Page 341 of Cheaters: A Dark Romance Anthology

I lay in yesterday’s clothes, covered in the evidence of my inability to push Nolan from my head, and wait for my erection to fade. After five minutes, I give up and head into the shower. When I step out of the shower, the bell at the front door is buzzing. No one is here to answer it. The staff won’t be back in until later today, and none of my team stay here in the club. I’ve never allowed it, needing this private space away for just me.

I slip on a pair of pants and take the elevator down, fully intending to snap on whoever is there, but when I open the door, Nolan is standing there in a tight-fitting tank top and black leggings. I stare at her, processing the sight of seeing her again, when I notice the redness around her eyes like she’s been rubbing them. I hold open the door for her and let her enter.

“You said I am yours now, right?” she asks.

Fuck. Of all the ways she would react to the deposit, I didn’t think this was it. My gut wrenches at the idea of having hurt her.

“Nolan...”

“Answer the question, King.”

“Yes, I said that.”

“Then I need your help.”

I notice the shaking then. She holds something in her hands, crumpling it without thought. Her eyes dart around the room, searching the corners for someone, anyone.

“We’re alone here. Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Someone is coming after me. I... I thought it was a joke at first. That maybe you were just fucking with me.”

“What happened?” I ask again with steady calm.

“There’s a video on my phone. A video of me sleeping in my bed last night. I didn’t hear anyone come in, but it’s my room, my bed. He... he’s touching himself while watching me.”

“Show me.”

“I thought it was you. It was funny, and I was already planning ways to get back at you, then I swiped over. He has her.”

“Has who?”

“Erin. She was the tiny brunette yesterday. She’s never harmed a soul, I swear.”

“Nolan. I need you to explain. Who has her? How do you know?”

She shoved the crumbled paper into my hand. I read through the note once... twice... three times.

You think you’re clever. You think you’re smart. It could have been you, right from the start. One down. Five to go. Which whore will be next?

Carefully folding the note, I place it in my pocket. “Let me see the photo.”

She pulls her phone out and tries to unlock it but mistypes the passcode twice before finally getting it right. Once open, she clicks the photo album and passes it to me.

My blood runs cold. Her friend is duct taped to a wooden chair in the center of a room. Mascara runs in rivulets down her cheeks. The terror in her eyes is palpable. I examine the photo carefully, picking up details around the room that Nolan wouldn’t know to look for, like the clock on the wall. It shows the time at 11:25. Considering it’s only nine am now, I must assume one of two things. Either the clock is wrong, or whoever this is has had the girl since last night at the latest, yesterday morning at the earliest, considering I interrupted the meeting yesterday at around nine a.m.

I swipe over and watch the video of Nolan sleeping soundly in her bed. She mumbles in her sleep, calling out my name. “Ignore that. I was dreaming about the best way to kill you there.”

“Right. Of course.”

Something about the man in the video feels familiar. I can’t quite put my finger on why. I watch the video once again, screenshotting a few stills and texting them to myself, then slide back over and send the photo of Erin to my cell too. When I finish, I pass the phone back to Nolan.

“You’re staying with me until I find out who did this, and make no mistake, I will find out.”

Her shoulders deflate with relief. I contemplate pulling her to me, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, and telling her everything will be okay. In the end, I walk away. Halfway to the elevator, I turn to her and beckon her to follow. She does so dejectedly.

Mentally, I run through the people who might have a reason to go after her because of me. It’s possible I’m not connected to them at all, but something about this feels eerily similar. My instincts are telling me it’s connected to me. But why go after the girl and leave Nolan alone?

Because he knows I would kill him. No questions asked. I don’t take kindly to people fucking with my things. And Nolan was mine now, whether I wanted her or not.

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