“So you’ve fucked her?”

The boiling in my veins was nearing critical mass. I was backed into a corner, which was a dangerous place for a man like me. I was leashed due to the investigation. One misstep and I’d blow the whole operation.

Thankfully I was saved by a tall, leggy, barely dressed woman who’d caught Lorenzo’s attention.

“I’ll meet you in my office in thirty minutes,” Lorenzo told me as he stepped away. “Oh, and Miss Ellis is downstairs finishing up the VIP lounge. Feel free to help yourself.”

She’s not here.

Fucking pig.

The relief I felt that Sloane was in the mansion did nothing to quell the burn in my gut. Lorenzo was careless but he wasn’t stupid. He’d caught on to my interest in Sloane.

I’d been played.

Fuck.

Not wanting to give away more than I had, I waited for Lorenzo to follow the woman into one of the viewing rooms before I made my way to the stairs. In my desperation to find Sloane, I disregarded operational protocol. What I should’ve done and what I did were vastly different. I hit the bottom of the stairs and scanned the room knowing I should’ve stayed upstairs with my eyes on Lorenzo’s guests. I should’ve been getting close, watching, listening, learning. Instead my need to lay eyes on Sloane and confirm her whereabouts only reinforced my decision. I needed her gone. She was the distraction I couldn’t afford. And if I couldn’t talk some sense into her, I’d get her away from Club Joi by any means necessary. I’d welcome her anger for the peace of mind knowing she was free and clear of danger would bring me. I’d ignore her sadness and my broken heart and settle knowing that she would live a long, safe life hating me.

Fuck.

16

This was not right.

Actually, there was so much wrong with this that I couldn’t find a single thing to latch onto to make myself feel better about what I was doing.

Lorenzo hadn’t waited for me to come to the mansion to discuss the VIP party and which girl would be the hostess. When I’d arrived, Sammy was already in Lorenzo’s office along with a woman who I’d never met. After a quick introduction to Adria, Lorenzo informed me she was a professional Dominatrix and would be tonight’s VIP entertainment.

Ten minutes later, Lorenzo walked us downstairs through the common area known as the hunting ground, down the short janitorial hallway, and stopped. Sammy looked unsure but when Lorenzo opened a hidden door the poor girl started shifting from side to side. When we stepped inside and the lights came on my stomach dropped and Sammy turned sheet white. Lorenzo didn’t notice seeing as he was too busy ushering Adria around the room.

The room?

More like a torture chamber.

Not like the room in those sexy movies. Oh no, not like that at all. It wasn’t red. It didn’t have a big four-poster bed. No troubled hot guy ready to fuck you into oblivion. Nope. Not like that at all. The only thing the rooms had in common was that pain would be inflicted.