“Just a few hours,” she said in a weak voice.
I listened to them kiss and heard the door open as I slipped upstairs. Running to my bedroom, I slammed the door and closed my eyes as I curled up on the bed. It wouldn’t be the first or the last time I’d cry myself to sleep over her actions, but something did change that night. When my mother left, my dad came into my room and kissed me on the forehead. He made a promise that night that I would never forget and that he would never break.
“No more of this, honey. No more drinking and no more lousy fights. I’m done. From this point on, I promise you I will be a good enough parent that you won’t ever miss her again, okay? I love you, forever and always.”
I closed my eyes as we approached the diner, the memory slipping away. He’d kept his word, sobering up and making sure I was taken care of for the rest of my young life.
After a little while, the line fell silent. I shook myself out of the heartbreaking moment and back into the real world.
“Dad, I’ve gotta go. I’ll give you a call in the morning, okay?”
“All right, honey, I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad,” I said softly, recalling all he’d done for me. “So very much.”
“Have fun, kiddo. I’m proud of you.”
I hung up as the diner came into view. The butterflies in my stomach returned as I saw Nate. I swallowed hard. It was going to be an interesting night.
Chapter Six
Nate
When I saw her pull up, I couldn’t believe how excited I was at the prospect of seeing her again. I was a little disappointed when she declined my invitation for drinks. A few cocktails and she would have been much more pliable, but I was looking at the end game, not the immediate gratification. I jogged out to meet her and smiled as she climbed out. She looked off, like something was bothering her. I wondered if it was something I should push, but the last thing I wanted to do was upset her.
“I’m glad that you found the place. Any problems?” I gently prodded.
She shook her head. “Just thinking about the past. It always gets you, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. She had no idea how close to home she really hit. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“No, just thinking about my mom.”
“That can be rough. I never knew my parents, not really.”
“Oh,” Anna said, “I’m sorry to hear that. My dad raised me. He’s a good man, but he likes to worry a lot.”
“I got that feeling earlier. He cares about you and that’s important. Trust me, I wish I had parents who cared.”
“Father, yes. Mother, not so much. She was never really there.”
“One parent is better than none. You said he knew Blake?”
She shrugged. “A long time ago, my mother worked with Blake, so my dad knows what kind of man he is.”
“So,” I ventured carefully, “does your dad know that you’re here now?”
Anna smiled. “No. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell him. He’s loving but protective. Meeting a stranger in a hotel bar then again for dinner didn’t seem like a great way to convince him I’m taking care of myself.”
“Good point,” I said as the waitress took our orders.
I was glad she didn’t tell her father about me. I couldn’t be sure, but since he was familiar with Blake, there was chance he would know about me too. That would ruin any chance I had with her and eliminate the last opportunity there would be for me to pay off my debts and be free from Big Joey. I was playing a dangerous game.
Our drinks came, and an awkward silence fell around the table. I didn’t want to lose her, but it had been a long time since I’d met a woman with any substance; a sober one was even more of an enigma.
“I’m sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date. Tell me about yourself,” I offered.
Anna laughed. “Wow, that sounded like a really bad pickup line.”
I grinned. “I already got you here. I don’t need a good one.” I winked at her. “I just want to know what it is that brought you to Vegas. You seem like such a nice girl.”
“Wow, you really are out of practice, aren’t you? What’s a nice girl like me doing in a town like this?”
“Something like that.”
“So how do you know Blake? I mean, it seems like you know an awful lot about him.”
I swallowed hard. I knew the question was coming, but I still wasn’t ready for it. The answer was a lie I was now well versed in. She wasn’t the first woman I’d met who was wrapped in a web of Blake’s making, and I knew she wouldn’t be the last. Still, there was something different about her…but I needed to bury those growing feelings. This was my last shot.
“I work mostly in private security. An old client of mine was a performer who worked with him. That’s how I knew about the drugs and the back room. There isn’t much I don’t know about that pig.”
“So a woman you were working for got sucked into his web too? What happened?”
I laughed. “She ended up being one of the lucky ones. She made it out without being too damaged. I didn’t work for her afterward because she revealed just how bad her judgment really was. I didn’t want to be associated with her.”
“Wow,” she said. “So you turned down a paying job out of honor? Not many people would do that. I’m impressed.”
She slid her hand across the table and took mine. A jolt of desire coursed through my body, reminding me how attractive she was. I fought the urge to pull my hand away. She was falling for me, which was what I wanted, but a sinking feeling in my stomach reminded me what a fraud I was. Anna was falling for the private bodyguard, the man who was honorable and kind. Not the man I really was.
I didn’t quit the job because of my morals. I quit because it wasn’t a job at all. She was my ex-girlfriend, and when she decided to shack up with Blake, I skipped out of the situation. But not before taking her credit cards, cash, and social security number.
“I’m not all roses and butterflies, you know. I have my dark side,” I said as I pulled my hand away.
She flushed red. “I know you do. We all have secrets. I’m just thrilled that fate brought us together.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. Fate and knowing that you would be at the hotel. “So, working for Blake, huh? Are you worried?” I had to turn the conversation back to her.
Anna shook her head, her blond hair falling in loose tendrils over her face. My body twitched, wanting to brush the hair away and touch her delicate skin. “No,” she said, “I’ve dealt with a lot of slim balls in my life. I’m more excited than anything to be headlining the show. This is my big break. I’m so grateful for the chance.”
“If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you have the talent. Don’t worry about whether you make it big now or not. No matter what, you’re going to be something big someday.”
“Yeah,” she said, looking confused. “But this show means the world to me. I just know it’s going to open all the doors I want. Or at least, it has the potential to. I don’t know what I would do if something happened and it all went wrong.”
“Hey,” I said, taking her hand. Her cheeks blushed darker, sending the fire down my legs. “No matter what happens, you are a star, and that won’t ever change.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like anything is going to happen. Blake may be a dirt bag, but this thing is being publicized all over the country. Even he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything this time.”
I wanted to warn her about what Blake was up to, but I knew she didn’t trust me enough to take my warning to heart. She would think I had ulterior motives, which I did, but I needed to get closer to her before we had that conversation. For now, the only thing I could do was keep trying to gain her trust while I fell further into the web of her beauty and charm. Every time her body moved, my eyes shifted to her breasts.
“Oh,” she said, “I just remembered. Practice starts pretty early tomorrow morning.”
> “I should probably get you home then.”
I left some money on the table and took her hand as we walked outside.
“You don’t have to drive me. I can take another Uber or maybe a taxi. I don’t want you going out of your way. I had a great time tonight.”
“No way,” I shot back. “I want to give you a ride. Don’t tell me you still don’t trust me.”
“Oh, I trust you. I just don’t know if I trust myself at this point. It’s been a long day.”
I ran my fingers up her arm, letting them linger on her shoulders as I pulled her closer to me. I was playing a dangerous game. My feelings for her were growing and I didn’t like that. She was getting under my skin in the best of ways. Anna gazed up at me, her bottom lip falling between her teeth and pushing me closer to the brink of insanity. Her eyes, like those of a doe, were nothing if not enchanting.
“I promise I won’t try anything, okay? Let me be the gentleman and give you a ride back to your hotel. After that, you won’t hear from me again until you want to.”
“That’s easy. I already want to see you again.”
“Okay,” I said as I slid my fingers around her waist. “What about dinner tomorrow? Maybe something fancier than a diner?”
“I would love that.”
“Then let me take you back to the hotel so you can get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day for you.”
Anna nodded and held my hand as I led her to my car. As she slipped into the passenger seat and I gently closed the door, I let out the breath I had been holding. Anna was wonderful. She was spunky and ambitious, not to mention stunningly attractive. I’d expected her to be a little flaky and maybe not as deep as other women, given her age, but that wasn’t the case. She was smart, too smart as a matter of fact. It wouldn’t be long before she realized how bad a man Blake really was and eventually, what kind of man I was too.
“Ready?” I asked as I climbed into the car.
“Yep. Are you sure I can’t change your mind about coming up though?”
I shook my head. “As much as I would love more time with you, I think you’ve had a long day and should get some sleep. I make no promises about tomorrow though.”
She laughed as I pulled out onto the road. I needed to watch myself around her. I was quickly forgetting what my mission was as I got lost in her charm and infectious personality. Anna was something special but not so special that I could forget what I was there to do. Come hell or high water, I needed that money more than I needed to get her into bed.
Chapter Seven-Anna
He wasn’t just a man, he was a god. His body was a work of art. Men were not my strong point, but I could tell from one look that he oozed danger and trouble. What was it about men like him that made woman swoon so much? Was it the thrill of the unknown or the promise of a night of wild passion? My fingers hovered over my tablet. All it would take was a few clicks to find out how everything worked. I was a virgin, but I didn’t want to be an idiot. Being careful was a given, but beyond protection, was there more that I could learn?
I finally mustered the courage to start typing. The first porn site that I came to made me blush, but it also stirred the desire inside me. My fingers traveled down my body to my tender private parts as I watched the man biting and flicking the woman’s nipples. My own became hard as I thought about Nate doing the same thing to me. Would he be a gentle lover, or would he bite me and make me scream his name? I groaned as my fingers started to work my body, the movie in front of me fading into nothing as my own twisted mind took over and created its own. That man was going to be the death of me.
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for practice. The wet dreams I’d had about Nate all night did little to help my situation. Thinking about the night before, I groaned and pulled the blankets over my head. I was a virgin, but for some reason, being around him brought out the wild animal inside me. Never would I have invited a man to my hotel room in the past. Especially one I barely knew. I could only imagine what he thought of me. Doing my best to shove the embarrassment out of my mind, I quickly got dressed in the yoga pants and cropped shirt I’d bought the night before.
If I’d had the time, I would have jogged to rehearsal. It was something that I loved to do, but there wasn’t room for it after painstakingly doing my makeup and making sure I looked the part of a seasoned professional. The taxi ride to the stadium felt like it took hours, and I quickly ran through the doors and realized the place was already packed with dancers, singers, and stage hands. It didn’t take long to spot Blake and Maria sitting near the center stage. Miss Calment was already on stage screaming at a poor man who scurried past her.
I’d done some research on her before passing out the night before. Bridget Calment was a former singer/songwriter from the eighties. The years and the feds had not been kind to her, and she was working to pay millions in back taxes, which explained the perpetually bad attitude she seemed to have. Today didn’t look like it was going to be any different.
“Ah! There is our little star,” said Blake.
“Not even her first day, and she’s already acting like a diva, an hour late to practice. What a great way to start out,” hissed Bridget.
“What?” I said in shock. “I’m right on time!”
She shrugged. “Shows what you know about the business. If you aren’t here an hour early, you are late. Tomorrow, I won’t be so kind. If you want to hold on to that top spot, I suggest you put in the same amount of effort as the rest of the crew.”
“I’m sorry,” I stammered as I dropped my bag and ran onto the stage. “Where do we start?”
She rolled her eyes and pointed at a mark in the center of the stage. I quickly moved there, as she was already shouting out orders to me and the rest of the crew. It didn’t take me long to figure out that it was going to be a long week leading up to the first performance.
I was at the point of collapsing on the stage twelve hours later when the Nazi formerly known as Bridget finally said we were done for the day. I could barely move as I chugged my seventh bottle of water. The others somehow didn’t seem fazed by the crippling rehearsal. They filed out of the building, until eventually, there were only a few of us left. The dancer from the day before came over and sat down next to me, a broad smile on her face.
“You did great out there! The first day can always be a little rough.”
“A little?” I asked.
She laughed. “Name’s Lola. Bridget can be a real bitch, but there is a human under all that. This is her last chance at stardom, you know.”
“That seems to be the story for a lot of people. I just wish I didn’t feel like such a rookie.”
“Nah,” said Lola. “You really did a great job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Blake leave and come back to a rehearsal before. Show business isn’t really his thing. As long as he gets his, he doesn’t care. He seems pretty taken with you though.”
“Don’t make me gag,” I muttered. “He creeps me out more than a little.”
“Good for you! Most girls your age just see an old man and dollar signs. It sounds like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders though. You will do great around here.”
“Oh no,” I whispered as Blake’s bodyguard started to approach us.
“Ah, that would be Mr. Grey. Not a very friendly guy. Blake normally sends him out to do his dirty work. I’m guessing he’s not coming up here to request a meeting with me. Please tell me you already signed a contract.”
I nodded. “Yep, I signed it last night. Why?”
She winked at me. “Mr. Blake doesn’t like rejection, and I’m guessing you are about to get an offer.”
“Well, tough shit. I don’t want anything to do with him outside of a professional relationship.”
“Good call. You know Maria?”
“Yeah. I met her yesterday. She seems shy but nice.”
Lola shook her head. “She is only shy because she’s been on Blake’s bad side before. A long time ago, he
had his way with her, a few drugs slipped into her drink, and that was all it took. He got her hooked on some nasty stuff, and now she can’t find anyone to work with but the prick who ruined her.”
“What? Why doesn’t she look for another job or go to the cops?”
“Blake is a pig, but he holds a lot of influence in this town. No one would touch her again, not after he gave the word to put her on the blacklist. Now she is stuck with him, a former ex-girlfriend who gets to sit around and watch the same thing happen to the next dumb twit who strolls to close to that troll.”
“Jesus,” I whispered. “I knew he was bad but not like that. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
She patted my leg as she stood up. “Keep your friends close and don’t be left alone with him if you can help it.”
“Great,” I hissed.
Mr. Grey walked over, the same scowl as the night before on his face. “You Anna?”
I nodded. “I sure am, how can I help you?”
My cheerfulness did little to deter him. “The boss wants to see you in his office.”
I swallowed the growing fear. “Okay.”
Grabbing my cell phone, I started to dial my father’s number but changed my mind right before hitting “send.” Instead, I sent a message to Nate. I headed to his office. Mr. Grey closed the door behind him as he left, and I knew I was going to be in trouble if Nate didn’t get my message in time. I smiled politely at Blake and sat down in the chair across from him. He pushed a drink in my direction and nodded his head.
“I don’t drink,” I said coldly.
He laughed. “I would never serve alcohol to a minor. It’s cranberry juice, great for the vocal chords. We don’t want you going hoarse so close to show time.”
“Thanks, but I don’t like cranberry juice. I have water back on the stage.”
“Boy, you are one tough cookie, aren’t you?” he asked as his eyes traveled down my sweaty body.
Triple Threat: A Dark Romance (Deadly Passion Series Book 3) Page 4
