She closed her eyes and listened to the lyrics that seemed to be a string of curse words set to a thudding, repetitious beat. It was probably official. She was getting old since this did nothing for her except make her want to run from the car or put a bullet through the stereo system. By the second song, though, she was starting to see the appeal and blamed it on the number of drinks she’d had at the pub.

He turned it down when they left the crowds of the French Quarter for the quieter section of town with large homes that, like hers, were behind large gates. Brandi Parrish’s place was a mansion where she lived with the women in her employ. None of Brandi’s business happened within the walls of the house, and the vetting system to get a date was extensive, protecting them from law enforcement, though Brandi had been around long enough that she had enough law enforcement on her payroll to take care of any problems that arose.

Cain had never paid for sex in her life, but she’d met Brandi when she’d been invited to a party at the house when she was in college. Brandi had made her feel welcome, but that had more to do with her da than with her. The only way to survive as long as Brandi had without major complications was to have powerful friends.

Dalton Casey was as powerful as they came, and befriending his daughter and heir was a calculated move, but Cain had never seen it as a lack of respect for her father. Brandi was someone she’d liked from their first meeting, and she’d never minded doing the occasional favor when Brandi was in need. They’d never be business partners, but she’d always been a firm believer that nothing sexual was off-limits if everyone involved knew the rules of the game. That’s something Nicola and her family had never learned.

“You want me to wait?” the guy said when he stopped and whistled at the size of the house.

“What’s your name?” She sat up and combed her hair back into place.

“Sam Johnson, ma’am, but my friends call me Skeeter.”

“Okay, Skeeter, park it and come inside with me. You can practice talking to girls respectfully while I finish with my meeting.” She studied the street, and there were a few people walking around, but they appeared harmless.

“You think the people inside mind if I’m packing?”

“You’re with me, so it won’t be a problem.” She shook his hand when she got out, before leading him to the gate. “Did you want to wait in the car? I don’t mind going in alone.”