Page 148 of High Roller

A tear drips down Grace’s cheek, and my heart constricts.

“What is it, Grace?”

“I’m a little scared too.”

“Of what?”

“Losing you,” she whispers.

“Oh sweetheart. You’re not losing me. Not any time soon. I’m around for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Victor is worried it won’t be safe to have you at the house after this.”

I close my eyes. It’s a fear I have as well. “There are other options, Grace. We’re going to figure things out, and I’ll see you tonight, one way or another.”

“OK. I’m glad you’re leaving him.”

“Me too, lover. Call Victor as soon as we say goodbye. Don’t sit at home crying by yourself.”

“I don’t want to bother him.”

“Grace. Call him. Understood? I’m going to ask if he got a call from you and the answer better be yes.”

Her breath catches, and she sucks in a shaky breath as the tears subside.

“Yes, Goddess,” she whispers.

“Good girl. I’ll talk to you soon.”

When I end the call, I’m more at peace than I was, but my body is still shaking when we arrive at the attorney’s office on Bridger Avenue near the courthouse.

“It sounds like you have a fun dynamic with Victor and Grace,” Trinity says. I know she’s trying to put me at ease, and I appreciate the effort.

“It’s wild how fast it happened. One minute I was trying to lose all of Finn’s money and the next I’m naked in a BDSM club falling in love with two people at the same time.”

Trinity waves a hand with a grin. “So basically, it was an average Tuesday in Las Vegas.”

It makes me laugh, and when we exit the vehicle, I’m much more relaxed.

As we are walking in, I spy two paparazzi with cameras, and I duck my head, grateful for the large sunglasses Trinity loaned me.

Hunter’s security team immediately surrounds us, so there is little chance either of the men got useful photos, but they still make me uneasy.

In the attorney’s office, we go through all the paperwork necessary to file for a divorce. She asks intrusive questions about the abuse, the cheating, and his affinity for certain types of sex workers. Most of the questions I answer with ease. But then she stands and opens a drawer, pulling out a camera. “We need to document any bruises and scars from the abuse for the court. It will go a long way to getting you what you want out of a settlement and may even lead to criminal charges for your husband.”

My palms are suddenly sweaty and my heart beats loud in my ears. I grip the arms of the chair I’m sitting in and shake my head. “I… I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

My face turns hot and sweat beads at the back of my neck. Knots twist in my stomach and I look around for the nearest restroom. What is happening? I feel like I’m going to vomit and pass out all at the same time. My underarms have soaked my blouse. Blood rushes in my ears and I can’t hear what the attorney is saying, but I see the concern in her eyes. I stand and back away from the desk, looking for an escape. But the room is full of people. Too many. They shouldn’t be hearing all of this.

Unable to help myself, I drop to the floor and hug my knees. “I don’t want to do this. It’s not going to end well. He’ll kill me.”

I rock back and forth and close my eyes. The rest of the world falls away, and I’m lost in a whirlwind of thoughts and labored breathing. A part of me knows people are watching, but I can’t make myself stop or get up. And that’s the last thing I remember until I hear a familiar voice in my ear.

“Come on, Spitfire. Open your eyes and look at me. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

“Victor?” I whisper. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you think I was just going to stay at the casino? I’m not going to leave you alone. I promised you that. There’s a coffee shop across the street. I’ve been camped there since you arrived. Since I didn’t need a caravan of security to get here, I was able to beat you by a few minutes.”

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