Bad timing.

Once I had my phone out, I lost Asher’s eyes as we both looked down at the screen.

Lorenzo.

“Speaker, sweetness, I wanna hear what he has to say.”

It might’ve been the ‘sweetness’ or the fact I could give two shits who heard the call but without argument, I accepted the call and placed it on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Sloane.”

In some sort of fucked up cosmic joke, the universe had seen fit to give Lorenzo Kelly, otherwise known as Disgusting Pig a smooth, deep, sexy voice. For months he’d creeped me out. Now I knew why—he wasn’t disgusting, he was totally depraved.

“Yes, Lorenzo. How may I help you?”

“I need you to come in early.”

Shit. I was afraid that was what he was going to say.

“Is there a problem?”

“No. I’ve invited some VIPs for tonight’s party and I want to go over specifics. You also need to arrange for Sammy to come in tonight. They’ll need a private hostess for the evening.”

Sammy was a bright-eyed blonde who worked at Club Joi as a way to take care of her ailing father. She was also young and took advantage of the club’s amenities which meant he wanted her specifically because he was a sick fuck.

“I’ll see what I can do but Sammy’s been on vacation for a week. Maybe Marla can come in.”

“No Marla. She’s too fat. Tell Sammy there’s a thousand-dollar bonus in it for her.”

Prick! Marla’s not fat.

I felt the bile inch up my throat but before I could think of another girl who was not on shift I could suggest, Asher lightly tapped the table, drawing my attention to him.

He silently shook his head. I returned with a swift shake of mine, to which he replied with another shake.

He wanted me to stop arguing and call in Sammy.

I wanted to call in anyone other than the sweet, young girl who was willing to do anything to help her father with medical bills, which included taking tips from couples when she acted as a third. Something that was dangerously close to prostitution.

“Sloane?” Lorenzo’s impatient voice hit my ears and I wanted to vomit.

“I can be there in an hour, we’ll discuss it then.”

Asher’s eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed, and his lips thinned.

What the hell?

I tilted my head in question, his eyes narrowed further, and confusion set in.

“Good. Everything needs to be perfect for tonight.”

“It will be,” I assured him, barely holding back the retching sound threatening to accompany my promise.

Lorenzo disconnected the call and Asher seethed. “You’ll be there in an hour?”

“Well, yeah. That’s how long it normally takes me to get to work from The Valley. I didn’t think you wanted him to know I was hanging out with you down the road.”

Asher grunted something unintelligible, then clear as day he made his demand.

“You’re quitting.”

“Quitting what?”

“The club,” he growled.

I was not quitting the club. After nearly seven months of working in a sex club, Lorenzo had finally shown his true colors. I was getting closer to finding out what happened to Elise and my money was on the slimeball.