Page 44 of Deliverance

"Take him down the service elevator so others won't see him leave."

I stopped in the doorway and lowered my voice. "I don't know the code, sir."

He didn't hesitate to reply, "78776."

I nodded and walked out into the hall with the client, not bothering to get his clothes or belongings. I passed Erin as she stood in the doorway to the room she was going to use with Frank. She smiled a tight smile at me.

She might think I wasn't on her side anymore, but I had the code—a way out. The problem was, Frank would know it was me that gave anyone the number.

Even though I was gaining more of Frank's trust, it still wasn't time.

Chapter Eighteen

Erin

Present Day …

A lot hadn't changed in the last five years—and then it had. Jasmine, Tamara, Sarah, Emily, Sonya, Liz, and Ronda had allleft. Not all of them had been replaced, but Carla, Tifarah, Leanne, and Clarissa were the new girls. We had another lady named Bev, but she tried to leave, and if you try to leave, theymakeyou leave just like Dani. Bev was replaced by Krissy. I wasn't sure why there were only five women plus me when at one time, there had been eight of us, but I'd learned not to question anyone or anything.

My friendship with Ric was still on the rocks. We talked over breakfast, but it wasn't the same as it once was. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, but it had been ten years and I was still locked in a fucking penthouse. We had said we would wait until Zell was eighteen because I had grown attached to her, but at the same time, I hoped one day Ric would rescue me.

While sitting in my room reading, I heard the clicking of Madam's heels coming down the hallway on the other side of my closed bedroom door. She stopped at one of the other rooms, and I went back to reading.

There was a knock on my door. "Erin. Hurry!" Zell whisper-hissed.

I swung the door open. "What's wrong, Zell?"

"Madam said to gather all the girls and tell them to put on their best pieces and go down to the sitting room. She wants me to dress nice too and have the best scotch waiting. But I don't know what the best scotch is or how to serve it."

The girls only got in a line for a party or when a powerful client was coming. "That means a VIP is coming."

"A VIP?"

"A very important person, or in this case, a very important client."

She frowned. "Who could that be?"

I shrugged. There was a long list I'd seen over the years walk through the doors. "Any number of men actually."

"Like who?"

"The mayor, a judge, someone on Wall Street."

"They all come here?"

I moved past Zell and knocked on Carla's door. "Yes."

"Wow. What should I wear?"

"Well, we wear lingerie, but since you're only serving the drinks, I'll find you something to wear." I meant to say that the girls wore lingerie, but I also had to wear it when Frank asked for me. Carla opened her door, and I told her what was going on before turning to Zell again. "Go tell the other girls, and I'll get you something to change into."

Zell went to tell the other girls as I had asked her, and I went to my room to get her the only dress I had. It was the one I was wearing that night at Lock. I set it on my bed as I changed. I knew I didn't have to, but if Zell was going to be in the main room while a client was making his choice, I was going to make sure it wasn't her. I didn't trust her mother to make that decision.

Zell came back into my room and pointed at the dress. "Is that for me?"

I looked up from my mirror, where I was touching up my makeup. I did it because I was going to see Ric. I hated that I cared enough to look pretty for him. Or maybe it was to make him jealous. I wasn't sure. "Yes. It should fit you."

"Where did you get it?"