Unescapable

• seven •

I was bouncing my leg furiously.

It was a nervous tick I hated but couldn't control.

My mind was preoccupied. I was worried about Nancy pulling a fast one on me by bringing her random boyfriend on the trip with our daughter without even letting me meet him, first. That pissed the hell out of me. And then the disrespectful way she referred to Adrianna? I swear the rage I felt wasn't normal.

The...need to protect her was fierce.

I've never felt like that before. And it's scary.

I offered to make us dinner on a whim, not even fully aware I was doing it. But her rejection hurt. I don't even know why. I've been rejected enough. But hers was a different kind of pain. And then an ugly feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of who with.

And when I saw her dress? That ugly feeling intensified.

She was a literal vision: a velvety dark green dress that looked innocent enough, but had her entire back exposed, the tight material practically tracing the outline of her round ass and stopping short. I mean, short. That thing was showcasing her long, tanned legs, leaving very little to the imagination. All I wanted to do was push it up and find what she's trying to hide from me.

I got hard just looking at her like that. On top of it all, she had dark makeup that made her eyes pop and lips stained so red, I'd think it's the color of sin. Her cheeks sparkled in the light and eyes shined.

She was fucking flawless.

But it wasn't for me. It wasn't and that ugly, monstrous feeling returned. Who is it for?

This predicament is proving to be increasingly difficult. Because even though I know I need to stay away, every moment I'm around her chips away at that.

"We're here, boss."

I look up out of the window. Tossica was something I opened just on a whim, but shit, I never expected it to be what it is today. It's one of the most popular clubs in town, and there's a dozen all around. It was something my old man talked to me a lot about as a kid growing up: running a business and serving the people what they want after a hard days work while also providing quality entertainment.

That was the last thing I was able to give him before he died.

Now, thanks to him, Tossica keeps growing and making great revenue. I've already had a few people offer to invest and expand to other nearby cities—which I'm going to meet about, yet again, tonight. But I'm not entirely convinced the quality service I offer here can be replicated anywhere else, no matter the amount of money offered.

But I'd still listen to their pitch, just to be nice.

I sigh as I exit the car. I make my way to the bouncer, Jim, and nod at him. He nods back, moving the red velvet rope out of the way and allowing me in. And once I step foot through the door, I can feel the vibration of music all around me. There were a few people hanging around the dark, long hallway, making their way to the bathroom or the seating area.