Page 54 of Don't Lie To Me

An idea comes to me, and I spin back toward the boys. “Or do you want to test out one of your ideas, Romeo? Invite some of the guys who would be considered top tier to come and play.”

He checks his watch. “It’s nearly two in the morning.”

“This place should just be getting started then.” I pull out my phone and text Sally to send me a list of the guys she knows that might be up for some fun at this hour.

Romeo’s hand comes to my shoulder, like a weight pressing down on me. “Sloane, stop. You need to go home to bed. It’s been one hell of a night, and even though you’re trying to pretend you’re okay, you’re clearly not. I’m not sure what happened between you and Detective Wilder, but what I do know is I’m not letting you continue to trash yourself for this business.” Romeo looks at Onyx, his eyes narrowing. “I know you agree with me,” he says in his direction.

I feel Onyx’s hand on my back gently. I turn toward him knowing he can’t be siding with Romeo over me. “Why don’t you let Romeoand Sally close up the front, and I’m sure Erica has this place handled. I’ll take you home.”

I flick my eyes back to him angrily. “What the fuck, Onyx, are you two teaming up on me now?”

For a split second, pain flickers across his face, a grimace that vanishes as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual stony expression. “He has good reason to be worried about you, trouble.”

Irritation crawls under my skin. Have they been talking about me, having secret Sloane meetings when I’m not paying attention? What the hell! I thought they couldn’t stand each other. “I don’t need either of you oversized assholes’ pity, concern, or whatever the fuck this is. What I need is to do my job. My girls all missed out on income tonight because of me. I need to make sure they don’t go home empty-handed.”

Romeo’s hand trails down my arm. “We have a massive event next weekend. You and I both know it will make up for whatever they lost today.” His eyes narrow in on me like the bossy motherfucker he is. He thinks he’s in charge of me. “Go home with Onyx or I will march you out of here over my shoulder and take you back to the Moretti mansion with me.” It’s a threat, one I can see he is more than happy to make good on. In fact, by his expression, I think that’s exactly what his sick mind wants.

“Like hell you…” I stop talking when all the power goes out and I’m left in pitch black. A couple of girls shriek in fright, and I hear Erica curse out a string of profanities from the other side of the bar. My already-on-edge heart leaps into my throat. I feel Onyx and Romeo’s hands on me immediately. One at the front, the other at my back, caging me in between them protectively.

“Bill, can you check the meter box out back?” comes Onyx’s voice, as he connects with our security guard on the front door.

Romeo flicks on the flashlight on his phone, shining it at me. “You okay, doll face? You’re awfully pale,” he asks, and I hear the worry in his voice.

But I can’t think about him. I feel strange. I’m shaking my head from side to side as panic takes over, and everything I have found out tonight comes crashing down on me like a pile of bricks. The night my mom was taken from me, the sacrifice she made to keep me alive when I wasn’t even her own child. Being in this room in the pitch black brings it all back. I can hear her screams, feel my fear like it was yesterday.

Romeo wraps an arm around me, pulling me in tight, and I let him. “You’re alright. Don’t tell me the big bad Sloane Stryker is afraid of the dark.” He huffs out a laugh, and I can tell he’s trying his best to snap me out of it.

Overwhelmed by a wave of fear, I can only manage to shake my head again, a useless gesture against the rising tide of panic.

I can hear Onyx talking to our security crew from right behind me, his hand still on my waist as he dishes out orders. Something about the electrical box.

I should be the one taking charge, but my head spins, and I grip onto Romeo to stop from falling flat on my face. The next thing I know, Romeo’s lips are on mine as he kisses me passionately. His lips are so soft the kiss almost doesn’t feel real.

Or am I just so out of it and panicked that everything feels odd.

His hand, warm and strong, encircles the back of my neck, a comforting pressure that strangely calms me, so I allow him to continue. I even kiss him back, clinging to him like my life depends on him and his lips. Because right now, it feels like it does.

The lights flash on then back off again a couple of times. Then a whirl of energy is thrust into the room as all the electricity comes backon, including the lights. I pull back from Romeo immediately, my back hitting Onyx.

That might have been one hell of a kiss, but it’s the last thing I should have been doing. “What did you do that for?” I snap at him.

His lips twitch up at the sides into a cunning smile. “Thought it might break you out of whatever fucked-up place you went to.”

I glare back at him, but the room blurs around me, my eyes going all blotchy. Right before I hit the floor, Onyx’s strong arms scoop me up into his solid protective body.

He pulls me close to him, so close I can feel his erratic heart. “When are you going to start listening to me,” he snips, and I hear the disappointment in his tone.

“Take her into one of the rooms,” Romeo says, sounding bossy as hell.

Onyx mumbles an agreement, carrying me toward the private rooms.

I close my eyes, letting him, for once. I’m too out of it to argue with the two of them. I think they’re right, I need to lie down, at least until this spinning stops and I feel normal again.

They scan me through to room one, and Onyx lays me down on the luxurious bed so carefully it’s as if he thinks I’m made of glass and he’s about to crush me. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to stop this awful spinning feeling. Onyx doesn’t skip a beat, hopping onto the bed beside me he pulls me in close, his lips brushing my earlobe. “Just breathe, trouble, you’re okay,” he tells me on repeat. He knows it too, I’m having a panic attack, forced to relive the night that still haunts me. I try to push the thoughts away and focus on my breathing like he’s telling me.

I keep seeing her face that night right before she went onto the stage. She was so beautiful, so loving toward me. I don’t understandwhy she would be so selfless. Why protect me, knowing it could put her and her family in danger? I get it now, why Syd hated me so much; I was a massive inconvenience to him. But he went along with it as well, so he must have been getting something out of having me here. I wish I had more answers, but right now all I have is a massive list of questions and a hole in my heart where my family used to be.

Eventually my breathing starts to calm, and when I let my eyes flutter open, I find Romeo watching the two of us from the doorway. “Should I call Ricky?” he asks, concern etched into his handsome features.

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