Page 41 of City of Salvation

So, who was it that betrayed her? Was that why the Russians wanted her? Did she kill someone she wasn’t supposed to?

“I wa—” Whatever she was about to say, or not say, was cut off.

Robert came barreling between us, shattering the little bubble of intimacy we'd been sharing. The vulnerability in her blue eyes vanished, replaced by a playful smile and a cheery tone—a tactic I could spot from a mile away.

As the saying goes,like recognizes like.

“Hey, fucker. Where’s my burrito?”

The paper bag got snatched from my hand, and Robert wasted no time unwrapping the foil. He took a bite, moaning obnoxiously loud around the mouthful. Annoying fucker. I couldn't blame him—I’d done the same thing earlier. Nikki had teased me about how vocal I was, so, naturally, I told her she should hear me in bed.

Which fucking backfired on me because the way she eyed my lips while licking hers caused my dick to stir to life. Tonight was going to be a total bitch. Ihadto watch her dance because it was my literal job now, which meant blue balls were an inevitable part of my life for the foreseeable future.

My hand was going to be busy as hell.

I shoulder-checked Robert, hoping to distract myself from thoughts of having to see Nikki’s body in lace and somehow act professionally. “Listen, asshole, go somewhere else while you eat that thing because I’m hungry as fuck,” I bitched.

Nikki stopped mid-sentence, putting a pause on the conversation she and Beto were having about tonight's show. "You literally just devoured a burrito and three tacos. How can you still be hungry?" she asked, giving me a shocked look.

"Tacos don't count," Robert and I said in perfect unison, bumping fists at how in sync we were.

“In fact,” Robert said with a mouthful. “Sometacosdon’t even have calories. They’re just deliciously juicy.” He jammed his elbow into my ribs as if I needed the hint.

I smirked at him. “Robert, don’t act like you eat pussy. Who’s letting you near them when you eat like that?” I asked, pointing to how he was making an absolute mess of his burrito. “No fucking finesse.” My teasing earned me a middle finger.

Ialmostslipped up and told him he could ask Nikki how goodIwas with my tongue, but I’d just gotten myself out of hot water from talking about eating her out. Which, in retrospect, I wasn’t entirely positive she’d gone completely still because she disliked what I’d said.

“Y’all are weird,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air like an actress in one of those Spanish soap operas Betoplayed in the background when I'd chill at his place. I never had any idea what they were saying, but clearly whatever was happening was juicy as fuck based solely on the amount of times people slapped each other.

At that moment, Nikki looked like she was ready to do the same to us, or maybe knock our heads together.

She left us, yelling over her shoulder. “Go find something to do. I’ll see you both later. And don’t youdareget any private dances tonight, Dex.”

Her tone was downright scary, but I swore there was a tinge of jealousy in it, and it did something to my insides. I loathed when women got territorial on me—meant they were getting too attached. So why the fuck was I willing to let Nikki put a fucking leash on me if she wanted to?

Robert shot me a glance as he chewed the last of his burrito. “Why the fuck can’t you get a dance?”

I shrugged a shoulder, fighting to hide the smirk.

But I was thinking it might be time to change my views on girlfriends.

CHAPTER 19

NIKKI

IF YOU’RE A CUNT, I’M A CUNT RIGHT BACK

Even Lotería’sslow nightswere fucking busy.

Back when I’d first started, I was just another dancer in and out of clubs. Not all, but most who got in this line of work had some shit they were running from. Either our past, present, or future. If you were extra special, like me, it was all fucking three.

Dancing was all I had.

Daddy dearest had shelled out for the finest classical training money could buy. I’d been naive enough to believe it was a sign of his confidence in my talent, that he thought I had what it took to become a professional ballerina. Little did I know, it was all just a way for him to keep me in check and under constant surveillance.

“Shit.”

I sucked off the bead of blood that welled up where I’d managed to cut myself with the tiny scissors I was using to trim my false lashes. Crystal let out a chuckle from beside me.

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