Her Secret Betrayal by Jordan Bell Page A

shoulders. “This doesn’t look right.”
    “A private club. Don’t worry, darling,
you’re perfectly safe. It operates for clientele that like their
privacy.”
    I didn’t relax though. One turn after
another and I had no idea where we were anymore. Nothing looked
familiar. Most of the buildings looked long abandoned.
    The car rolled to a stop in front of a
nondescript brick building crushed on both sides by empty
warehouses. Lights dimly glowed through windows on four floors, all
with privacy film over them to mute the glow. A single man the size
of an ogre stood outside the front doors, the only indication we’d
arrived somewhere.
    “We’re here,” he said and gave my hand a
squeeze. My fear needed the reassurance and I didn’t pull away.
    “Marcus,” I said and stopped him by not
letting him pull his hand away. “Answer me something before we go
in.”
    “Anything.” He relaxed, glad maybe that I
was finally acknowledging him.
    “Did you know about me and Sean before I
told you?”
    He hesitated then nodded. “There’s not a lot
I don’t know about things that are important to me.”
    A shiver passed through me. “Did you have
something to do with the break-ins at Zach’s office or Sean’s
condo? Have you had someone following me?”
    His brow furrowed. “Someone has been
following you?”
    The look on his face seemed genuine, a real
concern I hesitated to question. I shook my head. “I don’t know. I
think so.”
    He leaned close and squeezed my hand. “Kara,
I would never make you afraid of me. I want you to want to be with
me.”
    “Then why are you making me be here with you
now?” I whispered back and for a moment his businessman front
dropped and he lowered his gaze.
    “I…this is probably the last time I can have
you. Once we are inside, you’ll want to be here. You’ll want this,
I promise. I know you. I know your body. You won’t want to say
no.”
    I hesitated. He seemed so sure of himself.
Was he so sure of me that I didn’t know myself? Did I know myself.
I touched my lips with my free fingertips and considered this
uncomfortable true.
    No, I decided. I wanted to be with Sean. I
gave myself to Sean.
    “You’ll hurt Sean if I say no.”
    “Only financially, darling. No one gets
something for nothing. If he gets you, I get his restaurant.”
    I shook my head, unable to marry this
businessman with the attentive, imaginative lover I’d spent the
last six months with.
    “Let’s get this over with.” Sickness sunk my
stomach as he got out of the car and came around to open my door.
Sometimes when we played Sean called me his little whore, an
affectionate term that let him treat me like a dirty plaything
while reminding me he loved me as a man too. Now I felt the whore
part, alright.
    When Marcus opened the door, I swatted his
hand away and got out on my own. I wobbled all the way up to the
door without his help. He watched, mirth playing his handsome young
features. The bouncer, all muscle no-neck and scary, watched me
fight my way up the stairs.
    “Mr. Giovanni.” The big man nodded and
stepped aside. Marcus took hold of my elbow, a firm hold and nodded
back. So this was not his first time coming here, wherever here
was.
    The door was opened for us and we were
welcomed in a warm, golden lounge room of reds and oranges,
welcoming, a fire crackling in the corner. A woman at a desk
greeted us with a smile. She looked the part of a secretary, neat,
trimmed, modest blouse and skirt.
    My eyes fell on her shiny black collar and
the silver dog tag dangling from the ring beneath her chin.
    I swallowed.
    “Good evening, sir. I have your reservation
already set up and waiting for you. Do you require anything else?”
The woman handed Marcus a key on a golden cord. I couldn’t take my
eyes off it as he twisted the ribbon between his fingers and
pocketed the key.
    “Bottled water, a little chocolate. My usual
favorites. Is Conrad waiting?”
    “Yes, sir. He’s