Page 21 of The Kingpin's Call Girl

Stop.

He’s a dangerous killer—that’s why things were heightened,I tell myself.

Cats purr when they’re hurt as much as when they’re happy,I tell myself.

But those are just things I tell myself.

Right then, my phone flashes. I have the sound turned off, but it’s ringing. It’s Bender with my excuse. How long have I been up here? Two hours? I shut it off.

With trembling fingers, I use a pin from my clutch to close the front of my dress. I unroll my wrinkled poncho and put it over my head, thankful I brought it. I grab my cherry lip gloss and roll it on. The smell of it brings me back to myself a little bit.

I came into this sinister world to save my sister, and I got my head turned around, and it’s over now.

He paid for the whole night. Or Dardan did, anyway. The folded-up money is still in my purse from when I slipped it in there. A thousand dollars is so much money. Do I get to keep it? Luka doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to take it back. It’s probably nothing to him, but I need it so badly.

And what will Officer Bender say? Will he take it away? Should I keep it secret?

Luka is wearing a hotel bathrobe when I walk out in my rain poncho. He’s got another glass of whatever he was drinking before, and his gaze is fixed on his phone.

“Well... thanks,” I say.

He looks up with the strangest expression.

Was that weird? Do hookers saythanks? I immediately want to take it back. Why would I thank him? He should be thanking me.

“I just mean... for saving me from that asshole down there.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” he says all rumbly. “I’d toss you right out that window for a decent Lambrusco.”

I stiffen my spine. Such an asshole! “Well, maybe you don’t think it’s a thankable event, but for me, it is. Not—” I wave my hand at the bed. “I just mean... being with you is probably marginally better than being with Dardan.”

He crosses his arms. “Marginallybetter?”

“At best,” I say.

“From what I could see, there was nothing marginal about your enjoyment. But I’ll accept the thanks.”

“I’ve changed my mind. It wasn’t a thankable event at all. I retract the thanks.”

“You retract it?”

Things feel wild between us. “That’s right.”

“You could barely keep that scorn going,” he says. “So, I’ll give you an A for effort but a D-minus for acting like you hated it. Not convincing.”

“Being in a position to take advantage of an economically disadvantaged woman doesn’t give you the right to define how I felt.”

“Being in a position to take advantage of an economically disadvantaged woman? You mean because I’m the savage who made the top of your head blow off three times?”

“Two times,” I say.

“Aha. Two times.” He gives me a smug smile. “I’d call that thankable.”

I narrow my eyes. “So full of shit.”

His gaze sharpens. Does he think he looks hot? All squinty with his dark whiskers?

“Again, consider my thanks retracted.” I head toward the door.

---