“I need to get back to work.” The words crumble like dust on my tongue.
He quirks his eyebrow. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Seven.”
“I still haven’t said yes.” A small fact, I know, for him, but it’s the truth. I haven’t agreed to his insanity yet.
“You still haven’t said no.”
Putting on what I hope is a bland expression, I turn on my heel and march to the door. The sooner I get away from him, the easier it will be to breathe.
“Vivienne.” I stop with just one foot in the hall. “I’ll have a car ready for you at the end of your shift. He’ll be waiting in the employee lot.”
“I can get a ride with Caroline. We’re off at the same time.” I have no idea if that’s true or not, so it’s not an outright lie.
“He’ll be in a black SUV.” He bulldozes right over what I said.
“You don’t have to waste his time.”
“Getting you home safely isn’t a waste of time. He’ll be there.”
This entire encounter has me spiraling. I can’t think of a logical reason not to take the car ride home. Especially, since it sounds like I’ll be riding alone.
“Fine. Whatever.” I slam the door shut for some dramatic effect.
Childish, I know, but he’s left the rest of me in tatters with the way he looks as me and the things he says. Maybe tomorrow night will be a good thing. He can get this crazy notion that there’s any sort of thing between us out of his system. Then maybe he can stop burning me alive with his constant hovering.
“Oh, there you are.” Caroline joins me as I reenter the club. “There’s a guy asking for you.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know. He’s waiting for you by the bar.” She tugs on my arm to get me to stop walking, excitement lighting her eyes. “What did Ivan want?”
I’m not sure I can say. He didn’t tell me it was a secret, but shouldn’t paying your employee to be your date be something you keep close to your chest?
Then again, he and his brothers run one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the city, my little threat of a sexual harassment suit must have been hilarious to him. Even if I didget an attorney to help me, the Volkovs would swat him away like some annoying fruit fly at a barbecue.
“It’s that good, huh?” Her shoulders drop. “You have to tell me.”
“He just wanted to let me know that one of his drivers is going to give me a ride home tonight,” I say, starting us walking again around the perimeter of the club.
“No, it’s something more. I can tell.” She pokes my arm as we near the bar. “That’s the guy.”
Kieran stands at the edge of the bar, sipping a pint of beer. His gaze catches mine, and he throws on a big smile. “There you are.”
Darren peeks up from where he’s making drinks. With a little shake of my head, I let him know it’s not a problem.
“Hey.” I greet him. “You didn’t tell me you’d be in here tonight.”
“Got a cancellation in my schedule at the last minute.” He leans his back against the bar edge, nudging another man out of his way. “Thought I’d come play some cards.”
“I don’t have a game for you, since you didn’t tell me you’d be here.”
His smile fades. “You keep saying things like they’re my problem when they are, in fact, yours.”
“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” I leave him and head to the locker room where the guests for the private rooms are posted.
Scanning the list, I only see one group that might let an outsider join. Most of the men who take up the private rooms do so because they want to conduct business while having some fun.
These four guys have money to burn on a membership to Obsidian because their daddies have power and money. They get together to drink themselves under the table while playingcards and making themselves feel important because they have a private room at a club that only the most elite even know exists.
