“They can provide services here that they can’t in your club. It’s too public.”
“The hell they can’t.”
“Give it up,” Henry told him. “When my wife puts her mind to something, she gets it. Look at my whole family. What my Princess wants, she gets.”
Monica didn’t have a chance to offer her rival a witty reply before she saw a familiar face in the crowd. One that made her stomach drop – in confusion.
“Excuse me,” she told both her husband and Damon. “I see someone I need to say hi to.”
Paisley was startled when Monica appeared by her side.
“I came alone!” she announced before Monica accused her of anything. “He doesn’t know I’m here. Not yet, anyway.”
Monica jerked her head toward the employee bathroom. There was a line for the guest one, and both bedrooms were opened up for conversing and drinking. As they edged around a waitress holding a plate of empty glasses, Monica said, “I hope he didn’t follow you.”
“He already knows all about this place.”
They barely had any quiet when they squeezed into the bathroom. Even with the fan on, it was difficult to hear Jackson’s latest girlfriend finally speak in private.
“So, why are you here?” Monica asked.
There was barely enough room for them to not be touching each other. Monica refused to be pressed up against the toilet, though. So she made Paisley get cozy with the sink.It still smells like fresh paint in here.Monica was double-glad for the fan.
“I need a job,” Paisley muttered.
Monica wasn’t sure she heard her correctly at first. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve gotta get away from him.” Paisley refused eye contact, one hand covering half her face while her long, dark hair covered the other. “I mean, it was already heading that way, but this whole IRS thing has been unbearable. The writing’s on the wall. I don’t… I don’t wanna…”
Monica saw it in one of her eyes.“I don’t wanna be like you, going out guns blazing.”
“I see.” She had heard the IRS had moved in on Jackson. It was only a matter of time before he traced it back to her, but as long as Monica was protected, Jackson would have to take it out on the women who lived with him. While Monica had long accepted she couldn’t do much about them, well…
There was a chance here.
“Look, I did you a huge favor when you came by his place. I don’t like doing this, but…”
So, that was where her spine was? “You know I can’t give you a job.”
“I’m not unfamiliar with sex work. I’ll be safe at the Château.”
“There aren’t any openings.”
“Fine. I’ll move into the city and work here. Come on, you have got to help me. I don’t have a lot of time before he finds out I came here. I’ve gotta leave before he suspects anything.”
Monica sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, sweetie. The problem is that it’s bad for both of us. You don’t want Jackson to know that I helped you. You don’t want him to know that the one who got away helped you. It makes him more dangerous.”
She said nothing.
“Don’t you have any money?” Monica wasn’t offering. That was also dangerous.
“Not really. My bank account is empty. He doesn’t do allowances. Not since you.”
“No, I suppose not.” Monica had used the money from Jackson that she had saved over the years to put a downpayment on the Château. Jackson didn’t want any of his future victims to have a financial out. “You need a job, it seems.”
“That’s what I’m saying! Otherwise, I’m turning tricks downtown! And like, that’s better than what Jackson probably has in mind, but not much! At least I can eat at his place!”
“I can’t give you a job,” Monica reiterated. “But I know someone who can.”
