Page 67 of Cruelly Fated
Then he caught himself, and the edginess around his eyes abated.
“Baby—” he said, voice quiet and strained.
“Stop right there,” I said, arms outstretched and palms facing him. My eyes blinked on overdrive now as liquid threatened to spill. “You’re right, I don’t,” I whispered, my gaze flicking to the bag I’d hastily thrown together after leaving the bathroom, now slumped against the kitchen island. Was that my sign?
I peered at him. His expression hardened. He didn’t want me to go—but what did he expect?
Rage surged up my spine. I’d let myself care for this savage billionaire. To be fooled by his seemingly down-to-earth demeanor and magnetic presence. He’d made me feel wanted. Safe. Like I mattered. What a fool I’d been!
I whirled on my heel and snatched the bag, then darted toward the elevator and jumped inside it. I swear the door worked against me, refusing to close.Come on, come on.I looked everywhere but at him. Finally, it began sliding closed.
When the door was halfway there, Kyon stepped into view. Fury rippled off his tense frame. His eyes burned green and wild, swirling like a storm barely held back. His face shifted into something raw. Desperate. My name fell from his lips just as he surged forward.
I backed into the elevator, heart pounding as the gap narrowed. It was a race, him against the door.
“Close,” I whispered. As if obeying, the door snapped shut.
For a moment, all I could hear was my breathing.
Bang!A fist slammed into the other side, the metal groaning. I flinched as an indentation swelled inward the shape of a clenched fist.
My body trembled. Was I afraid of him? Surprisingly, no. But I couldn’t get past what he stood for. My mother was dead because of his family.
Sniffling, I shouldered my way out before the elevator door could fully open and raced to my car. I drove off with the wheels squealing and my heart breaking into pieces.
Twenty-Eight
ALLIE
Larry drove us to the new club in downtown Avari, along a stretch of elegant storefronts that catered to the city’s elite. Entertainment here didn’t come cheap; everything from boutique lounges to upscale casinos shimmered beneath pulsing neon. Fountains sprayed choreographed patterns outside high-rise hotels, and roller coasters looped around buildings like life was onebig theme park.
He pulled into the back alley of a sleek new venue, its front glowing with animated signage. A line of elegant patrons, men and women alike, waited outside, chatting and checking their reflections, hoping to impress the bouncer. I glanced at Larry. He hadn’t been exaggerating; the business was growing. I hadn’t expected this.
“What is this place exactly?” I asked.
“It’s a new-age club,” he said. “You’ll be dancing on elevated platforms spaced throughout the floor. The patrons dance too; it’s mostly young people looking for a good time and something pretty to look at. Not like the strip club you’re used to.”
Oh. That…I could work with.
“But the real money is in private dance requests,” he added. “They pay big for those here. You could make enough in one night to cover your lawyer. I get ten percent as your manager.”
My head whipped toward him. “Mymanager?” More like a handler—or worse, a pimp. I stopped walking, red flags popping up in my head.
“Come on now,” Larry coaxed. “We haven’t signed anything official. Yet. You’re not bound by contract.” He took a long pull from his cigar and flicked the ash to the side. “I’ll tell you what—tonight, you keep all the money. Minus the club’s share.”
I pinched my lips. I needed the money, desperately. I’d already sworn off using Kyon’s lawyer after our exchange earlier today. I was cutting all ties between us. My chest ached at the thought, and a migraine threatened to settle at the base of my skull, butthe separation was necessary. And if they really paid that well here, I had an obligation to my grandpa to take the gig.
“What do I need to do?”
Larry flashed a megawatt smile.
A few minutes later, I was swaying my hips to a slow, pulsing song on a five-foot-wide circular platform—one of dozens scattered around the club’s massive interior. Small LED lights glowed pink at the base of mine, a sign I was open for private dances. Larry had explained that only select VIP patrons knew what each color meant, like some kind of secret society signal.
A group of women gathered by my stand, drinks in hand. They watched me with curiosity and appreciation, even mimicking a few of my moves. I smiled, sliding closer to the edge, letting my rhythm shift into something bolder. They giggled, flushed, and kept trying to follow along.
The DJ dropped an upbeat techno track, and laser lights sliced through the air. I dropped to my knees and bounced to the rhythm, tossing my hair around like a wild creature. After an hour of dancing, my skin slick with a fine sheen of sweat, I hopped down from my platform in search of water. One of the other dancers, a guy with peacock feathers sprouting from his tailbone, joined me at the bar, where a tray of water glasses had magically appeared.
“You new? I saw you out there—slay, sister, slay,” he said between gulps, then bounced back into the crowd toward his platform. I smiled to myself and took a few more sips. I was actually enjoying this. Even if no one requested a private dance, Icould make enough in a few nights to put a solid down payment on the lawyer.
