Page 104 of Only for Love
Brock hits me in the sternum. “Hey, asshole. Got me or not?”
I can’t find her, and all their eyes are on me. An avalanche of worries hits me. What does she know? How could she hide this from me? “I got you.”
“Good, because first, we have an in we didn’t know about, and second, what you didn’t notice was something was wrong with that girl.”
Yeah—she got caught. “God,” I roar, angry at her, furious with myself. How did this even happen?
“Pull your shit together,” Ryder says. “Shit, get yourself a lap dance. Two birds, one stone.”
Brock’s eyes bounce from Ryder to me, and I watch him mull the idea over before nodding. “Smart move.”
“No.” I shake my head.
“If you don’t, someone else will.” Javier laughs, and I lunge for him. He throws his hands up as Brock and Ryder catch me again. “Kidding. Shit, new guy. Calm yourself. Christ.”
I pull back from Brock and Ryder, rolling my shoulders.A lap dance.Fuck that. Her ass is mine in a private room. “Got a better idea.”
Behind me there are a fewshits and anah, hell. But I’m out of VIP and heading to find her when our waitress steps in my way. “Where’s the girl?”
“Ginger?”
“Don’t care what you call her.”
She blinks but doesn’t move. “Okay…”
“Find her.”
“Sure, handsome. Come with me.” Making a stupid move, she puts her hand on my arm, and I snap it back. Surprise and maybe concern colors her face. “Just wait in there.”
I follow her gaze, and I seethe. My teeth gnash, and my mind tumbles. Has Emma been in there? Doing what? God. Fuck me. What the hell do I know about her? I can’t handle this, and even though I stomp toward the room, I’m still reeling. The private room is dark and warm. The light is dim, and there’s an armless chair, almost like a bench, and blood thumps in my neck as I drive myself insane wondering and questioning who has been in here with her.
The door opens and the love of my life, dressed the same as she was on stage, walks in, face toward the floor. Her shoulders slump, and my heart falls. It’s really her.
Anger consumed me until I could reach out and hold her, and now—I’m broken. Devastated to the point I can’t breathe.
“I’m sorry.” It’s a whisper from her sweet voice, and it’s my undoing.
I roar deep from the depths of my soul. It’s a primal growl that must shake the damn building. I rip my fists into my hair and drop to the seat.
“Emma. What the fuck? What the fuck? Goddamn it…” I turn my head up, and she’s watching me, eyes sad and tears sliding down her cheeks. I crash through the lump in my throat, and once more, but this time in a hoarse whisper, say, “What the fuck?”
Her delicate hand wipes away the tears, and she carefully takes a step forward. “I was going to tell you.”
“Why?”
She bites her lip. “Please yell at me later. Leave me later—”
“Ems—”
“I’m in trouble.”
My skin prickles. “What?”
She looks above my head, around the room. “I tried to leave.”
“You’re forced here?”
“No.”
