Page 49 of Giving In

“Wait up, ‘Me, are you okay?”

“I promise I am. They won’t try anything again. Rose scared them enough to not try again in this lifetime.” I don’t exactly want to be getting into the details of my humiliation right now.

“Rose? As in Rose White?”

“I know. I was surprised too. Please can we focus on this damn burner phone?” I shake the phone in her face, and she glances at me before refocusing on the road. She finally clicks this is not something I want to talk about and nods.

“Yep. Yuh. Sorry. Go on.”

“V’s strip club. Does it ring a bell?” I ask.

“Should it?”

“Samuel is asking Rose to go there on Friday night.”

She thinks about it as we park in front of Stoneview Prep. “The only one I can think of is the Vue Club but it belongs to Volkov. If they’re opposite gangs, why would he send her there?”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t make sen– wait, it belongs to Volkov? As in, that’s where they hang out. Him and his guys?”

“‘Me, don’t even think about it. Suicide mission.”

“It’s a strip club. Anyone can go if they want to. I want to.”

“You’re a minor,” she insists. “And you don’t want any of them to see you, what the hell!”

“Of course I do. I want to talk to them. I want answers.”

“You’re being completely delusional. They’re criminals. Theywillkill you if you get nosy. You don’t even know what they look like, how would you know who to talk to in the club? Even if you did, what will you do? Go straight up to them and ask where your brother is? Threaten them? Girl, I love you but look at yourself, you look like you’d fly away if someone blows on you. You don’t look threatening in the slightest.”

I stay silent, swallowing the bitter pill.

“‘Me,” she puts a hand on my shoulder, “when we get to this topic, you lose all sorts of rationality. Please, let’s take this one day at a time, this is going to be a long process. You’ve got the phone. Great. Now, wait and see what other texts he’ll send before running to Volkov’s sex club.”

“Sex club or strip club?” I ask as my gullible self.

“Guess,” she rolls her eyes and gets out of the car.

As hard as it is to accept, Emily is right. Only, it’s complicated to keep still when I’ve learned I’m so close to Volkov’s men. In truth, they’re never far, I could potentially get close to the bottom of their organization but there is always this fear of being recognized. I spend the day thinking this over before accepting that I must wait if I want to do this properly.

???

The week goes quicker than I thought. Jake and Rose have gone back to pretending I don’t exist. Chris gives me a shy smile every now and then, but I can’t gather the strength to talk to him after the humiliation at the party. None of this matters anyway when I’m on my phone talking to Nathan.

I can never help the smile and the warmth I get when I receive a text from him. We’ve been talking all week. Day and night. I can’t put my phone down anymore and, clearly, neither can he.

I had never had this feeling of mutual attraction and addiction. He wants to meet on Saturday and have lunch together. He doesn’t want to tell me where but says he’s planned it all.

I can’t wait to get lost in his deep ocean eyes again. I want to run my hand through his blond hair and rest my head on his shoulder. I want all the cuteness bullshit. I want to hold hands and I want to get inhibited with his elegant cologne. I just have to get through the week first.

On Friday afternoon, I’m walking towards Emily’s car when Chris calls after me. I don’t want to stop and turn around, dreading the conversation, but he quickly catches up and walks next to me.

“Hey Chris,” I force my lips into a smile but keep my gaze ahead, trying to not engage too much.

“I’ve been trying to find a moment to talk to you this week,” he smiles back.

I can’t help but glance at him and take him in. God, he’s handsome.

And unavailable for you.

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