Page 61 of Dirty Dancer

“Well, no shit, Boss, I can see that. Though I think you should be a little easier on the ladies. Just ’cause we pay ’em don’t mean we need to slap them around.”

Yep.Thatgot their attention. They both whirled on me and I grinned. Seriously, assholes, she was shivering so hard she looked almost blue under the bruises and her poor little nipples were puckered almost painfully. The fact she had that smooth pussy was sweet, but again, why weren’t they looking after her?

What the fuck could be so important they were fighting while she looked like that? Maybe I should take her back to my room. I could at least feed her half my sandwich.

Maybe all of it.

“Out of curiosity, do you laser or wax?” I asked when Thing One and Thing Two didn’t do anything but glare at me. “I mean, that’s the smoothest pussy I’ve seen in a long time.”

Some of the fear in her eyes vanished and she stared at me like I’d sprouted a second head. I could have, I supposed, but I kind of objected to hitting on women who looked like they’d been through hell.

Besides—she was—she was her.

“Put some fucking clothes on,” Jasper snapped at her. Wow, he sucked. Or maybe he was just horny and hating himself. Either way, dick move bro. Dick move. She gave him a look that made me grin. Oh, there was a fighter in there.

I liked her already.

“Yeah, you do whatever you want, Boo-Boo,” I told her, still grinning. “I don’t think I’d want to put on clothes over any of that, either. If you want, I can just shuck my clothes, then we can be naked together. Solidarity.”

Her laugh was a goddamn gift. Still she wasn’t that steady on her feet and I started forward. So had Doc, but Jasper cut us both off.

“For fuck’s sake,” he snarled as he grabbed her bag and tossed it on the bed before giving me a shove. “Get out. You too.”

“I think I’ll wait.” Doc told him coolly. “I still need to rewrap her ankle and she needs help…”

If looks could kill, these two would have obliterated each other already. “I could help,” I said just as Jasper shoved me back into Kellan’s room. The other two were glaring at each other. Vaughn appeared in the open doorway to the hall and he glanced at me then the door.

When I made a face, he rolled his eyes but he didn’t slow down as he strolled in there. I blew out a breath as Vaughn just took over and ignored all of them. Boo-Boo took all of his focus and I sagged. Fuck me, I was gonna go eat. Then I’d sneak back in and see if she needed anything.

I barely made it to the hall before Jasper and Doc came barreling out. The two of them glared at me, but Jasper at least gave me a once over and just muttered later before the two of them took their argument somewhere else.

Fine by me.

Back in my room, I closed the door and walked over to the bed. The burger and fries were both cold when I opened the wrapping, but I didn’t care. Food was food. I ate it as I lay there on the bed and I stared up at the poster on the ceiling. It was one of her flying in silks. I’d gotten it from one of the gift shops by the theater. I’d planned to save it for Raptor, but I’d pinned it to my ceiling instead.

No matter how long I stared at that ethereal girl on the ceiling, I couldn’t reconcile it with the bruised and battered Boo-Boo in the other room. Nor did I like how much of myself I saw in her eyes. I shoved the food into my mouth and reached overto the nightstand. There were a couple of pills in a little envelope taped up against the lid. Harder to find.

I popped them both.

I’d need them.

The last thing I wanted to see was where that darkness went. Right now, I’d take whatever escape I could get.

SUSPICION (BONUS POV)

LAINEY

Grandfather was late, but his secretary called thirty minutes earlier to let me know a meeting had run long. She offered to reschedule our lunch or I could wait for him. Honestly, I didn’t have anywhere else to be and I was very fond of the seared scallops and creamy spinach stuffed salmon in the perfect garlic butter that Jacques served.

I didn’t eat at the club that often, but it was my favorite when Grandfather and I were able to steal away. Without hesitation, I’d ordered them along with the honey roasted duck that my grandfather preferred. They wouldn’t bring the meal out until he arrived, in the meanwhile, I enjoyed the sparkling water and nibbled on the charcuterie they’d brought me out to tide me over.

The combination of cheeses, smoked meat, and nuts with different jellies and compotes definitely teased my palate. So much better than school food. With a sigh, I checked my watch. In all likelihood, Grandfather would be another?—

The chair across from me moved abruptly and I glanced up to find Adam sliding into the seat.

Really?

“I’m sorry,” I said, keeping my voice even. “I’m saving that seat for a man I actually like.”

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