Page 110 of No Holds Barred

“And did it?” Hope asked.

Raina lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Not really. But it was an increase.”

So they weren’t even holding up their end of the bargain. Hope clenched her jaw, mentally taking notes of everything and glad it was being recorded so she could listen back later to the insanity that was this plot.

“She asked, but it didn’t really start for another month.” Raina sighed heavily. “And even then, it was slow, like it was a test of loyalty. They don’t let many people into the circle, butwhen they do, they don’t let you go. I tried to quit once—they wouldn’t let me.”

Hope bit her tongue. Because if Raina really wanted to quit, she could have found a way. No one could force her to stay there, even if it felt that way.

“So I did it, but I didn’t like it.” Raina lifted her hands up and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “I hate myself for it.”

Reaching forward, Hope covered Raina’s hand with her own and squeezed. “You know what we have to do, right?”

Raina nodded.

“Good. Then, let’s figure this out. Together.” Hope sighed heavily. She spent the next hour scheming with Raina to get the owners to admit what was going on, but ultimately, none of the plans they came up with sat right with Hope.

Eventually, she sent Raina on her way. She needed to clear from the table soon so that service could start, but she couldn’t force her legs to move. Cadence eventually slipped into the chair Raina had vacated.

“Well?” Cadence asked.

“Fuck,” Hope said with a laugh. “I don’t think this is what any of us expected.”

“No, it’s not.” Cadence ran her fingers through her hair. “What should we do about it?”

“I need to talk to Ange.” Hope rubbed her hands together and then checked the time on her phone. She bit her lip and shook her head. “She’s not going to like it.”

“No, she won’t.”

“But she’ll know what to do.” Hope looked at Cadence. “Well, I know what to do, but it’ll be easier if she’s doing it with me.”

Were they really that much of a team now? That they did everything like this together? Hope flushed at that thought. They hadn’t seemed like much of a team this week, not like Hope had initially thought they would be, anyway.

“I don’t suppose there’s any hope of getting Ange’s iPad back now, is there?” Cadence’s lips quirked up into a half smile.

Hope snorted. “No, it’s probably long gone by now.”

And God, that was going to be the worst part of this conversation, wasn’t it? Hope leaned back in her chair and shook her head, still half laughing at the thought. Angelica and her iPad. Whatever last night had been, and this morning, between them, Hope wasn’t quite ready to see it end yet. Though the doubts were certainly there.

Could they maintain this?

Could they find a way to be together through everything that was still being thrown at them?

Perhaps if Angelica could get over her obsession with her iPad, they might have some luck on their side.

Maybe.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

“Thank you so much, Officer Cohen.” Angelica pressed her hands into the desk as she pushed herself to stand. Two hours in this tiny room with the reporting officer and Hope, along with two cameras and Rex. It was a tight squeeze, but they’d made it work for what they’d wanted to get.

As soon as the officer was gone, Angelica sat in the abandoned chair across from Hope. She hated this. The waiting. The uncertainty. The lack of answers. Flicking her gaze down Hope’s body, Angelica simply breathed. That had been her life so often lately. She’d been unable to have any of the answers. Not about Hotel Bombshell and not about Hope.

“Ange?” Hope raised an eyebrow in her direction, clearly looking for a response to something. But Angelica had no idea what she’d missed.

“Yes?” Angelica pursed her lips, canting her head to the side.