“You don’t need to justify yourself to me. You’re free here. I go to many clubs myself.”
So he has been spying on me. I was right about that.
His eyes trail down to my inner thighs. I cross them to block his view.
I feel so flustered. I came here to tell him I was ready for the trip. Instead, I have to deal with this.
“Okay,” I whisper. “You’re right. That’s why I went.”
“The question is why you went back to his place that night,” he says. “I didn’t see anything myself, but the word on the street is that you spent the night. It’s a little odd, don’t you agree?”
This meeting has turned into a huge interrogation. “You’ve never tried to reconcile things?” I ask.
I need a lawyer to protect me. Better yet, I need Rocco.
“I do okay without any girlfriends,” he says. “It’s amazing what a little money can buy. In fact, you should try using yours sometime. It’s quite fun.”
“That night, I got way too drunk. I ended up puking my brains out in the club’s toilet for a long time. Dasha was pretty drunk too, so she couldn’t drive me. She called Rocco, and he agreed to pick me up,” I tell him.
“Dasha. She’s a real beauty, isn’t she?” he asks. “You should get her to come to Boulder. She could help you fundraise. Anyway, go on with your story. I’m interested.”
So far, so good.
“I’ll tell her,” I say. “Look, I was too drunk to go home. He took me to his place, and yeah, we had sex. I was wasted. He took advantage of me, and I thought we could reconcile things. I was wrong.”
I hate saying those words, even if it is out of necessity.
“As long as it’s finished, I’m happy,” he says.
“You know, Dasha mentioned you last week,” I say.
“Is that so?” He smiles. “Of course she has. We have an odd connection.”
“She’ll be excited she’s invited to the Boulder Fundraiser. I’ll tell her as soon as I leave this office.”
I smile and do my best to head to the door. I need to get out of here. I loathe this man with all my heart.
“Yes, go. You’re free. I’ll see you soon. Check your email. The tickets will be sent there. Thank you, Madison,” he says. “You’ve really come through on this.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure,” I say.
Rocco
I’m losing my fucking mind.
All I can think about is Madison. When I’m in the shower, I feel the hot water run down my abs. I think of her touch, and I’m instantly rock hard. I’m forced to use my hand, all because of this Byron guy.
It’s just the way things are. Madison wants to take the safe route, but I’m thinking the safe route isn’t so safe. It requires extra planning, tiptoeing around his men, and a hell of a lot of finesse.
Our lives are on the line.
After the shower, I text her.
“I need you.”
My phone vibrates against my palm. There’s a bottle of booze next to me that I keep staring at, but I can’t even muster the courage to get drunk right now. I know in my heart that it’ll make things worse.
She texts: