Page 18 of Rage & Paradise
TEN
Oro
That is real fear on Estrella’s face.
As much as I don’t want to care, I can’t help but be curious about what it is she’s truly running away from.
“Who is this friend you don’t want to go back to? Were you and her together or something like that?”
Estrella shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. She was just someone I looked up to. A mentor, I guess, even though she’s not that much older than me. She was someone I wanted to emulate.”
“So what’s the problem? People are fucked up. That’s the way of the world. Just stay away from her.”
She scoffs and narrows her eyes at me. “I’m trying. What aren’t you understanding? I’m trying to stay away from her, but she’s making it impossible. Sina is very connected. She’s blacklisted me back home, so I can’t get a job or a place to live. She has people following me. She’s figured out a way to get in contact with me no matter how far I try to go. I threatened to go to the cops once, but she’s got dirt on me and threatened to take me down with her. It’s either I help her or live like this. Thisjob, working at Seda, is probably the only place that I know she doesn’t have any reach.”
More and more, I’m starting to piece together the real story behind all the half truths she’s telling me.
Estrella and this Sina woman must have had a little girls’ club or something like that. Estrella wants to do more and Sina doesn’t want to. It’s true that her whole life was her father, so I can believe the part where she might be too naive about the outside world when it comes to people trying to manipulate her. Still, unless she’s going to tell me she’s some kind of assassin or something like that, I don’t see this as such a huge problem. It seems more like two girls fighting to see who’s the most popular.
Nothing for me or the Royal Bastards to get involved with.
“You’re right, this Sina woman doesn’t have any reach here, but that doesn’t mean I want you or your drama to follow you here. You need to get your life together and move on. I’m sure the guys are going to allow you to work here, but make no mistake, I don’t want you here.”
Her tear-filled eyes sparkle as she looks up at me with a guilty expression on her face.
“You really hate me, don’t you?”
“Hate doesn’t even begin to cover the way I feel about you.” I snarl before I turn and walk out the door.
I will because it's protocol, bit I'd bet I don’t even have to check what the other guys, I know what they think about Estrella. After that dance, she’s a shoo-in to become one of the more popular club bunnies we have here.
Not only will I have to tolerate having her in my space for the foreseeable future, but I’m going to have to watch my brothers try to fuck her.
The thought hits me in the gut like a sledgehammer.
Why the hell should it matter to me that one of them is going to use her? She’s nothing to me. Nothing but a reminder of a life I could have had.
I groan as I push open the door to the clubhouse and beeline straight for the center of the main room, where there is another candidate waiting to be interviewed.
“Oro, a word.” Vado calls out. “Lobo, take over with this one.”
Shit.
Is he already taking me off the assignment?
That would be a fucking perfect ending to this day. The one damn responsibility I’m given is taken away after I fought so hard to get it.
I pivot and follow Vado to the back. I’m happy he doesn’t suggest we go to church. Church, the patch table room, the place where decisions stick. Shit that happens in church is official, something I can’t deal with right now.
“Yeah?” I question when I come to a stop in front of him.
His dark eyes lock onto mine. He’s trying to read me. Out of everyone here in the club, my president is the most unhinged. If he feels like I’m lying in the least, he’ll lose his shit.
“Who is she?” he questions. No pretense or lead up.
“Estrella. Just someone I knew in my past. Not important.”
“Bullshit. I’m going to ask you again, and if you lie, we’re going to have a fucking problem. Who is she?”
