back at the main bar. I thanked him and went back out of the private room.
Tori and I must’ve been in the room for quite a while because the crowd had thinned, and the sex show was closed for the night. The club definitely had its own rhythm to it. It wasn’t a typical club with dancing, drinks, and music all night long. In fact, the bar was nearly abandoned when I rounded the corner. However, I stopped short, hearing two familiar voices.
Richie Dalton and Reed Parkston were seated at the very end of the bar, and the bartenders were as far away as they could get, not even looking over to see if the pair needed attention. It was like they’d been told not to interfere. Over the pulse of low, heavy bass beats, I couldn’t make out everything they were saying, but from the hissed tones and general body language, it wasn’t good.
After a few minutes, Richie threw his hands up and stalked off, snapping his fingers at two guards who had blended seamlessly into two opposite corners, using the shadows to conceal themselves. Richie made a beeline for the exit, and my heart sank. Damn it. I needed this business over with, so I could turn my full attention to finding Tori and getting her back to my hotel.
Reed was alone at the bar, and instinct propelled me toward him. If anything, he’d likely know where Tori—Avery—was working.
“This seat taken?” I asked, sidling up to Reed. He was wearing an impeccably tailored suit, but his shoulders were hunched forward, disrupting the crisp lines of the seams ever so slightly.
He turned and gave me a once-over. When his eyes locked back onto mine, they were dark and intimidating. I nearly took a step back.
“Look, man, I know you’re working with—or, maybe for—Richie. If you’re here to intimidate me—save your fucking breath. I already told Richie I’m not interested in selling this place. It’s my club, and I’m not giving it up. Not for anything.”
Reed pushed up from his seat, threw back the remnants of the whiskey in his tumbler, and cut another hard glance at me. “And you can tell that sorry motherfucker just that.”
I nodded.
“Good. Enjoy your night, sir.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tori
Space. That’s what I needed. Fresh air and a minute to breathe.
It was impossible to think with Bennett’s hands on my skin. With the smell of his cologne and sweat surrounding me. Or under the trance crafted by his wicked smile.
What in the hell do you think you’re doing, Tori?
I raked my hands through my hair after letting it loose for the second time. I pulled and tugged at it, trying to twist it back into the sleek chignon I’d had at the start of my shift. The way it was before going into the private room with Bennett. That had been a mistake.
The large bathroom mirror in front of me revealed everything. The truth. My flushed skin. Swollen lips. Tangled hair. Wrinkled clothes.
“Damn it!” I shook my head, sending my long auburn waves back down again. “This is fucking hopeless.”
I wasn’t sure if I was talking about redoing my hair or forcing Bennett from my thoughts.
I slammed my hands onto the cool granite counter and leaned forward, dragging in long, slow breaths. I pinched my eyes closed, no longer willing to stare at my reflection. I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me. That girl was weak, impulsive, and out of control. That was Tori. I couldn’t be Tori anymore. I was Avery now. I had to be. Avery was the girl that would keep me from getting killed.
I groaned under my breath and then pushed off the counter. I tossed my hair back up, dug the pins in place, and smoothed my hands over my clothes. I had only an hour left before my shift ended, and I could go home again. I could get out of the clothes that smelled like Bennett and sex and scrub the night from my skin.
It was time to be smart. Playing the damsel in distress wouldn’t work. This was real life, not some damn princess movie.
“Get it together, Avery.”
God, am I going insane?
I didn’t linger over the question. Afraid of the answer, I’d come up with in the end. Instead, I pushed out of the bathroom and stalked back through the dimly lit club to the office. Two girls were covering the bar, so I knew I had time to get my head screwed back on straight.
“Avery? That you?”
I went ramrod straight at Paige’s voice, wincing before pushing fully into the room. She was seated behind the desk in the office that she and Reed shared. She was wearing her chic pair of reading glasses and studying the computer screen in front of her. Her eyes drifted from whatever was on the screen to me, and she smiled.