Page 48 of Vegas Daddies

But that would upset Alice.

And upsetting Alice feels as immoral as killing an innocent.

“Send us all of your late shifts, Alice. Night shifts included,” Brander says. “One of us will be on guard, and we’ll follow you home in future to make sure you get back safe.”

She nods. “What should I do about my father?”

“Take your own advice,” Lifesaver says. “Donotunder any circumstance mention anything about us. It can be our secret.” He eyes all four of us.

Alice grimaces. “What if I’ve already told Tammy and Rachel?”

“Then tell them to keep quiet,” I say. “Because this can’t get out.”

“No.” Lifesaver stuffs his hands in his pockets. Not even a photo could properly capture the look on his face. For the first time ever, the guy doesn’t have smooth sailing.

A pager beeps in his pocket. He pulls it out to examine the small screen, and then says, “I should go. They need me down in acute.”

The room falls silent when he leaves.

I twiddle my fingers to busy them because I can’t stand the silence. What a night. Fucking hell. Lifesaver loves his friend enough to jump headfirst into Bratva webs and save his life, butnotenough to stop seeing his beloved daughter.

Betrayal doesn’t get much bigger than this.

12

BRANDER

I’d taketwo black eyes again over this. I might as well locate a shovel and get the grave set up—I’m dead when Alice’s father finds out I slept with his daughter.

He’s a tall, slim man with very little muscle mass, but he’s Alice’s only parent,notsome sleaze off the street asking for it that I can finish with one punch.

At least I won’t be in the limelight. Lifesaver stands no chance when the truth gets out. And it will. The streets teach you that no lie remains covered forever. At eighteen years old, I befriended a Belarusian guy who dabbled in and out of the Bratva. Members were sworn to secrecy, and outsiders were paid generously to zip their lips. The truth came out every time.

Fate unfolds everything. Leaves no stone unturned. One day Peter will know the truth. Whether it’s loose lips or the whispering wind, he will find out, and I need to prepare myself for when he does.

“Am I supposed to sleep here tonight, then?” Alice asks.

“That’s what Lifesaver said, sweetness,” Match says.

“But the concussion was a lie. What’s the point in me staying here?”

“I’m not sure,” he admits.

Match has been spaced out the whole night. His eyes froze the minute Peter strolled in, body like a fucking statue. As club secretary, his shit is supposed to be the most together, but things have been different since Alice’s arrival, like the lights are on but nobody’s home. Dissociation is what it is. I was like this myself during the winter when I was homeless, when the temperature was below freezing and the only way to create heat was to pretend I was elsewhere, like laid out on the beach sweating buckets.

The man is in denial. He’s dueling with his heart and mind.

And the stakes have just increased. Significantly.

Me? I’m just concerned with spending as much time with Alice as possible before doomsday arrives.

“How are you feeling, darling?” I ask.

Tiredness wells under her eyes, but oddly, it looks good on her. Gives her this sort of cute look that just makes me want to encase her tiny frame in my arms and never let go.

“I…don’t really know how to feel.” She lies back, head hitting the pillow. My eyes can’t help but check out her breasts. The slouched V-neck design of her scrub T-shirt partially exposes her cleavage. Suddenly it’s all I can think about. “All I know is that I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Match and I exchange a look.

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