Page 38 of Such A Bad Girl

EVERLEIGH

Two days after Theo had replied to the anonymous texter, I’d begun to think maybe the whole thing was over because I’d not received any others. It turned out to be just wishful thinking.

I was just packing up for the night after a grueling ten-hour session at the studio when I received another text.

If you want your secret to stay in the dark, you’ll have to pay.

Await further instructions.

“Oh, fuck!” I hissed.

Theo was right. All people ever wanted was fucking money.

Luckily, it was the one thing I had plenty of.

I’d have felt much richer if other things were just as plentiful in my life — like love, family, security, authenticity. I didn’t have any of that, unfortunately.

I called Theo as soon as I slid into the back of the SUV. I was headed home now, and I needed to tell him about the latest text, but he didn’t answer. I texted him a screenshot of my phone and asked him to call me right away.

Wrecked with anxiety, I could barely breathe. I knew there was only one real way I would be able to relax in this heightened state. Going home was useless.

“Charlie, take me to West’s club. I’m not ready to head home just yet.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, turning the car around, the flashing neon lights of Hollywood dancing over my face as I stared out the window at everyone else on the streets living perfectly normal, carefree existences without the pain and pitfalls of living a life famous as someone at complete odds with who felt you truly were.

Maybe at the temple I could get lost.

Maybe Theo would be there.

I crossed my legs, the familiar flame blooming inside of me, the images dancing around in my head.

I could still feel Theo’s mouth on me.

Chapter Twenty-One

Istared down at the screenshot Everleigh sent me.

“Everything okay?” West asked. He’d returned to town this evening, and Rian and I were meeting with him to go over our monthly orders.

“Yeah,” I said, shoving my phone in my pocket without replying.

“We need new members, I was saying,” Rian said. “With all the bad publicity, business in the club has plummeted. But if we get more temple memberships, we can make that loss up.”

The club depended on the income both brought in at the door, and from memberships to our private sex temple, but we were all wary of bringing anyone new into the fold. Trust was required, and not many people were able to pass both the rigorous background checks, and then pass muster with us personally. There were a lot of hoops to go through.

“I don’t know, man,” West, understandably doubtful, spoke up first.

“Maybe we wait a little longer for that,” I offered. “I can make up the loss.”

I hated having to offer to put my own money in, but I would if that was what it took. And, if we needed more than I was comfortable with, there was always the possibility of dipping into the family trust for a loan. Both of those things were far down on the list of things that I actually wanted to do, though. I was determined to find another way, I just didn’t know how yet.

“Keep your money for now, Theo.” West shot me a grateful look, and I gave him a small nod. I’d always had his back, and I always would. I’ve had to float us a few times before, but untangling the money from my family’s trust is a hassle. I hate having to go hat in hand to the family lawyer to get what’s rightfully mine, and West knows this.

He was my best friend, there wasn’t much we didn’t discuss.

Except my feelings for Everleigh, of course. Which fucking sucked, because more than anything I wanted to discuss such an important topic with my best friend. I’d lost count of how many times I’d mustered up the courage to bring it up, only to back out at the last minute.

West’s friendship saved me when I was a kid. I’d been isolated, an only child to parents much older than those of most of my friends. They were consumed with their careers. My father spent most of my childhood in Hollywood, while Mom tried to create a ‘normal’ life in Austin as a life coach.

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