We leave the building without another word. Gabe has the limo waiting out front, so Mel and I slip inside and get out of the chilly night air. Sighing, I lean my head back against the seat as Gabe drives us in silence.

Mel finally speaks, “Don’t let her get inside your head. That’s what she was trying to do, Avery. Shove her out.”

I wish it were that simple, but Black’s words planted a seed in my mind. The thought is already growing, vining around inside my head like a rampant weed. I don’t want it there, but she spoke the truth. The thought of losing Sean terrifies me. I can’t go back to that life where I was barely glued together. I’m not strong enough to live through it again. “I know, but she knew what she was doing and honed in on something that scares me more than anything. The stupid thing is that I had no idea it was there. I mean, I always said my biggest fear was being trapped inside a closet or something. She blindsided me, that’s all, and it would have been easier to blow her off if it wasn’t the truth.”

“People weave the truth into lies all the time, Avery. It’s the best way to bring someone down, and that’s what Black’s trying to do to you.” Mel glances up at Gabe. Her eyes shift away from him, like maybe she shouldn’t be saying these things in front of him.

“Gabe won’t repeat anything. Say whatever you’re thinking.” I slouch back in the seat, trying to keep my butt from peeking out from under my way-too-short dress.

Gabe glances back at us and nods once. “I don’t hear nothin’.” He stares ahead at the traffic.

“First of all, I feel guilty. I had no idea things were going to turn out like this. I’m sorry, Avery. I really am. And no matter what she says, no matter what she tells you, don’t wade deeper into this shit than you already are. You’ll never get out, and that’s what she wants. I have no idea why, but Black wants you. It’s personal. If you give in and stay, you’ll never get out.”

I’m staring at the floor while she speaks. Mel has a good point, and I want to tell her she’s right so that she’ll stop worrying about me. “Mel, I’m not going back after tonight. This is the last time.”

“Avery,” there’s a warning tone in her voice, “You can’t blow off Black like that.”

Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I ask, “Then how do I quit, Mel?”

“I don’t know. Right now you have too many clients asking for you. She knows how much you’re worth and what it means to lose you. You’re irreplaceable in her head. She said as much tonight.” I give her a weird look because I didn’t think she heard that part of our conversation. Mel wasn’t there for most of it. She rolls her eyes and huffs. “I was listening outside the door, okay? I told you that I was at Black’s and I was. I just wasn’t in her office yet.”

“What were you doing?” By the sound of it, Mel was doing something she shouldn’t have been.

She shakes her head. “Nothing that you need to know about. You’re in enough trouble, but let’s just say I overheard some of the things she said to you in private, all right, and I don’t like this Avery.” Mel shivers and rubs her hands over her arms. “Something’s not right, not anymore. I mean, getting that many requests is strange. Your price goes sky high and they back off or leave because they can’t afford you. Where the hell are these guys getting their money? You should be unattainable by now.”

“Maybe Black made the whole thing up and the only guy asking for me over and over again is Sean.”

She nods and touches her finger to her lips, unblinking. “Black’s never said that to me, but then again, I haven’t tried to leave.”

For a second, I’m afraid that she still feels guilty. I can’t read her when she’s so still and quiet. “There’s no way you could have known.”

She nods again, slowly bobbing her head up and down, still dazed. Gabe drops us off at the front of the hotel and drives away. Mel and I walk across the lobby without a word. There are so many eyes on me, sizing me up, and wondering what kind of slut I am to be wearing this dress. It makes my pulse race faster, but I manage to hold onto my confident stance and keep my head held high. This is a game, this façade isn’t who I am, it’s an illusion.

Mel and I ride the elevator to Sean’s floor before we step off and head down the hall. That’s when a gush of words erupts from Mel’s mouth. “I was wrong, so goddamn wrong to pull you into this. I said she wasn’t a pimp, that she didn’t do shit like this, and here she is doing it. Avery, I swear to God—”

Mel’s voice is strained and her eyes have that vacant stare that so often accompanies guilt. This isn’t her fault, no matter what happens, I’ll never blame her. I stop abruptly, grab Mel’s shoulders and look her in the eye. “There is no way you knew that Black was like this. I believe you. You’re not responsible for whatever happens next. I’m the one who agreed to come, I’m the one who signed up to be this, and I’m the one who will have to deal with the consequences. It’s not your fault Mel.”

Her gaze falls to the side, like she can’t look me in the eye, which is weird for Mel. “I took you there and said it was safe. I screwed up, Avery.” She’s mad at herself and upset for me. There’s no telling what will happen or how hard it will be to defy Black, but no matter what happens, it’s not her fault. This was my doing, not hers.

“Mel, that night you asked me to go and meet your boss, I could have said no, and I didn’t. After I found out what the job was, I could have said no. I had the opportunity to say no and walk away so many times. The fact is, I took the job and nothing you said made me do it. Everything will be fine. Don’t worry about it.” That’s a big fat lie. I have no idea how everything will work out. It feels like I have a pack of pissed off people snarling and circling. Black can lunge at me with her fangs bared at any time. With my luck, it’ll be tomorrow.

Sean’s voice comes from over my shoulder. “Don’t worry about what?”

CHAPTER 8

When I turn around, his eyes ravish me, boldly lingering in places they shouldn’t. I smack his chest and scold him, “Stop it!”

Sean grins so hard that dimples appear on his cheek. Oh God. They’re like little lickable magnets and they’re pulling me in. He could recite a poem about water buffaloes right now and I’d have no idea what he’d said.

Sean presses his finger to the end of my nose, making me blink. “If you didn’t want me to look, then you shouldn’t have worn that dress.”

“I didn’t. Black made me change.”

His smile broadens. “Then, this should be fun.” He takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of my palm, making butterflies erupt in my stomach. It’s a school girl response and although I try to squash it, I still giggle. Sean’s smirk changes slightly, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of me. Holding out his other hand to Mel, he says, “Come along ladies. I have our night all planned out.”

Mel gives me a weird look and slips her palm into his. We follow Sean into the room and let the door close behind us. Sean drops Mel’s hand and squeezes mine once before letting go. “Avery, I need to talk to you about earlier, but from the sound of it, I already know what’s happening.”

“What do you mean?” Mel asks, as she sits down on the chair by the desk. “What happened earlier?”

“One of Black’s guys saw us together,” Sean explains. “Gabe showed up and warned Avery before things got ugly. Your employer thought you girls were dishing out on the side.”

“No, I don’t think that’s the problem,” I explain. “Black’s doing something. I tried to quit tonight and she wouldn’t let me.”

“Tell me what happened, and don’t leave a thing out.” Sean leans against the wall and folds his arms over his chest. He’s wearing a dark suit with the shirt still buttoned up to his neck and a blackish blue tie. It looks like he was at work, either that or he dressed up for the occasion, which is laughable since he said he was giving us a night off. When I get to the end of my story, Sean doesn’t move. He stares into space, and the only way I can tell that he’s livid is the tightening of his jaw. I’m pretty sure he could bite the head off of a chicken right now.

Mel sighs and looks out the window. She’s not stupid enough to mess with Sean when he’s about to blow up. Yeah, but I am. I reach for a candy from the mint dish and peg him in the chest. It leaves some powdered sugar on my fingers so I suck it off and then grab another one. “These are good.”

“Avery, stop.” Sean inhales slow and deep.

I don’t mention the last words Black said to me or the conversation with Mel in the car. That’d be too much for him, and it worries me. Sean doesn’t know what he does to me or how attached I’ve become, but Black sees it. I try to make light of the situation to diffuse some of his tension. “Sean, it’s not so bad. I just have to get out of it and make her not want me anymore. I planned on not showing up but Mel said that was—”

“A stupid idea,” Mel finishes my sentence for me.

“Yeah, so I guess I need to move onto plan B and figure out how to get fired.” I shrug and turn back to the mint jar. Where is all this false confidence coming from? Two seconds ago, I felt like I couldn’t deal with Black and now I’m talking about manipulating her into firing my ass like it’s nothing.

Sean steps up behind me. I feel his warm breath wash over my shoulder. God, he smells good. “So, you want to stop working for Black?”

Turning, I look up at him, and nod. “Yeah, it turns out that I still have a heart and it’s somewhere else.”

Sean tries not to smile. “So, were you going to say yes, Miss Smith?”

“It depends on what you were going to ask me, Mr. Jones.” I’m looking into his eyes and wondering if we can have a future together. I want it more than anything, but I don’t know. There are so many obstacles in the way, and we both have so much baggage. It seems impossible, but when Sean’s with me, it doesn’t feel that way.