Page 46 of Submission

She looks towards Billy, who says, “She’ll take one in ten. We just have to finish this up.”

“I’ll be outside then,” I tell them. “Taking my break.”

Grabbing a sandwich from the refrigerator, coffee in hand, I go outside, grateful to breathe in the fresh air. It’s cold out butmy lungs feel good, away from the stale atmosphere of the Blue Whiskey.

It’s been two days since Lacy came to stay with us. The girl is relatively quiet, and despite her circumstances, she seems to have a positive outlook on life, which I like about her, but I still can’t figure out why Hunter is so interested in her.

I’d be lying if I said that it doesn’t bother me. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. There’s confusion in his eyes and a hint of sadness that I’ve never seen before. And the strangest thing of all is that he avoids interacting with her. I don’t see his normal swagger or confidence when he looks at her.

That scares me.

Hunter is not a liar, and I have no reason not to trust him, but he’s also the first man that I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable with. While I almost convinced myself that our age difference is what makes this thing between us so different. So safe. I am quickly realizing that the trust between us is fragile.

As I perch on the steps, I look down at my coffee, sighing helplessly. I’m dating Hunter Middleton, the billionaire and the philanthropist. I’m also dating his alter ego, the ruthless club owner and underworld negotiator. He’s been so preoccupied with work lately that aside from a few stolen kisses, I’ve not really managed to spend any quality time with him. Normally, that wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen, but my body is half-starved for him.

For someone who wasn’t exactly getting laid, I am addicted to his touch, and I miss it. He knew exactly what he was doing when he basically turned me out by flying me to Paris and seducing me in that hotel room (or maybe I seduced him). Now I want him all of the time. I bet if I go into his office right now, he’ll put everything aside and fuck me so deeply that I’ll lose my mind.

My vagina twitches as if she’s itching to follow through on my dirty thoughts, but I force myself to stay still and take another gulp of coffee. This can’t be about me and my raging hormones.

It’s obvious that Hunter is busy and much more stressed than normal. I wish I could just go up to him and ask him to talk to me. Make him talk to me. I kind of want to. But if I do that, I’m going to be throwing myself deeper into this tangled mess of feelings and trust that is growing like a bunch of angry weeds.

I’m sitting in the back of the club but hear footsteps approaching the alleyway. I’m expecting to see my new security detail, but instead, it’s Diana.

“Hey,” she greets me casually as if we’re old friends.

It’s a little awkward that she’s approached me after everything we’ve been through in the last 48 hours, so I stand up, sipping my coffee.

“Do you need something?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Not from you, anyway.”

I frown at that but don’t comment on it. She has a weird expression on her face, almost anticipatory.

“Okay,” I say, biting into my sandwich but keeping a close eye on her. “Did Parker give you the details about your new job?”

She doesn’t say anything for a few moments, just watching me with this strange gleam in her eyes.

“You want me to thank Hunter or you for that, bitch?”

“I beg your pardon?” I ask, nearly choking on the sandwich, not even fully grasping that she called Hunter by his first name.

“I don’t need any piece of shit job you ask your fuck buddy to give me.” She smiles at me, the expression almost twisted. “I only stayed here as long as I did because I needed to see how precious you were to him.”

The hairs on the back of my neck are rising as I study Diana. Her statement is confusing to me, and then I hear somethingshuffle in the background at the opening of the alley, which makes me jump. I quickly turn my head, only to see a cat.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask. “You’re not making sense,” I say, wondering if Diana may be high on something.

“You’ll find out,” she murmurs. “I never expected Hunter Middleton to reveal his weakness so readily.”

Okay, now I know something’s wrong and that I’ve unwittingly found myself in a possibly dangerous situation. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Diana has an ulterior motive here. She’s a different person.

She looks different, she’s dressed differently, and she’s referring to Hunter and his supposed weaknesses in some super creepy way.

I’m in deep shit right now.

“I don’t know what you’re smoking, Diana, but I’m not that important to Hunter.” I try to keep my tone casual. “Girls like me are a dime a dozen to a man like him.”

Diana smiles at me, cocking her head in an unnatural manner. “I’m not that easy to fool. I’ve been watching you way before you hired me.”

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