Page 3 of Seducing Selena

Groaning, I let my head fall back. Gloria’s keycard was here. It must have fallen into my bag when she tossed her wallet in. She was going to need it this week. The cards tracked anyone with access to the medications. Doors opening, time stamps, the whole nine yards.

Bending down, I rested my head on the counter.

Fuck it. I would call her in the morning to come get it. She would get it before Monday and everything would be fine.

Stripping off my scrubs, I left them on the floor as I got into the shower and rinsed off the day, barely bothering to throw on a big t-shirt and underwear before climbing under the comforter.

Sometimes there were just days like this. Exhaustion creeped into your bones and settled there until you gave in and slept.

Tomorrow I would get everything together and ready. Right now? I was already fading down into the blissful dark velvet of a well-earned sleep.

* * *

The sound of movement woke me. I sighed, rolling over on the bed. It was just the birds outside. Whenever I was close to my heat and my sleep was lighter, I always woke up like this. God, just go back to sleep.

Acreaksounded loudly in my hallway. That wasn’t birds.

What the fuck?

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled.

I rolled back over toward my bedroom door, every sense on high alert. Was I imagining things?

The door burst open, a shadow moving so quickly I couldn’t move. Someone on top of me, cloth shoved to my face. I screamed and struggled, the sound going nowhere with the cloth they were able to hold so tightly. Their body was heavy on mine.

How could this be happening?

I pushed against my attacker and arched my back, trying to throw them off, but my strength was fading. I’d inhaled too much of whatever was soaked in the cloth, gross, sickly smelling, and heady. It made everything fuzzy. My body was falling unconscious again, and this time I didn’t want to go.

CHAPTER TWO

____________

NICHOLAS

The club was busy. It was a Saturday night, so it was always busy. On both sides of the business.

Standing on the balcony, looking at the busy floor, I craved something I couldn’t have. All the people inCatenaright now, having fun, sexy scenes filled with joy and not thinking about anything but their own pleasure.

I wanted that again.

“Feeling sorry for yourself again?” Sebastian asked, joining me at the railing.

“No,” I lied.

He sighed. “It’s fine, Nick. I am too.”

Three years into this, and we were close to being done. Every day now felt like it lasted a thousand years. Because catering to some of the world’s most evil people would do that to you. “Is everything ready?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Everyone is backstage, making sure they smell thoroughly enticing. And Delano is just getting settled.”

I growled, grateful the thumping bass of the music covered the sound. “I don’t want him here.”

“Neither do I. Too bad it’s not an option.”

Christopher Delano was one of the world’s biggest pieces of shit. Even bigger than me and my pack mates. And we were lucky enough to be hosting him for two weeks at the club as our honored guest. Becausehewas bringing other ‘honored guests,’ and we needed him to get to them. Not to mention he wanted to observe our operation before we hammered out what was sure to be a very lucrative deal.

But that didn’t mean I liked having him under our roof.