Page 8 of Penn

As if reading my mind, he reaches into his pocket and flips open his wallet. Right there is a picture of a smiling blonde woman with three beautiful children and Stephen. And they’re both wearing wedding rings. “That’s them. I will not let you destroy the life I have.”

Now I’m pissed. “How could you do this to me? To them? You lied for a whole year? You said you loved me. Wanted a family with me. A life with me!”

“It was only a game, Dixie,” he says, his voice flat. “You were fun. With three kids, Caroline doesn’t pay me much attention anymore. When we fuck, it’s quick and boring. You’re fun. You’re willing to do things the wife won’t. And you’re better than a hooker or my wife because I don’t have to give you a dime.”

And now he’s saying I’m just a cheap thrill? “Excuse me?”

“Look, you’re a great time. A nice distraction when I have to come to this fucking town for business, but there was never going to be anything more than that. I guess you didn’t realize the rules.”

“Rules?” I scream. “How the hell was I supposed to know there were rules when I didn’t realize this was a fucking game? I thought we were in love.”

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulls out a wad of bills tied with a rubber band and tosses it at me. “Take it. Get rid of it.”

I stare at it in my hands. “What?”

“Go to a clinic, pay for the procedure, and keep your mouth shut. If you try to contact my wife, or if you try to make this into something other than the mistake it is, I will make sure your life becomes a living hell,” he says, his voice low and nearly a growl. “Do you understand me, Dixie? You will get nothing more than that.”

A payoff. He’s put a price on my baby’s life. On my dignity, trust, and my heart.

“Get out,” I whisper, my voice shaking with rage. And a little bit of fear.

“Do the right thing, Dixie. You cannot raise this kid alone, and I will not be the father. You will get nothing else—”

“Get the fuck out of my house!” I scream, the shout vibrating and tickling the back of my throat.

He doesn’t try to fight me. He just grabs his jacket and leaves, slamming the door behind him harder than necessary. Throwing the money onto the chair, I let out a scream and cry into the back of the couch as sobs shake my entire body.

What the hell happened to my life?

Chapter 4

Penn

The clubhouse is cold. Almost like a freezer, cold. I turn to ask Pacino why, but then Rooster walks out of one of the rooms with a girl applying to work at Velvet Desire. The smile plastered on his face tells me all I need to know.

Her nipples stick out through her shirt, which would be impressive if the shirt wasn’t already see-through. There’s no reason to turn the temperature down this low because he can already see who he’s working with.

The thing that strikes me is how ashamed the woman looks. Even more surprising is the cross necklace she wears around her neck. Most of the girls who work for us gave up on believing in God a long time ago. They usually come from a tough life and had never been taken care of until they found us.

“Guys, meet Faith. She’s the newest Velvet Desire girl,” Rooster says. “Phenomenal at her work.”

Faith is a dark-haired beauty who gives a small smile. “Thank you for the compliment, Rooster.”

“Don’t let him intimidate you, honey,” Kannon says. “His nickname comes from his irrational fear of roosters.”

“And all birds, really,” Capone says. “Screams like a little girl.”

“Fuck you,” Rooster says.

This makes the woman smile slightly, but she hangs her head still, not quite meeting anyone’s eye. “Everything okay?” I ask. “Are you sure you want to work at Velvet Desire?”

“Things need to be taken care of, and it’s how I’ll make the most money,” she says.

At least she’s honest.

“But if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s not going to be great for business,” Jethro says, walking up behind us. “You look like you need to repent for your sins.”

Her hand flies to her necklace and she nods. “I do, but it won’t affect my performance.”