Page 145 of Deceitful Vows

“Oh. Um. I-I… ah. I’m also going home.”

“You went on a trip too?”

I realize not everyone is as good at lying as me when she shakily nods.

After a beat, she switches her nod to a headshake. “I was meant to-to go, but I chickened out. Now I’m going home.”

“Without your luggage?”

She grimaces and then nods. “It’s a long story.”

“We have thirty minutes.” When hesitation is her first expression, I settle into my seat and breathe out a hot breath. “And I’m going to need at least twenty-nine of them to clear the murkiness from my chest.”

My conversation with Mara is so riveting that I’m hesitant to get off when the bus arrives at my stop. “I’ll store your number into my phone as soon as I get a new one.” I walk toward the bus driver before spinning back around. “And I know it isn’t any compensation, but your boss is an idiot. You’re beautiful and kind. If he can’t see that, that’s on him, not you.”

I feel good when she nods.

My mood continues its uphill climb until I enter Le Rogue via the back entrance doors.

“I’m sorry,” Lilia murmurs the instant we lock eyes. “I told him it wasn’t his choice. That this is my business. But you know what some men are like.”

She confirms what I came here to find out without me needing to speak a word.

This is Andrik’s business.

“It’s fine,” I assure her. “Nothing happening is your fault.”I’m not even sure it is mine.

My head flings to the side when a girly voice says, “I say screw him.” Mars saunters into the backstage area with far more clothing than she usually has on. “What’s he gonna do? Kill all our patrons until there’s none left?”

Lilia and I swallow in sync.

“I doubt a death threat will keep them away for long.” Mars butts shoulders with me. “We’ve been taking inquiries for private shows all weekend. You’ll make a killing in the private sector. I can hook you up with some contacts if you’re interested.”

I don’t give her offer any true thought. I didn’t realize how selfish I was being when I coerced Andrik into responding last night. This is about more than us. It is about his son.

“Thanks, but I’ve already secured new employment.” I don’t mention it is with my best friend’s husband. I don’t want to look like a loser. “I just wanted to swing by and make sure there were no hard feelings.” I spin to face Lilia. “I wouldn’t have placed you in that predicament if I had known.”

“Hard feelings?Please.” She brushes off my worry with a wave of her hand. “You brought life back into this place and added some spice.”

“Tension. Spice. Almost the same thing.”

Lilia laughs into my hair when she pulls me in for a hug. “And I agree with Mars. Stuff him. If you want to shake your ass for some funds, I’m not going to say no. He hid you here because his enemies would never believe a man as possessive as him would let someone he cares about work at a strip club, so he can’t rip away your shelter with no real explanation. That would make him a dick.”

“Don’t bring up his dick, Lilia. Baby girl was already struggling to forget it before she went and got reacquainted with it in a poolside cabana.” Mars’s hip bump this time around almost sends me flying. “For future reference, cabana walls are useless sound barriers. Your moans are circulating the net.”

My cheeks whiten as my stomach flips.

This isn’t good. Not for me, and not for Andrik’s campaign to help his son.

56

ANDRIK

“For fuck’s sake, will you shut that thing up!”

I shoot my hands up to my hair and tug ruefully. Days ago, I would have given anything to hear those moans, to have them shred my eardrums. Now they torment me until I am a mere inch from my grave, begging to fall in.

“I’m trying,” Konstantine assures me as his fingers move wildly over the keyboard. “But as quickly as I take down a video, another one pops up.” He lifts his eyes to mine. “You should be grateful Maksim put a block on all phone activity during the swimsuit competition. If he hadn’t done that, I would have had hours of footage to remove from the net.”

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