Page 88 of Sasha and the Heir

Seventeen

A large man in an extremely tight black shirt that said “security” opened the door. As I passed, he leered down at me. “Enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, relieved he didn’t ask to see my ID.

The chill from outside was replaced by the warmth of the club as I navigated the dim space. Bright lights shined down on the two stages where nearly naked women danced, leaving the rest of the room dark.

“Scuse me, hon.” A busty pirate brushed past me with a tray of shots.

Glancing around the packed room, I found a flight of stairs that led up to the second floor and what looked like a VIP section. I needed to get up there. Squaring my shoulders, I went straight to the bar where the bottle girls lined up to collect their drink orders.

A woman in a set of white lingerie with red crosses over her nipples jammed bottles of expensive champagne in ice buckets. When I stepped up, she asked, “Hey, you new?”

“Yeah, a last-minute cover.”

“Here are the buckets for the VIP. Why don’t you take them up and find Honey? She’ll show you the ropes.”

Surprised that I was being handed my ticket to get closer to Cy, I grinned and grabbed the two buckets with a grunt.

The bartender chuckled and jerked her chin toward the stairs. “Next time, send Toby down. Those buckets suck to carry.”

“No joke,” I huffed, doing my best to elegantly walk in my platform heels while burdened with impossibly heavy buckets. Each step was a test of my ankles and determination. At the top of the stairs was another beefcake. This one watched me with an apologetic smile.

“Oh shit. You shouldn’t have gone and gotten that.”

“No worries.” I puffed out a breath that sent my blond bangs flying up.

“Toby!” he shouted, and a smaller guy with a buzz cut rushed to his side.

“Yeah.”

“Grab those buckets from her. And next time the girls send an order down to the bar, make sure you’re the one to get them and bring them up here.”

“Shit.” Toby met me in the middle of the stairs, took the handles from me, then ran back up to the VIP like they weighed nothing.

The big guy took my hand and helped me up the last few stairs. “Dimitri’s in the corner and completely shit-faced,” he mumbled in my ear and gently pushed me in that direction.

I forced on a smile and gave him a thumbs up over my shoulder as I walked toward absolutely the last person I wanted to talk to.

“Motherfucker,” I grumbled as I approached the couch where my former friend and lover sat.

“You’re new.” He frowned, his eyes traveling from the top of my bunny ears to the tip of my shiny heels. “Come get to know me.” I allowed him to pull me down next to him, grimacing when I caught a whiff of his breath. “I thought tonight would be a total waste.”

Twisting the cap on a bottle of water, I giggled. “Drink this.”

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed, but he took it and drank half. “I know you,” he slurred.

“You’re drunk.” I laughed and swatted his arm, swinging my hair to create a barrier between us.

“I’m wasted, but you’re—” Dimitri crowded me until my back was pressed against the couch. His eyes widened, and he rasped, “Sasha?”

“Shut up.” I grabbed his cheeks to keep him from making a scene. If anyone looked our way, they would think we were having a little kiss.

“If Cy sees you here, you’re dead.” He blinked rapidly, his skin heating under my touch.

“And that’s why you need to keep your cool. No one here knows me. As far as they know, I’m the new girl filling in at the last minute. So why don’t you point me in the direction of Cy?”

Dimitri's expression hardened, and he pried my hands from his face only to put his lips to my ear. “Sasha. I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.”

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