Page 51 of Knight’s Dominion

"It's nice to see you again, Oden.” She leaned forward, and his gaze dipped, looking down the front of her top. Her stomach lurched.

“Is your phone broken?” he asked.

He’d messaged her more than once while she was with Chaos, and she’d stupidly ignored them. “Sorry, I’ve had a crazy couple of days…”

“I’ve had some important business matters of my own to deal with.”

She smiled, doing her best to soften him up since Vince looked near passing out. “Anything interesting?”

He leaned forward as well, close enough that his breath brushed her lips when he spoke next. “You’re a stripper, the finer details would only confuse you.”

He'd delivered what he hoped would be a verbal slap, but she’d stopped feeling the sting of barbs like that a long time ago. All he saw when he looked at her was a female who took her clothes off to pay the bills. A whore who was playing hard to get. His male ego had been bruised when she didn’t respond to his messages, and now he wanted to return the favor.

She smiled wide, too wide. "You're probably right. I've never had much of a head for business."

His thick fingers wrapped around a hunk of her hair and he tugged her forward. "But you're not just a stripper, are you, Gigi?”

Her stomach dropped, fell right through the floor. Did he know what she really did every night? Somehow, she knew that knowledge would be dangerous in this man’s hands. Widening her eyes, she stared at him with what she hoped conveyed innocent confusion. "No?"

He shook his head, that eerie dark gaze locking on hers.

“What else am I?” she asked.

His lips curled cruelly. “You obviously tend bar as well, yes?”

He was trying to rattle her, and she hated that it was working.

"And I think...you also help Vince with this place, far more than he would admit?"

Thud. Her heart fired back to life, pounding behind her ribs. He was trying to find out if she knew what Vince was mixed up in. If she knew what he and Oden discussed when they locked themselves away in Vince’s office.

"I do staff rosters and make sure the bar’s stocked, so yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled again, like he'd paid her a massive compliment.

He tugged a little harder on her hair and brought her closer. "Yes, I think you're a very clever girl. Far more than you let on."

More with the goofy grinning. “Why thank you. That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.”

"I doubt that very much." His frigid gaze didn't waver. It was a stupid move on her part, but the fighter in her refused to break eye contact first.

He broke first and the pissed-off vibe he’d been projecting rose to volcanic territory. She'd made a huge mistake, had revealed too much, and worse, added another bruise to his fragile ego.

To a male like him, she’d just thrown down a challenge.

“You want some company?" She angled her head toward the table his champagne had been delivered to. Sitting with him was the last thing she wanted, but if she didn't make nice, Vince might end up paying for it.

He was also hiding something, and she wanted to know what it was.

He shook his head and crooked his finger at one of the other dancers. Jemma’s face lit up and she swung her hips as she walked toward Oden.

Well, he wouldn't have to work for it with Jemma, she gave it away freely, and often. Which was fine, but now any chance of Grace getting information from the male was over.

He wrapped his fingers around the back of Jemma’s neck and leaned in, whispering something into her ear, then he turned to Grace again, a smug look on his face. “Make sure you answer next time." Then he led Jemma away.

Okay, maybe not all hope was lost. He was trying too hard to ram home how unimportant she was, that she was replaceable. He still wanted her. Why, she had no idea, but his ploy to make her jealous had backfired.

Now she knew just how much power she held over him.

She glanced over at his table, and sure enough, he was watching her.