Page 7 of How We End

“Dana does.I think she does it to get back at me.”He let go of my hand and checked his watch.“If you don’t like it?—”

“No, I love it.Tell her thank you.”The stones sparkled in the low light.Dana would remember something like that.I didn’t know if it was out of spite for Maverick or pity for me.“How is your wife?”

“Fine.”Maverick checked his phone.“You should have lunch with her.I’m sure she’d love to fill you in on all the ways I’ve wronged her.”

“I’ll pass.”Dana tolerated me.Or the fact that Maverick had a mistress.She once told me she’d rather know about me than have him hiding me away.Because I deserved better.We both probably did, but unfortunately, we both needed Maverick.Dana because she feared the cancer would come back.And I because I owed him my life.

“Are you sure you won’t come with me tonight?There will be a lot of rich men there.Men who like pretty things standing next to them.”His pale blue eyes scanned my face.

Maverick would know.I had been standing by his side anytime he needed to prove how virile he was.At fifty-five, Maverick was still handsome.But his lifestyle and age were starting to catch up with him.His dark hair was streaked with silver, and his once strong jawline had started to soften.“Then hire better lookingthingsdown at the Golden Serpent.”

“I can’t afford to.I spend all my money on you.”The car pulled into the parking garage.

I rolled my eyes.“Then get a better job.”The driver put the car in park.

“Or a cheaper whore.”Maverick checked his phone again.“This is a big deal tonight.The Coyotes’ season has been shitty, which means ticket sales have been low.City officials are afraid the owners will pull the team.I need to work my magic.Save the franchise.You would be doing your civic duty if you came with me.”

“How?By fucking the owner?”Maverick saw everything as a business opportunity.People’s suffering, a sports team.Me.“I’m tired, and it’s been a long week.”

“One hour.Then you are free to go do whatever it is you do.I’m asking as a paying client.”

“Fine.One hour,” I said, sliding out behind him.

CHAPTERFOUR

WYATT

October 10

It had been three hours.My feet hurt from my heels, and my head hurt from all the overpriced cologne and cigar smoke.Maverick had led me to the Orion Room, where the richest of the men crowded around a table.I’d been passed from hip to hip.Asked to blow on dice and kiss cards.This was below my pay grade.That was what the girls from the Golden Serpent were for.And they were better at it.They had the patience to put up with men.

I stepped out into the hallway when I heard someone call my name.Margo’s younger brother, Anders, caught up with me.“Anders?”I looked past him to the table he had come from.“I thought you had a girlfriend.”

“I do.What does that have to do with playing cards?”He flicked his eyes toward the table.“Can we talk?”

“Sure.”I stepped out to the cool, clean air of the hall.

“Are you working?”He followed, closing the door behind him.

“Anders, you know the rules.”He was Margo’s little brother, and that was not a line I wanted to cross.I was sure at some point I had slept with someone’s little brother.But I didn’t want to think of it that way.

“Not for me.”He cast a quick glance behind him and led me farther down the hall.“What does one charge for your services?”

“More money than you make.”

“Tell me.Five?Six?—”

“Twenty,” I said.

“Twenty thousand?For how long?”Anders’s voice pitched higher.

“Five hours.”Most didn’t last five hours.Three was the longest.But two and a half of those hours were spent talking about how much money he made and how important his job was.Add in twenty minutes for a shower, and there wasn’t really a lot of sex happening.

Anders stepped away, running his hand through his hair.“That’s, like, four thousand an hour.Fuck.”

“This from the man who signed a five-million-dollar contract.”

“It was seven, thank you.And I get the shit beat out of me.You…” He gave me a once-over.