Page 49 of Vapor

“What is it?” I demand.

“Your father would like to see you in his office.” She doesn’t meet my eyes, instead staring at the pattern in the carpet as if it’s the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen.

“Tell him I’m busy getting ready for the show. Justin’s car should be here any minute to take me to the club.”

“I don’t think that’s happening,” she says softly, still avoiding my gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“He knows you were gone three nights ago.”

“When we ran into each other in the hall?” My stomach drops. That was the night I went to see Vapor.

“Yes.”

“How does he know? Did you tell him?” I ask, bracing myself.

“I had to. If he found out I knew, he’d fire me.”

“I told you I was out getting feminine products.”

“Do you really think I believed that?”

“What difference does it make? If you’d kept your mouth shut, he wouldn’t have found out,” I snap, the traitorous bitch!

Anger coils tightly within me, a serpent ready to strike. She was supposed to be on my side. Instead, she’s sleeping in my father’s bed and sharing my secrets.

The door slams open with such force that the walls of my opulent prison quiver. My father storms in, his face a mask of barely contained fury. I know instantly this isn’t going to be a calm discussion about curfews or dress codes. His eyes, so much like mine but filled with a coldness that could freeze the swamps of Louisiana, lock onto me.

“Blue,” he spits out my name like it’s venom on his tongue.“You think you’re slick, don’t you? Sneaking out like some wayward teenager.”

“Pauline has quite the mouth on her,” I say, aiming for nonchalance despite the heat in my cheeks.

“Watch your tone, girl.” He steps closer, invading my space, each word laced with accusation.“And Vapor, what’s your deal with him? Are you giving him information about my business?”

There it is. The elephant in the room, trumpeting loud enough to wake the dead buried in the crypts of Lafayette Cemetery. I clench my jaw, feeling a flicker of defiance spark within me as I tilt my chin up, meeting his gaze head-on.

“Vapor? Really, Daddy?” I scoff, trying to sound incredulous rather than defensive.“He’s just some biker I ran into at Broussard’s charity event.”

“Is that where he gave you his number?” he probes, eyes narrowing into slits.

“Yes,” I reply, my voice steady even though my heart races like a V-twin engine at full throttle.“It’s not like I asked for it.”

“Right,” he snorts, clearly not buying it. But it’s the truth.

“Look, whatever you think is happening between me and Vapor, it’s not what you’re making it out to be.” I can’t let fear seep into my words, can’t let him sense how much I loathe the gilded cage he keeps me in.

“Give me your phone,” he demands in a low growl that vibrates with an undercurrent of threat I’ve never heard before. It chills me to the bone.

I hesitate, my fingers tightening around the sleek device as if it’s a lifeline. But the look in his eyes tells me defiance isn’t an option. Reluctantly, I extend my hand, the phone resting on my open palm like an offering to a capricious god.

He snatches it away with a speed that startles me, and scrolls through it with practiced ease. When he finds Vapor’s number, he pauses, eyes flicking up to mine for a split second before he deletes it.

“You won’t be needing this anymore,” he says, slipping my phone into his pocket.

“Wait!” I blurt. Anger surges through me for a second before a sense of isolation takes over. He ignores me, continuing as if I hadn’t spoken.

“And another thing, you’re not to go anywhere alone until after the wedding.”

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