Page 11

damian

“Here.”

I handed Talie her purse, and she snatched it away before opening it to pull out her phone.

With a frustrated sigh, she climbed off the couch, heading to the island to plug it into the charger.

We’d just gotten back from the lunch, and she was still wearing the black dress because she was too stubborn to put my clothes on again.

I crossed the room, and she stood straighter, watching me get closer. Stopping at the barstool, I slipped my hand into my jacket pocket to pull out my wallet. Talie didn’t move from the other side of the island, watching me intently as I pulled out a silver card.

“Before you get any ideas, it doesn’t work internationally,” I told her, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t make me regret this, Natalia.”

Mischief danced in her eyes as she sauntered closer. “How do you know I don’t have my own money to leave? Or maybe I still have some of yours.”

I didn’t let her get under my skin. “That might be hard, seeing as I took your other cards.”

“You did what?” she hissed, her smile turning into a scowl. “You have no right, Damian.”

“I spoke with your mother a few months ago,” I stated, making her eyes go wide. “She always liked me, and she told me she didn’t give you any money in the last five years. Which means you’ve been living off what you stole from me.”

Fury filled her eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” I asked. “Tell me, Talie. Have you been making your own money? What have you been doing?”

“None of your business.”

“That’s fine.” I held the credit card up. “Then I’m keeping your cards until you prove to me that the money you’ve been using is yours and not mine.”

Her jaw clenched. “What’s the difference between using this card and the money I already took from you?”

“Because the money wasn’t yours to take. I’m giving you this.” I paused, watching the anger build on her face, deciding to push her a little more. “I can’t have my wife going without, can I?”

Her eyes flicked to the card. “What’s the spending limit on it?”

“More than enough for you to shop and eat out or whatever you want to do.”

“I’m not going to spend my days shopping and planning my life around yours,” she growled. “I want to get a job.”

“Plan on paying me back?” I cocked my head to the side as I leaned against the counter. “Because if you used even half, it would take you decades.”

She rolled her eyes. “It seems like you’re doing fine without the money. You even get to dance like you always wanted.”

Anger bubbled through me as I forced myself not to react. “You have no idea what I had to do to get my club where it is today. I had to start from fucking nothing since you left me high and dry.”

“I want to work,” she repeated stiffly.

“I’m sure you could find something respectable with the degree you have…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “Wait—you didn’t go to college like everyone thinks. What job do you think you can get that the families will approve of?”

Her eyes burned with rage. “I don’t need to ask them about my choices.”

I pushed off the counter, stopping inches from her. “Have you been gone so long you forgot how this world works?”

“I know exactly how it works,” she hissed. “Why do you think I stayed away for so long?”

“Your father, and mine, would never approve of you working somewhere that isn’t up to their standards. I don’t even think they’d let you work at all. And if I let you do it? Then that shit will fall on me.”

“Let me?” she spat out, disgust written all over her face. “That’s a vile way of thinking, Damian.”

“I didn’t say I agreed with it, did I?” I shot back. “But you know how our families are.”

She shrank back from me, her hands clenched into fists. I didn’t blame her for being angry, but she knew what she signed up for when we married. This was the life both of us were expected to live. Under a microscope, doing what our families wanted.

“I can work at your club,” she finally said. “I saw the women working there.”

I went still. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because you already tried ruining my life five years ago.” I kept her stare. “I’m not letting you anywhere near the one place I built up for myself.”

Checking my watch, I muttered a curse before grabbing my suit jacket from the chair.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back later,” I said, not giving her the answer she wanted. “Oh, I took the liberty of ordering clothes for you. They should be hanging in the closet.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she backed away before heading toward the closet. I chuckled when she disappeared, knowing she wasn’t going to be happy with what I chose. But since she had my card, she could shop for whatever she wanted.

“Damian,” she screamed. “Lingerie is not clothes. You couldn’t have bought me a pair of damn underwear?”

“With how often you keep getting naked in front of me, I didn’t think you’d want any,” I said, loud enough for her to hear. “Plus, I like knowing you’re exposed just for me. My dick is still hard from that elevator ride.”

She let out a frustrated scream, but I didn’t have time to stay and argue with her. I was supposed to be at the club a half hour ago. Leaving a copy of the apartment key next to her credit card, I grabbed my wallet before heading out the door.

Nerves settled in my gut as I strode down the hall. She wouldn’t leave the city since her father put his foot down about her staying, but it didn’t mean she was going to make my life easy. I hoped my apartment was still intact when I came home.

“How’s your wife?” Ashton asked, raising an eyebrow the second I stepped into my office. He was sitting at my desk, his messy, dirty blond hair in his eyes until he brushed it back to look at me.

“How do you think?” Rhyett asked as he lounged on the small couch. “She’s probably already on a plane.”

“She’s not leaving. We already had lunch with her father.”

I bit my tongue when guilt weighed on my chest like it had been ever since the lunch with our parents earlier.

Even with her stealing from me and leaving for nearly five years, I still felt bad.

I shouldn’t. If I hadn’t gotten involved, her father would have dragged her home, which could have been much worse.

While I couldn’t help but get under her skin and mess with her like she loved to do with me, I had no intention of actually making her life miserable.

“You look stressed,” Rhyett commented as I raised my eyes to look at him. “I told you that forcing her back wouldn’t make your life easier.”

“He wasn’t about to let her go back to her easy life after what she did to him,” Ash argued. “She married him, then fucked him—and not in the good way.”

Rhyett scoffed. “Did you expect anything less? Are we remembering the same girl? She made it perfectly clear this life was something she never wanted. She’s going to give Damian hell.”

“Can we not discuss my marriage?” I muttered. “She’s back, and that’s it.”

“Yeah, and now she knows about the club.” Ash stood from my chair, rounding the desk. “She could wreck this for us. For you.”

“She won’t,” I snapped. “I’ll make sure?—”

There was a knock on the office door before it swung open, revealing Percy Collins. The bastard always made my blood pressure rise, and tonight was no exception. He sauntered into my office before I could say a word while Ash and Rhyett straightened up.

Percy dropped in the chair in front of my desk, his grin shooting rage through me.

His graying blond hair was slicked back; his thin nose and high cheekbones made him look like a slimy businessman.

Which was exactly what he was. I fucking hated him but couldn’t do jack shit about him being in my club.

“Damian,” he greeted me, his nasally voice grating on me worse than usual. “I came last night to talk, but you left early.”

“What do you want, Percy?” I asked, not hiding my annoyance. “It’s not the end of the month, so what the hell are you doing here?”

His eyes flashed with anger, but he kept a tight smirk on his face. “Just checking on my business ventures.”

“You get your check every month,” Ash snapped. “Fucking asshole.”

I swiped my hand down my face, taking a deep breath. “I’ll meet you two later.”

Rhyett and Ash glared at Percy before they both strode out of my office, closing the door behind them.

Percy crossed one leg over the other, leaning back as I reached down, taking a bottle of whiskey out of the bottom drawer of my desk.

I only grabbed one glass and poured the liquor for myself, watching his jaw tick when I didn’t offer him any.

“What do you want?” I repeated after taking a long sip.

“I saw you dancing last night,” he said, tilting his head. “You usually don’t bring women to the stage.”

“This is my club,” I gritted out. “If I want to participate in theme nights, I will.”

“It’s our club,” Percy reminded me with a smug ass grin. “Don’t forget it, Damian.”

My fingers tightened around the glass as we stared at each other.

I wished I could go back and never make a business deal with him.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was an investor, and once I made his money back, that was supposed to be it.

But it didn’t work out as planned. Now he was blackmailing me to keep his hold over me and my fucking club.

He continued, “I need more this month. I’m giving you a week’s notice to make sure you can give it to me in full.”

“How much?” I forced out, barely staying in control.

“A hundred thousand.”

“You realize there won’t be any more money coming in if you keep taking more than your cut,” I snapped. “We have employees to pay. This place isn’t cheap to run.”

He waved his hand. “You work with your father. You have more than enough money.”

“That’s family money. Not mine.”

“I don’t care,” he said airily. “I don’t give a shit how you get it. Just make sure my envelope is full at the end of the month.”

Without another word, he stood up, walking out of my office while adjusting his pinstripe suit. Everything he owned was outlandishly expensive. His clothes. His cars. Houses. What made me see red was he was using me to live his lifestyle when he had no damn right.

“He wants more money?” Rhyett asked, strolling back in. He ran a hand through his short brown hair as he fell into the chair Percy vacated.

“Yeah,” I muttered before downing the rest of my drink. “We need to find a way to push him out. I don’t know how much longer I can handle him.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Rhyett said in a low voice. “Rehearsal starts in ten. You coming?”

I wanted to. When I danced, it was the only time I could forget about all my problems. It was how the idea of this club came to life.

My father knew I had my own business, but he had no idea what it was, or that I was on the stage.

I didn’t want to know what he’d do if he found out.

This club and the dancing I did here was only for me.

I was in business with my father, and he fully believed I would take over all his companies one day. Something I had no interest in.

“I can’t,” I responded stiffly. “Christian wants me to go to a business dinner with him.”

Rhyett only nodded, knowing whatever my father wanted came first.