Page 36 of Gilded Desires

“And Polaris?”

His face turns grim. “She’s not going anywhere. That’s a fucking promise.”

Back in my room I grab my phone and slide down the back of my door wanting to cry and bury my face into Rush’s chest while Gage and Aziel hold me. I pull up our group chat and send out a message.

I miss you.

Aziel is the first to reply.

Come back to us.

I send back:

I wish I couldand drop my phone on the bedwishingI had full control over my life.

Ten

Belle

The next evening, I pace the small space of carpeted flooring in my dressing room. The unsigned contracts are on the table along with a blue pen. I read them the second I arrived. It’s an open-ended contract. We—Gage, Rush, Aziel, and myself—are obligated to perform at least eight times over the course of three months in Room Two also known as the Mirror Room. The first week we must be on stage at least five times with the remaining three nights at our leisure.

Eight times in front of a crowd.

Doable.

The money is nice, too. One hundred grand for each of us.

There’s no debating sex sells.

I chew at my nails, a habit I thought I’d broken back in sixth grade. Apparently, not entirely. I pace one way and retrace my steps back. Does this make me a hooker? An escort with benefits? Do I care if I get to have them?

Hot and cold flashes hit me with knock-out punches.

I fling the door open and cross a small hallway and duck inside a kitchenette area with a small sofa, a table in the middle, and a refrigerator in the back. The hostess who showed me back here said this room is for the performers and workers of the club. I give a chin nod to a couple of ladies in The Society uniforms lounging on the couch and zero in on grabbing some cold water. Anything to cool off the overheating happening on the inside. I can’t believe I agreed to this. I don’t know what I am more nervous about. Seeing the men after our text messaging last night or the show.

I mentally reach for the jittery butterflies beating up my stomach.

Definitely the show.

I crack the lid open and down the chilled water. I go for another when I finish the first tiny bottle.

The ladies are speaking in hushed voices but honestly, it’s so quiet back here they might as well be speaking normally.

“The men of the Southern Alliance are looking for a breeder and we are in neutral territory. I don’t see how we cannot accommodate them.”

I tune in and listen a little harder, drinking my water a bit slower.

The Southern Alliance. Sapphire’s men. Well, not hers but she’s been in lust with them for two years.

The blonde one says, “If we can’t help them, they’ll go somewhere else.”

I have to let Sapphire know. My heart stops but I keep my feet moving like I haven’t heard a single word. Should I mention something to the women? Hell no. Sapphire will kill me if I do something rash.

I grab my water and head back to my dressing room with ideas of how to play cupid firing off in my head.

Every single one of them is a bad idea but hey, what are cousins for?

And then I remember Cassius and Polaris. Harlon and Santi. Fuck. I didn’t see Polaris this morning after Cassius told me he would handle everything. If Harlon sent her away, I’ll kill him.

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