Page 26 of Captivated

“I have to. I shouldn’t have come here. It was stupid to think I could use you as a distraction.”

“It’s not stupid. I’ll happily be your distraction. In fact, if you take your clothes off right now, I’ll distract you for the rest of the day.”

“That was the last time, Nico. I can’t do this with you. Just leave me alone.”

I walk towards the door of his hotel suite, but as I reach for the handle, Nico covers my hand with his again. “I can’t leave you alone, Cassandra. I’ll go mad.”

“Then go mad.” I shake his hand off and fling the door open.

My heart is racing. It’s trying to go back to Nico as I lead it away from him.

I order a rideshare in the elevator so it’s outside waiting for me by the time I get down there.

I need to remain calm. I need to think.

I’ll have to find another job. I’ll have to find another club to dance in if I’m going to make enough money to help Sean. Even if we can’t get the full amount, getting close has to be good enough for now, right? Hopefully I can buy us another few weeks if I can show them I can eventually pay the full amount.

~ Chapter 9 ~

Cassie

I tried to get my job back at Dark Horse yesterday despite Nico getting me fired, but I wasn’t even let inside. The two bouncers at the door stopped me and I waited for Sam to come out to tell me he couldn’t let me in under any circumstances. He did, however, pull me aside and reluctantly tell me that I should check out Pandemonium Gentleman’s Club for a job. He gave me their number and told me he’d call the manager there and put in a good word.

I miss lazy Sunday mornings, where the only decision I needed to make that day was where I was ordering dinner from and what show or movies I was going to binge.

Now, I’m waking up just as stressed as I was when I went to sleep, with my stomach in knots, scared I won’t have my brother here next weekend.

A hot shower loosens my sore muscles, and I lean against the tiled wall when I think ofhimand yesterday. I’ve never felt closer, yet still so far away from a person than I did yesterday.

He was just supposed to be some fun.

Before the night I met him, I was attempting the whole dating app thing. I was ready to try and find someone I could connect with and stave off the loneliness I was feeling, but it was a complete disaster. I went on an endless amount of first dates, and none of them ever amounted to anything past that.

Then I met Nico, and he’s been the only man I’ve wanted to spend more time with, and actuallyget to know on a deeper level,in quite a long time. But at the same time, I know Ishouldn’t. I shouldn’t get close to him. I shouldn’t let him have influence over any aspect of my life – now or in the future.

I left that life behind when I was twelve, and it’s only brought my brother trouble since he tried to get back into it.

My best friend, Lexi, is with Nico’s brother, Vinny, and they’re so in love it’s disgusting. She tried to avoid him and tried not to like him, but Vinny has a charm about him that’s hard to resist. They’re good together. They understand one another. They complete and challenge each other in a way Lexi didn’t know possible.

It's funny, considering she was the one who called me to warn me that Nico was a Carfano and I should be careful with him, when she’s the one who fell head over heels for the guy she was trying to avoid.

“Hey, Cass?” Sean calls from downstairs.

“Yeah?”

“Do you have someone with you up there?”

“What? No, why?”

“Because there’s a car in the driveway that I don’t recognize. And I sure as hell know our neighbors aren’t able to afford one like that.”

I walk downstairs and find Sean in the living room, peering out the front window. “A car like what?” I ask.

“A brand new red Range Rover.”

I stand next to him and look out at the driveway we share with our neighbors. They’re a normal, middle-class family, with both parents being teachers at the local elementary school, and a son in middle school that keeps them busy with all the sports he’s in. I doubt they could afford it either, but you never know where money comes from.

“Maybe they have a guest over. Why are you being so nosey?”

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