Page 23 of High Roller

When I’m dressed, he hands me the plate and I happily take a bite of the sandwich.

The bread is delicious. Better than any sandwich shop I’ve been to in the city. How have I never heard of this place? They probably like it that way. Something tells me the sandwich shop isn’t their main moneymaker.

“Let’s talk, Spitfire.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“How much do you want to hurt your husband?”

The question causes me to raise an eyebrow as I take a second bite. I don’t answer right away, choosing instead to mull it over while I chew the bite completely and swallow it, then I reach for the water he holds. But he pulls it out of reach and looks at me expectantly.

“I want him to suffer. He’s been cheating on me our entire relationship. I always knew he was a monster, and I let him get away with the abuse for reasons I don’t have to explain. But when we first got married, I didn’t think he would ever be unfaithful to me. He made it seem like I was the love of his life in the early days. As time went on, I realized I was more of a possession than anything else, not to mention I was the only girl his mother approved of. He has an odd relationship with his mother if you haven’t figured that out. What exactly has he done to you?”

Victor shakes his head. “I’m not giving you details. You can’t be trusted yet. But if you’re serious about making him pay, we can arrange that. If you plan to stick by him, though, you should be aware that we won’t hesitate to take you down with him.”

I believe every word coming out of his mouth, and for some reason they make me less scared of him. There is no way I’ll fully trust him again. Not after the stunt he pulled to get me here, but I no longer believe he’s going to kill me.

“There’s no way I can promise anything right now, but I’ll hear what you have to say,” I tell him. “And I have no intention of standing by Phineas. But I do intend to get as much money from him as I can before I leave. So don’t fuck that up for me.”

Victor laughs. “If I have anything to say about it, he won’t have a penny by the time I’m done. But I can’t promise that you’ll have any of it either. However, if you behave and you don’t double cross me, I’ll see that you’re taken care of financially.”

Was he seriously offering me money? I am so confused right now. I already told him I don’t actually need Finn’s money. It’s more about watching him bleed than anything else.

“Victor. Please tell me what’s going on.”

He stands. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and we’ll talk more about our plans. For now, I have some work to do before tonight. There’s a party here later. You’re going to hear noises around you. Don’t worry. We’re just having a good time. And don’t even think about trying to scream. Anyone who hears you will just think you’re having a good time, too.”

There’s a wickedness to his tone, and my curiosity about the party and the club beyond my door is even higher now. “I want to go with you.”

He looks at me incredulously. “Excuse me?”

“I said I want to go with you. To the party.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You can put me on a leash. Chain me up somewhere. I heard about the girl with the bar of soap. I just want to see what this place is all about.”

He looks at the sky and clenches his fists. “I’m going to fucking kill her.”

I wince. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. She was just rambling because I was making her nervous. But please? I want to see what this place is all about.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t promise that. We have strict rules about who can attend our parties. If you behave, I’ll talk to the others, and after things get started, I might come back for you. But you have to agree to obey everything I say. And I do fucking mean everything.”

I nod. “I promise, Victor. Anything.”

He scratches his chin. “OK. If they say yes, I’ll be back in a few hours, or I’ll send Gracie back to fetch you.”

“I like her a lot,” I tell him as he heads for the door.

“She’s a good girl.”

Something in his voice catches my attention. Does he have feelings for Gracie the way Gracie clearly has feelings for him?

It’s hard to tell, but my curiosity is up and now more than ever I want to attend this party.

The door closes behind him, and I climb off the bed, happy to be free for the first time in hours. It’s ridiculous to be excited about a party when I’m being held hostage, but I am.

I use the restroom and run my fingers through my hair. It stayed in its bun from the morning Victor kidnapped me, but it’s starting to look a little rough.

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