And it’s absolutely terrifying, to trust someone so completely, that you don’t have to tell them what you need from them, they just know.Colton just knows. When I need to take the lead, he feels it, and when I need to let go, he is there to take over the reigns.
“It was for something that we talked about the other night, that you uh…wanted to try?” he stammers, face turning a deep crimson as I smile innocently and bat my eyes.
“I can’t think of what you mean? Remind me?” I coo, loving the way his blush runs from his cheeks all the way down his neck. He shifts closer bringing his mouth to my ear.
“The thing we talked about with the plugs and the different sizes?—”
“Okay! All done in here!” Wade moves so fast, it’s just a blur moving across the room, basically tackling Colton back out of the office. Sadie is laughing as Wade shuts the door behind them.
“You look happy,” Sadie says, studying my face.
“I am.” Now it’s my turn to blush.
“Good, now stay happy and alive. Keep the fucking camera on.” She crosses her arms over her chest for emphasis.
“Promise,” I assure her, criss-crossing my finger over my chest.
“They want their drugs back,” she says, the words from Bob cutting into the conversation. Words we had been dutifully ignoring until now. They know some of their supply has gone missing, and it seems like they confirmed who has it. “Who knows where you stashed the stuff we found?” She looks at the note card again, flipping from side to side.
“Just me and Wade,” I tell her.
“Good, keep it that way. The fewer people that know thebetter. That was a lot of profit to lose. I can’t imagine they are willing to just accept it as a wash, especially if they owe someone the money it would have brought in.” She sighs, tossing the card onto my desk. “They are starting to sound desperate, and desperate people are dangerous.”
“Desperate people make mistakes.”
“Don’t I know it.”
28
COLTON
Making a grown man cry wasn’t on my list of tasks for the day. Hell, when Marcus started asking too many questions about what happened to Ben, I was the one who volunteered to tell him. Well, noteverythingthat happened, just that he was taking some personal time off and Harper was getting him the help he needed.
I made the executive decision to leave out the part about him being used as bait to kidnap and torture his dealer. Didn’t think Marcus needed all the specifics.
If I had any indicators that the most stoic, calm person atCirquewould crumble under the news, I would have let Wade take the task.
I can’t fault Marcus for the reaction he had, especially since he blames himself for not getting Ben the help he needed sooner. When I told him that Ben was taking some personal time off, he immediately started asking questions about rehab and programs he might need. Up until this conversation, it had just been a suspicion of mine that he knew Ben was on something, now it was confirmed. While Ben’s drug use wasn’t news to Marcus, the fact that it had become such a problem was.
The despair over Ben’s condition seemed to clear ever so slightly when I told him that I wouldn’t tell Harper that he was already aware Ben was using. Based on the look of relief he wore when I said I wouldn’t tell Harper, his admission had been a slip of the tongue, and one he was happy to keep between us.
Lucky for him, Harper doesn’t need another person leaving their station, especially someone with such a big role in the nightly shows and the coordination of the club’s flow.
Just someone to keep an eye on.
I left Marcus backstage, pulling himself together so I could go talk to Tessa and check on what we needed for the VIP arrival.
“Hey Tessa. Want me to go get those bottles from the back for you? The VIP should be here any minute?” I ask her as I approach the bar.
“Thanks, hun, but I got it covered.” She lifts one of the expensive sparkling water bottles tucked away below the counter for emphasis. One less task for me to do since that run-down with Marcus took a lot longer than I expected it to.
“Okay perfect. I’ll go get Harper and let her know he will be here any minute so she can greet him when he arrives.”
Tessa’s smile cracks at the edges, her brows pulling together slightly. Confusion as she looks from me to the center of the audience floor.
“I don’t think she needs you too much tonight, Colton,” she points to where her eyes keep darting, waiting for me to turn to add, “she looks like she greeted him just fine on her own.” I don’t like the inflection in her tone, the undercurrent of sarcasm I don’t usually associate with Tessa.
Harper is sitting dead center amongst the rest of the audience, wearing a black satin halter dress with a single slit up the side that flows over her curves like water. Her dark hair pulled back from her face, twisted up and fastened with two custompins detailed to look like crossed daggers. The dress is held up at the base of her neck in a small bow. One small tug and it would slither down her sinful body.