Page 63 of Highest Bidder

Hope’s face fell. “You couldn’t get the money?”

“No,” I replied with a sad smile. “The deal fell through.”

Mom didn’t say anything, but the look she gave me was the same one she used to give Dad when he’d blow half his paycheck at the casino. Tired, wary.

I continued on, trying to sound pragmatic. “You can crash at my place tomorrow. If I work a double, I should be able to make enough for traveling money.”

Maybe I’d even work the Champagne Room.

I had no doubt that wherever we landed, I could get another job dancing. The problem was, we needed gas money to make it there first.

I bit back a sob when I told them, “I’m sorry.”

I was sorry about so many fucking things.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Vivian

The chime of a bank alert woke me at exactly seven a.m., and I lay with my eyes closed tight, not wanting to look. But then I realized there was no way I was overdrawn, I hadn’t spent any money.

My account better not have gotten hacked again.I groaned at the thought.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep until I faced this head-on, so, still groggy, I fumbled for my phone on the nightstand. Then blinked at the screen.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and blinked again.

The message hadn’t changed.

Deposit: $60,000

Description: ZRE Enterprises

I sat up straight, my heart pounding.

I knew Kit’s paychecks came from ZRE Enterprises. They owned Velvet Underground.

That had to be a mistake. The contract was null and void. Jeff had said so himself. I wasn’t entitled to anything.

I stared at the number as I tried to make sense of how this could have happened. The only thing I could come up with was someone must not have entered that Jeff had canceled our agreement before they paid me.

One thing was certain; I needed to get my ass to the bank and withdraw that money before ZRE Enterprises had a chance to reverse the deposit.

I was going to be waiting at the bank’s door when they unlocked it at nine a.m.

I’d rather owe a sex club sixty thousand than a guy named Lorenzo who’d threatened my mom’s fingers and the family dog.I think the worst Velvet Underground would do was make me work the debt off. Either that or send me to collections.

Big whoop.

~~~~

I double-checked the address as I pulled into the lot. The building looked more like a mechanic’s shop than a place where backroom deals went down. Although, I guess I wasn’t sure what that should look like.

I parked, shut off the engine, and double-checked the envelope was still in my purse, even though I’d driven there straight from the bank, so I didn’t know where it would have gone.

My heart rate had kicked up with each thousand the teller had counted out, but it wasn’t exactly like I could ask for a cashier’s check. Who would I have had them make it out to? Lorenzo’s Loan Shark Services?

I’d stuffed the envelope in my purse, then looked around as though the police might appear to arrest me as soon as I walked away from the bank window.

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