"Grant, I'll call you," I said, my voice steadier than my trembling hands. A slow, heavy pulse throbbed in my temples, but I forced myself not to look at Hunter Pembroke, standing a few feet away. My steps faltered, but I turned away, putting space between us. Each step felt like wading through a storm, every nerve in my body begging me to turn back. The memory of that day pressed down on me like a weight, and I couldn't shake it. My clothes felt suffocating, and my lungs strained for air as I pushed forward.
"I can do this," I murmured under my breath, exhaling slowly. The cool air filled my chest, momentarily dulling the adrenaline coursing through me. My legs moved faster, driven not by panic but by sheer force of will. Still, the image lingered in my mind—Hunter lying where I'd imagined him so many times, crumpled and bleeding, his mother sobbing at his bedside.
I clenched my fists. The old fantasies were louder today, tugging at the edges of my restraint. Every hour spent in the gym, every late-night run, all of it had been preparation. But preparation for what? A crime I could justify but never undo? My jaw tightened. Not today. Not yet.
I quickened my pace, ignoring the tremor in my hands, and shoved open the door. The evening air hit me like a shock of cold water, breaking through the haze in my head. It cleared my thoughts enough to let doubt creep in. Scenarios raced through my mind, each worse than the last.
No. I couldn't leave. Not yet. Not without asking him. This was the moment I'd waited for, fought for, shaped my entire life around. It couldn't wait—not another day, another hour. The weight of it all pressed down, and I knew I wouldn't survive walking away empty-handed.
I turned sharply, ready to head back inside, but a familiar voice cut through the noise.
"Wait."
Grant. His steps were quick, urgent, closing the distance between us. His voice was firm, but there was an edge of softness beneath it. "I don't understand you. How could you decide that for me?"
I stopped, my pulse quickening again. His eyes, steady and questioning, locked onto mine. For a moment, they weren't his eyes at all. They were Hunter's—cold, calculating, and everything I loathed. My throat tightened.
"Move." My voice came out low, almost a growl. I tried to step around him, but he reached out, catching my arm. His grip was strong, but not rough. Grounding, almost.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Nothing that concerns you," I said smoothly, brushing past him.
"What do you mean? I brought you here!"
I laughed softly, the sound sharper than I intended. Memories of what his family had done to me rippled to the surface, tightening my chest. Meeting Grant for the first time only confirmed what I'd guessed—he was the odd one out. The misfit. How ironic that the Pembrokes, the untouchable ones I'd spent years cursing, might finally be within my grasp.
I stepped closer, my fingers grazing his chest as my mind spun with possibilities. The thrill of it was almost intoxicating, but underneath it churned a nauseating impatience. It was all so close—so maddeningly close.
"You're not even that important right now," I said, my voice sweet but dismissive.
He scoffed, his brows knitting in confusion. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine enough to know you're confused," I replied, tilting my head slightly. "And I want to marry you."
Grant blinked, caught between shock and disbelief. "What?" His voice dropped, his gaze steady on mine, searching for a crack in my resolve.
"We get married," I repeated, matter-of-fact.
"You're joking. I don't even know you. Mark hired you! What did he tell you, exactly?"
"That I was an actress." I nodded, a slow, deliberate movement. "I played my role. Now, I want to marry you."
"Lady, you're out of your mind." His tone was firm, but his voice wavered at the edges, uncertain.
"Aria," I corrected with a sly smile. "But 'ma'am' works too—it turns me on."
He recoiled slightly, frustration flashing in his eyes. "Who even are you? You've been acting crazy since you showed up here!"
"Crazy?" My tone sharpened, cutting through his protests. "I'd say I've been convincing enough for your 'super weird' family to buy it." The words came out colder than I intended, but I let them hang between us. For a fleeting moment, I imagined storming in and finishing what I'd fantasized about for years—Hunter's blood staining the carpet. But no. Patience. I needed Grant. He was the key to penetrating their fucking fotress. To proving Sierra wrong. To dragging Hunter into the hell he deserved.
"Do you have a child?" I asked abruptly.
His brow furrowed. "What? No."
"A niece?" My voice trembled slightly.
"What are you getting at?"
"Do you have a younger brother? Sister? Niece? Nephew?"
He took a step back, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "Why does it matter?"
I plastered on a sweet smile. "Because I'm good with kids. A real asset. I could take care of your family's cute little babies or toddlers—whatever you need."
"There's no child in this family," he said, his tone clipped.
"There has to be," I insisted, my voice tight.
"The family will figure that out on their own." His eyes narrowed. "Stop being weird."
I ignored his tone, reaching for his hand and stepping backward until I leaned against the car behind me. Slowly, I raised a leg, wrapping it around his waist and pulling him closer. His body tensed, but he didn't push me away.
His glare was sharp, dismissive, but I grabbed his face and forced him closer. My hands pressed against his stubbled jaw, the roughness igniting something electric under my skin. Our faces were inches apart, and I stared into his eyes, my breathing steady despite the chaos in my mind.
When I let out a low moan, his expression hardened further, but he still didn't pull back.
"Your family needs to know the passion is burning, Grant," I said, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. "Since you have to marry me now."
He chuckled, low and dismissive. "I have no idea what you're trying to pull, but it's time for you to leave." He gestured toward a driver I hadn't noticed until now, standing at attention a few feet away.
Before he could step away, I slipped my hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly typing my number into it. "You can call me anytime now." I winked as I handed it back, letting my fingers linger on his lips just a second too long.
Finally, I let him go. "I'll see you later, Grant," I said, a lightness in my tone that I didn't feel.
He offered a polite smile—calm, detached, unreadable—and opened the car door for me. Sliding into the seat, I gave him a small wave as the vehicle pulled away, the Pembroke estate shrinking in the distance behind me.
The tears started as soon as we hit the road. Hot, bitter, and unstoppable. I pressed my fingers to my cheeks, trying to collect myself. The doubts flooded in all at once. What if Grant never gave me another chance? What if this was as close as I'd ever get?
Only I knew the effort it had taken to get this far. How much Sierra and Hunter had done to shut me out of their world, to erase me completely. They didn't even recognize me when they saw me. That stung more than I cared to admit.
I let out a dry chuckle, the sound trembling with suppressed anger. They'll remember me soon enough. I'd make sure of it. I'd make them regret every second of their indifference, every decision that led them to think they could just forget me.
Dabbing at my eyes, I straightened up, Nothing would stop me now. Not with that child involved.
****
"And why the extra glitz tonight?" I asked, reaching for my eye pencil. The mirror in front of me reflected the faint haze of cheap lights filtering through the room, the dim glow catching on scattered sequins and rhinestones. The steady thrum of bass from the club floor reverberated through the walls.
"Huh, I wonder," Jalene replied dryly from her stool across the dressing room, adjusting a strap on her heels.
"The club owner's in deep," Rose chimed in from the other end of the room. She leaned toward her own mirror, her hand steady as she applied a thick coat of mascara. "Lost tonight's profits at the casino. Now they've got him throwing some 'mega night' to rake it all."
"So, he's screwed," I said, my voice laced with mock pity.
"And dragged his girls down with him," Rose added, tossing her mascara aside. "Most of them depend on him for everything. "
"Fucking hell. Bee's in that category," I muttered, glancing toward Jalene.
Jalene shrugged. "They're not just gonna let him cheat them like that."
"What choice do they have?" Rose stood, her glitter-covered skin catching the dim lighting as she moved across the room, completely unbothered by her nudity. "Those suits upstairs don't care what happens here. It's going to be a rough night for those girls."
Jalene snorted as Rose strutted to the center of the room, pausing by the pole. Rose tilted her head toward us, her expression smug. "How do I look?"
"Sometimes I don't doubt it's your calling to strip for thousands," Jalene quipped with admiration.
Rose smirked, twisting her hips in a slow, deliberate circle as she warmed up against the pole. The gleam of glitter danced with her movements.
I chuckled softly at Jalene's remark, but the moment was shattered as the door to the dressing room burst open. A loud crash jolted everyone. Jalene and I instinctively grabbed the throw blanket behind us to cover ourselves, though we were still mostly dressed.
I squinted toward the doorway, lifting the edge of the blanket. Felix.
"Jesus, Felix!" Jalene snapped as five other barely dressed women started hurling curses at him.
I sighed and stood, walking toward him. His eyes darted around the room, landing on me. I knew he'd come for me.
"Sorry, girls," I muttered over my shoulder, closing the door behind us as I stepped into the dim hallway.
"What—" Felix started, but I cut him off sharply.
"I don't care how many times you've seen us naked, Felix. Don't ever burst into that room like that again," I hissed.
"Whatever." He smirked and stepped closer, his gaze lingering on my cleavage.
I exhaled deeply, planting a firm hand against his chest to push him back. "What do you want?"
"Why are you always so exquisite?" he drawled, leaning in again. "I'll pay you whatever you make tonight. Just come to my room."
"With the money I worked for?" I shot back. "That's the money from the guy at the gig. I knew I should've charged you more."
"Wait, wait, wait." He raised his hands defensively. "That's what I'm here about. Why are you ruining my reputation?"
I folded my arms. "What are you even talking about?"
"The guy said you were acting weird," he replied, his tone shifting to something vaguely accusatory.
"Weird?" I scoffed. "I was acting exactly how I needed to. Stay out of it, Felix."
He chuckled, low and mocking. "Look, if you're planning to push your way into that family, don't you think you owe me something?"
"Owe you?" My voice turned cold. "For what?"
"I gave you the gig. Now you're trying to become someone's wife?" His grin widened, and I caught the faintest motion of his hand reaching toward me from the corner of my eye.
Without hesitation, I swatted it away, the sound of the slap sharp in the quiet hallway.
"Keep your hands to yourself, Felix." My voice was steady, my glare sharp enough to pin him in place.
"Anything happening now is none of your business, Felix," I said firmly, my voice low but sharp. "Unless you're itching to end up in prison again."
His smirk faltered slightly. "What you mean?"
"I mean there's serious power in play here—people who won't let you mess with them. You know the type."
"I don't want no motherfucking drama." His tone hardened, but there was a hint of desperation in his words. "I just want my bag, that's all. But if you're gonna leave me hanging like this, you oughta pay me back—at least with your body. Been dreaming about it a lot lately."
I stopped mid-step, turning to face him fully. My gaze bore into his, unwavering. "Felix, there's no way that's happening. Ever. And let me give you a tip—if those guys call you? Block them. Fast. Otherwise, you'll be in jail before you know it."
I spun on my heel and walked away, the distant thrum of music from the club floor growing louder with each step.
"Mama!" he called after me, his voice laced with mocking sweetness. "I'll be out in the club if you wanna say your goodbyes!"
I didn't stop or turn around. "In your dreams, Felix," I shot back, my voice echoing in the dim hallway as I disappeared through the door.