Page 224 of Deceit

My stomach drops as I step forward and pluck the white business card out of Simon’s hand.

I might have to quit my job.

I’ll still get to see them but I won’t be able to work or be around them 24/7 like I am now.

Ledger and I never discussed my role now that I have the twins. We spent it with him pissed off and me sitting in his office listening to it. He put me on a verbal warning for my irresponsible decision-making, and I might not need that now.

I wasn’t supposed to get pregnant. It wasn’t part of my plan yet. But now that it’s the path I’m on, things will need to change.

A warm hand wraps around my wrist, bringing me back to the reality at hand, and find Simon holding onto me.

“You sure are pretty,” he compliments with a sly grin. “What’s your name?”

Pretty.

Yeah, apparently, that gets you nowhere but a man who wants to use and abuse you. It doesn’t matter how you look, it happens everywhere, but it doesn’t buy me a free pass.

And I don’t want to be touched right now by Kai, this asshole, or anyone else.

My future, the one I’ve been ignoring until I end this serenade with Alexander, is barreling into me full-force, and I’m about to fall on my ass.

I have to leave B723.

I can’t help anyone like this anymore because if I don’t come home, who are the twins going to go to, my mother?

Hell fucking no.

She will turn or attempt to flip my kids into entitled little pricks.

“You forget?” His tone is playful and since Kai took too long to play bodyguard, ‘ole girl is gonna have to break this guy’s hand.

“It’s ‘get the hell off me’,” I emit but I don’t bother yanking myself from his grasps. I’m giving him an option to do this the easy or hard way.

Something that no one on B723 does except me. Hence why I suck at my job and landed myself here.

A soon-to-be single mother who has to explain to her children one day that she murdered their father who tried to kill us.

You can’t make this shit up.

Fuck my life.

“Feisty,” Simon coos the moment Kai finally comes up to my side.

“Let her go,” he orders. “I don’t like people touching my shit.”

Kai’s informant or whatever the hell he is only tightens his hold. “You walked into my establishment. And I wanna dance with the little doll you brought in here. I love brunettes.”

Lucky me.

“Last chance,” Kai warns. “Or I’m gonna let the lady give it to you.”

Simon lifts a curious brow, obviously not bought on my stature or position. “I’m nothing but intrigued now.”

Kai sighs. “Go ahead.”

Rounding my arm in a wide circle, I slide out of Simon’s grip and seize his wrist to get a firm hold on him.

Hauling him forward, I bring my knee up in my heels to slam it into his balls.

---