Page 62 of King of Temptation

I can hear the crowds filing into the club, the music firing up and I know the cages will rise soon.

If Leo wants to suggest another method by which I’ll support our child, I’m all ears. But I’m not going to be manhandled into doing what he wants.

And I’m not leaving my best chance at making money because…I don’t even know what his problem is.

I open the locker room door, starting down the back hall by the bathrooms and then the office, making my way to the back stairs.

A hand grabs my arm and I partially turn, spinning my arm to break the grip. I guess Leo’s not done and now that we have a bit of privacy, I’m ready for another round. But as I turn, I see a man that’s not Leo behind me.

It’s a man I distantly recognize as the one who was in the hall right before Bobby showed up. Slick hair, slimy grin, toothpick…

I only have one second to process before he raises a gun pointing it right in my face. “We meet again, Kim.”

A scream builds in my throat.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Leo

It takes me two seconds to recover, spinning to follow Kim out of the locker room.

I can feel all the dancers’ eyes on me, but I don’t look at anyone else. I know what I just did, and regret is already tugging at my chest. When I realized Kim had come to work, I lost my temper.

I’ve been way better, but I’m a man who is working on change and that means sometimes I fail. But I think I fucked this one up good.

As I go to follow Kim down the hall, Melissa steps in front of me. “Hey, boss.”

I look down at her, wondering why she’d be blocking me now. I’m clearly going after Kim. What would be important enough to interrupt? “I’ll get back to you.” I start to go around her, but she reaches out, grabbing my arm to stop me.

I like Melissa. She’s a good employee, and easy to work with. She’s pretty too, in a way that’s not my type, but I can see the appeal. Customers like her.

Still, we’ve never had the kind of relationship where we touched each other for any reason and it’s downright strange she’s doing it now.

Which is when I catch the ring on her finger. I pay Melissa well but not five-carat-diamond well. “When did you get that?”

She doesn’t grin or look happy. In fact, she winces. And that’s when I know something shady is going down.

I push past her and out into the hall and start toward the back. If Kim went anywhere, she went up to the platform, but my heart is racing in my chest.

Something isn’t right and I don’t just mean how I just fucked up in the locker room. And I know I did. I lost it when I saw her all decked out in leather.

She’s the mother of my child, she shouldn’t be swinging around in a cage. I know I sound like a complete asshole, but I’ve got more money than I know what to do with. I just need the chance to tell Kim that she has all the choices in the world.

Because the entire time I was away from her today, all I could think about was holding her in my arms and taking care of her and our baby.

I draw in a shaky breath as I round the corner and then stop cold…

Kim is standing in the center of the hall with a gun to her head. Little Anthony Carcetti, nephew to the Italian Mafia boss behind her, one hand on her throat, the other on the gun.

My chest nearly explodes as I stop. “What the?—”

Anthony gives me that slimy smile of his. “Leonard.” And then he presses the gun against Kim’s temple. I hear her whimper. “My uncle sends his regards.”

“You are shitting?—”

“You’re not the only one who’s been spying,” he snarks, the smile disappearing. “But I bet you didn’t even notice I’ve been watching. Your mistake.”

My hands come up, my fingers splaying out. “Since when do we involve women in our business?”

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