Page 13 of High Stakes

“You told me,” he says, drinking his own. I narrow my eyes, I’m certain I didn’t. “Shall we head home?” he asks, pulling his phone out and swiping the screen and staring hard at whatever’s grabbed his attention.

I push to stand, “I’ll let Aria and Jack know,” I tell him, but he doesn’t look up, so I go off to find them.

When I get back to the booth, Aiden’s nowhere to be seen, but Raff is leaning against the table speaking into his phone. He doesn’t spot me as he spits, “You’re gonna fuck this up.” He disconnects and looks up. He forces a smile, “Sorry to disappoint, Bella, but Aiden had something he needed to sort out. He asked me to drop you off.”

I frown, wondering what could have popped up that required his immediate attention at this time of night. I smile, “It’s fine, Raff, I can make my own way back.” I head for the stairs.

“Actually,” he calls out and I slow down to look back at him, “He was very insistent I take you. Besides, I get paid for this sort of thing.”

I wonder if he means to drive for Aiden or drive his women around. It makes me shudder and I continue to the stairs. “I need the air to sober me up. Thanks though.”

Raff follows me, I know this because people are staring as I pass and that never happens when I’m alone, which means the six foot something giant is chasing me down.

Outside, he catches my arm, halting me. “Bella, make this easier on me will yah. Let me take you.”

“Call him” I say, and Raff looks taken back.

“What?” he asks.

“I don’t have his number, ring him and give me your phone.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Because he might fuck it up?” I ask, repeating his earlier words and arching a brow.

His expression confirms he was probably talking to Aiden, and maybe about me. Raff sighs and pulls out his mobile. Before he can press it to his ear, I snatch it and take a few steps away.

“Raff, this better be good,” snaps Aiden when he answers.

“If you’re going to ditch me then at least stick around to say goodbye, and for the record I don’t need chaperoning anywhere so please tell your bulldog to back the fuck off.” I hand the phone back to Raff who almost looks impressed, and then I stomp off.

I’m not sure where that outburst came from. I guess I’m disappointed. We were having a nice talk back there, and he’d shown he was jealous which means he might like me, even if he isn’t planning on crossing the friendship line. The fact he’d let me say goodbye to my friends because he’d decided to call it a night, pissed me off. I could have continued my night if I’d have known he was going to dump me on Raff.

I spot a quiet little bar, the kind with low lighting and a soul singer in the corner and decide to hide in there just in case Raff is on the warpath.

I order a glass of wine and take a seat at the back of the bar. Pulling out my phone, I spend some time catching up on my socials. I search Aiden’s name, and his profile pops up right as my phone rings out, causing me to almost throw it in fright. “Shit,” I mutter, cancelling the call. It was from a number I don’t recognise.

His social media profile is set to private, and the only picture that comes up, is the one of him and I in bed, the one Carl saw. The fact he set it to open, annoys me.Did he mean for Carl to see it?Or was he just trying to show off?

There are ten comments on the picture, and I open them up, scrolling through them. Most are from men telling him that he’s punching. I laugh to myself wondering what they see, because Aiden is definitely way too good for me in the looks department.

I stare at the last comment, it’s from a woman, Lauren Casey. I study the tiny profile picture, she’s pretty with long blonde hair and I just know by the way she’s dressed, she’s loaded. Her comment reads,I hope this isn’t your way of announcing you’re in a new relationship, plastering it across your socials like a teenager. Classy!

I smirk and notice there’s a response, so I click on it to see Aiden’s reply.Call me.

Did she call him? Is that why he rushed off tonight, to appease Lauren. Maybe she is one of the women that he has sex with, and if she is, it seems like she’s into him.

My phone lights up again with the same number that just called me. I answer, pressing it to my ear. “Where the fuck are you?” snaps Aiden.

I disconnect, wondering how he got my number.

Aiden

I run my hands through my hair in anger. How dare she hang up on me. Who the hell does she think she is?

I call Raff again, “Aid, I don’t get why you’re stressing, we know she isn’t in danger, no one paid her dad, remember?” he says, sounding annoyed. I know he’s talking sense, but I can’t explain the sudden need to know where she is, or what she’s doing. “Boss,” he adds, sounding hesitant. “I’m worried you’re going to that dark place again, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” I disconnect because anything I say right now will only confirm what he’s thinking.

I approach the front door and knock once, and Laurie opens it in nothing but her silk slip.

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