Page 12 of Wretched Choices

And I let him.

Now, I crave it.

I want something I can never have, and it needs to stay that way. Especially if he is who I think he is. And if that is the truth, I will destroy him.

I need to find out more about what is going on in that hotel. I tried to catch some personnel who worked there, ask them questions, but the man from the other night, Catalano’s henchman, saw me and escorted me out, telling me to stay away from the hotel premises.

So, I cashed in a favor and asked a friend to get me some IRS records.

I’m in the middle of research when I receive a call from reception that Ethan Caine is here to see me. He didn’t call before he came here, to my place of work. He has never done that before. Not that we had been tight before. We respect each other, mostly because of Cece.

I wait for him near the elevator, trying to figure out what he wants from me. I have my suspicions. He is here for the favor I owe him.

The elevator opens and there he is. If he wasn’t such a man whore, I would have given him a second glance.

“Ethan.” I wait for him to exit the elevator. He is grinning at me, and from the way he’s looking at me, I know he wants something.

“Isabel, how have you been?”

I smile and accept his outstretched hand. When I take it, he pulls me into an unexpected hug, kissing my cheek.

“You could have called,” I say.

“Well, I was around the corner and wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Walk with me. Let’s go to the conference room.” I take Ethan away from the curious eyes in the office. Everyone knows who he is, and most of them are probably wondering what he’s doing here.

After closing the door behind us, we take a seat at the table. “What’s going on?”

He grins. “I’m here to cash in that favor.”

I smirk. When I made a deal with him to take me to Salvatore’s fundraiser, I didn’t expect him to cash in the favor so soon.

When I say nothing, he continues. “Cece has been busy lately, always ditching me when I need her. And I have this dinner I need a date to. But I really don’t want to take a random girl. I’ve had enough of my brother and father lecturing me.” He rolls his eyes and crosses his legs.

They have the right to lecture him. His behavior has put his family in some scandalous situations.

“And I’m your best choice?” I question.

“You’re the only girl I haven’t slept with, and maybe the only one who doesn’t want my head on a platter.”

I laugh, but he doesn’t. “You serious?”

“You don’t hear me laughing.” He narrows his eyes at me, but they shine with satisfaction.

“Fine. Where do you need to go? But before you answer, I don’t agree to anything sexual.”

“I just need you to pose as my girlfriend. Hand holding, a little touching, no groping.” He shrugs.

Is he for real? “You need a fake girlfriend? Since when is that a thing for you?” I ask skeptically.

“It’s not what I want. It’s a requirement for a club. The Luxor Lounge is a gentleman’s club, and it’s required for every man there to have a woman to serve him. The man I’m meeting is a chauvinist pig, but I need to be at this meeting. And before you go all feminist on me, you could get a story out of it. Just imagine writing about another patriarchy issue.” He winks, giving me a mischievous smirk. “Look, it’s a club for those who want to be treated like that. If someone gets off on it, that’s their choice.”

Yes, if it stops at that. But I heard it’s some kind of cult, not just any gentleman’s club. I heard rumors when I was investigating different cases, and it stayed as only that. Rumors that I never found any proof for. Not that I tried.

“Fine, I’m in. When?” Maybe digging into this story will take my mind from the one I can’t find anything about.

Ethan is a pain in the ass. I have to wear what he wants. He told me that no one would believe I was with him if not wearing a tight dress.

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