Page 142 of Arran's Obsession

Yet there was no other person in sight.

“Copy,” the guard said to whoever was on his line, then his gaze cleared and he bobbed his head at me. “The corridor is safe, miss. We can proceed.”

“Pro—? Why did you throw me in here?”

“Mr Daniels explicitly said to protect you from being seen by a list of names. This was the first available solution for concealment.”

I set my hand on my hips, trying hard to contain my emotions. He had been hiding me, not trying to hurt me. “The mayor is on that list?”

An inclined head gave me my answer, then the guard held the door, ushering me out.

I fast-walked past him then straight down the hall to the stairwell, running down the single flight. The brothel floor had never looked so good, and I sought out any familiar face.

In the receiving room, empty of any clientele, Alisha was at the bar, a glass of some peachy cocktail in hand, and a blonde wig and full makeup deployed.

Throughout the week, I’d tried to talk to her but got nowhere. She was pissed off with Arran, still, and unwilling to be friends with me. It was time we had it out. Not only for the sake of calming my nerves, but for Arran, too.

At my arrival next to her, she cast a glance over me, rolled her eyes, then turned away.

“Gen! What can I get you?” asked Sunny, one of the brothel workers who sometimes worked the bar, too.

I jerked my head at Alisha. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

“That’s fruit juice, honey.” At my shrug, Sunny grinned and trotted away to mix up my drink.

“Alisha,” I said.

She ignored me.

“Alisha, please. Can we talk?”

“I’m working.”

“Are you? Because it’s dead in here, and I have never once seen you up on this floor. Got five minutes to spare for me?”

She took me in, hostility in her eyes. “Watching me in order to take over, I see.”

“What? I have no desire to run this place. Why would you think that?”

That hadn’t been where my mind had gone with her at all. Nor did I truly suspect her of murder, even though I’d added her to the list. I did think she cared about Arran more than she said, and that, at least, we had in common.

Alisha clutched her drink. “Because… I don’t know. You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Which means I want your role? No, you do a better job than I ever could. I love it here but I don’t want to take over. I actually plan to get a degree in nursing.”

Sunny handed over my drink, and I accepted it with thanks. When I came back to Alisha, her hostility had only grown.

“Well, aren’t you just a virtuous girly,” she snarked.

Biting my tongue, I tried again, still unsettled from my earlier scare. “Why do I get the impression that concern for me running the warehouse isn’t the reason you don’t like me? What is it? You might as well spit it out.”

With a heavy breath, she stood from the bar stool. “Follow me. There’s no need for this to be a public debate.”

In the dressing room behind the bar, she took a seat at an unlit station. I eased into the next chair, ignoring that annoying sting of pain from my ass. My guard, who’d stood sentinel across the room while we’d talked, stayed outside.

Alisha pursed her lips, not making eye contact. “You want honesty?”

I swallowed. “Sure.”

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