Page 114 of Dark Love

“Dahlia could have been this woman if she had been anywhere but my club.” Too many women were taken before the dead man stupidly made his way to my club.

Understanding spreads across Max’s face. “What do you need?”

“To figure out how to help this woman…quietly. We were hoping your mother might know someone.”

“Mom is retired. Dad won’t like her working. He worked so hard to get her to step back from working and spend more time with us.”

That isn’t an acceptable answer. “She doesn’t need to work with this woman. I just need a name. Someone to step in and help her. Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll end up institutionalized.”

“It’s that bad?”

“She screams and throws a fit if the lights even get dim. Payne can’t walk away from her. She’s been by his side since we found her in the pit.”

“The pit,” Max whispers. “Mom will be by this afternoon.”

“Thank you. I owe you.” Everyone knows I pay my debts.

“No, you don’t. This isn’t a favor for you. No woman should ever have to go through that. Did she have any other friends?”

“None living.”

“How many holes were there?”

“Dozens.” Each one was worse than the last. We stopped counting.

“Are the cops aware of the situation?”

They wouldn’t have been, if it had only been the one, but there were too many bodies not to give the families peace. “It turns out a hiker stumbled upon them the next day and called the police.”

“The hiker can be trusted not to involve Prue or your other guest?”

First, he tries to steal Dahlia, then he insults me. The repercussions of killing him might not be too bad. Axe is on my payroll and from Willow Street. “He’s solid.”

“Good. If you need anything else, let me know.”

We both know I won’t be doing that. This was more than I’m comfortable with.

He stands up and starts to walk away. “Oh, don’t be surprised if Hope butts into your relationship. She views Prue as family.”

I need another person making this harder like I need a hole in the head.

Max grins at me before stalking away.

Are You Okay?

Dahlia

I should have just called in sick again today. Maybe if I hid until Monday, everyone would have forgotten that I took the day off.

People around here are busybodies. They’re all probably talking about me taking the day off and spending it with a rude man.

A man like Vex probably doesn’t bother with social niceties that often. He does what he wants regardless of what other people think.

And I worry too much about what others think.

You can do this. The people inside are adults. They aren’t going to call you names or shame you for having a man at your house alone.

Adults don’t call each other names.

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