Page 22 of Devil's Den

“What about the drinks?”

“The waitress knows not to deliver them until I return. If there are any drinks on this table before I come back, don’t drink them, and inform Ryan.”

She nodded and watched as he walked away. This was already a strange night. Was there going to be nothing with Rome that was normal? Beth took a deep breath and got to her feet. Normal was overrated, maybe. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted. What she did know was she needed the bathroom.

Stepping back the way she had come, Ryan was already on his section.

“Rome said I could come to you,” she said. “I need to use the bathroom.” This was embarrassing. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t embarrassing but every bone in her body was telling her the exact opposite.

Ryan nodded, he didn’t laugh or snigger, he just pointed toward the bathroom. She understood why Rome didn’t have a problem, as they were within Ryan’s line of sight. Beth didn’t think there was going to be any trouble, seeing as she wasn’texactly a party girl.

Stepping into the bathroom, she went to the first stall and closed the door. Sitting down, she closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her face. Aware that she also wore makeup, she immediately removed her hands.

Rome’s reaction to the woman should alarm her. That was what she kept telling herself. She should be a little more concerned with how he handled it, which wasn’t good. Beth had been called worse in her lifetime, by women older and younger than the one that pissed off Rome.

Beth hadn’t really been paying much attention to the two women, seeing as she was entering a nightclub for the first time in her life. Rome had found out she hadn’t gone to a party or nightclub, or had any kind of fun. They got talking, or Rome was questioning her, about her life with her brother.

She didn’t like any of the questions, because none of them made her think about her brother in a positive light. Ben hadn’t been good to her. He used her, and she was starting to see that now. She finished on the toilet, flushed, and opened the door, only to come face to face with the man she’d just been thinking about.

Ben stood in the women’s bathroom.

“What the fuck,” Beth said, putting a hand in front of her beating heart. “Ben, you scared me.”

He looked like he’d not had a lot of sleep.

“I had to see you,” Ben said.

Beth found that very hard to believe but said nothing to him, because he was also known for having a temper and being a pain in the ass. The man would pout for days after, and make living with him so difficult. She didn’t even have to be the cause of his irritation, he found some reason to complain.

“If you want to see Rome, he’s busy doing something.” She brushed past him and went to the sinks.

“I need you to do something for me,” Ben said.

Beth looked at her brother in the mirror across from the bathroom.

“And you don’t think I am doing something for you?” Beth asked.

He took a step toward her, then another.

“Come on, little sis, I wouldn’t come and ask you if it wasn’t majorly important.” He reached out and gripped her arms.

Beth didn’t like it. There was an edge of desperation to his actions.

She didn’t want to hear any of this, and she couldn’t help but look toward the door, hoping Ryan would magically appear, or Rome, and she wouldn’t need to hear what Ben wanted.

“He’s distracted,” Ben said. “I know we don’t have a lot of time, but this is important. I’m in trouble, Beth.”

“In trouble?”

“I need you to … find some kind of vault, or some way to get me cash.”

“Are you insane?” she asked.

“Look, I took all the rent money, we’ve lost the apartment, and I need money fast.”

Beth stared at him, and then she suddenly realized what he was saying. “You gambled our home? How?”

“Someone wanted to rent a place, so I put our place on the table for a prize. Come on, Beth, it’s not hard to understand.”

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