Page 62 of Black Velvet

"For now," I repeat. I feel dizzy. "Does that mean I’m no longer allowed inside the fucking club? Because I have a criminal lawsuit pending against me that I have nothing to do with?"

Dean sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

"It's temporary," he insists quickly. "The woman was adamant. She has a business to run herself, and I’m sure you can understand why a business, of that nature especially, wants to stay as far away from any legal trouble as it can."

Yes, I fucking get that. Of course, Miss Barry is worried about keeping anything associated with her business on the up and up.

"I'll have to talk to her," I utter, my voice shaking. "This is unacceptable."

"I would advise you not to," Dean interjects. "It's best to stay low and not draw any more attention in our direction. We need to figure this situation out first."

He sighs then, and leans back in his chair, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. It's a position I rarely see him take.

"Besides," he adds. "Your affiliation with that club is a far smaller investment and just a leisurely pursuit, nothing we need to worry about right now. Miss Barry was clear that she doesn't want you contacting her directly as long as you’re still involved in an impending lawsuit."

I growl at his words, doubling up my fists in anger. He's right, I know he's right, and I understand where Miss Barry is coming from.

But I can't believe I'm fuckingbannedfrom The Velvet Rooms.Just a leisure pursuit, Dean says. If only that was true.

My rage turns into a suffocating fear of loss when I think of her, when I think of Elene and spending time together every evening in our sanctuary.

What will become of us?

And how the hell am I supposed to see her again?

Chapter 37

Elene

"What?"

The way I utter the word makes me sound like an idiot, and I’m incapable of formulating anything else. I can't believe what she's telling me. Miss Barry had been standing right outside the door to our dressing room when I almost ran into her, in a hurry to get upstairs to take my position, like I do every evening.

Up until a few seconds ago, it was a night like any other. I got to the club around eight-thirty, chatted with Sandi who started working her shift an hour earlier, and then went to the dressing room to change, or rather, to undress. For the past few weeks, I've only been wearing the black silk kimono and black flat-heeled sandals. I always removed both articles as soon as I stepped into the black velvet room, and then lowered myself to the floor to wait for him, kneeling with my head down.

Ever since the first night that he fucked me, he has shown up every single night, never making me wait long. Sometimes, he'd step through the curtain just a minute after I'd taken my position, making me wonder if he'd already been at the club and had just been waiting for me to get ready for him.

My deal with him was clearly spelled out and agreed to by Miss Barry, who promised not to interfere unless we were somehow disturbing other club guests.

This is why her words aren’t making any sense to me. When I bumped into her standing outside the dressing room, with herhands on the hipsand her red painted lips pursed in a thin, solemn line, I didn't even consider that she might want to talk to me. Judging from her rather annoyed and impatient expression, I figured one of the other girls had messed up and was in for a reprimand.

She had been waiting for me, though. I followed her to her office, my hands clasped together and head lowered, a slew of silent questions running wildly through my head. I couldn’t figure out what I may have done wrong. She gestured for me to sit down opposite her desk, my eyes flying to the clock on the wall, worried that this meeting would make me late for my date with Damon.

And then she told me in a cold, monotonous voice that there was no date. That the room was no longer being paid for, and that Damon was no longer a VIP member of The Velvet Rooms.

My mouth fell open and my eyes widened in disbelief, as I frantically tried to comprehend what this development meant for me, forus.

"I can no longer reserve that room under your private contract," Miss Barry says, repeating her previous statement, but using different phrasing. "Sir Graves is no longer paying for the room, and he's no longer a VIP member of this establishment."

Sir Graves. He hates to be called that. My insides twist in anger.

"Why? What happened?" I demand. "Did he just... cancel?"

Miss Barry sighs, visibly annoyed by my shocked reaction.

"I can't go into detail, and you know that, Elene," she says, raising an eyebrow in warning. "Client confidentiality. All you need to know is that he's no longer coming here and you no longer have exclusive rights to that room. You're free to return to your normal shifts at the club."

She pauses, clearing her throat. "The choice is up to you whether you want to be an angel or a devil. Devils are in higher demand, and the pay would be better."

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