Page 26

talie

“Is that what you’re wearing?”

Damian’s question had me swallowing my amusement as he held the car door open for me.

I slid out of the SUV, keeping my eyes on the sidewalk to hide my grin from him.

Someone was jogging toward me, and I moved out of the way, ignoring how Damian reached to pull me closer to him.

Instead, I skirted around him and walked on the curb near the line of parked cars.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, feigning innocence. “Am I not dressing to your standards?”

He grumbled something under his breath, and I nearly giggled.

He didn’t care that I was in leggings and a hoodie.

He was going crazy over the fact that he had no idea where I was going with Char.

He was hoping my outfit would give a hint of where we were going, but I was getting changed when I got to my sister’s apartment.

I was getting far too much enjoyment at watching his annoyance grow as he eyed the large bag I had over my shoulder.

“You don’t have to walk me to Char’s door,” I said. “I’m sure you have plans tonight.”

“I parked more than a block away.”

“You could have dropped me off in front of her building.”

He tsked. “Now what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t escort you?”

Before I could say a word, he stepped behind me, and his hand landed on my hip. He moved me to the side, taking up the spot I’d just been walking in. I stared at him, nonplussed, while he kept walking as if he didn’t move me for no reason.

“What was that?” I asked, pushing his hand off my waist.

“What?”

“You moved me, Damian.”

“You were too close to the road.”

I sputtered out a laugh. “No, I wasn’t.” Skipping ahead, I cut in front of him, continuing to walk where I was before.

Until he snatched my arm and tugged me next to him again, keeping himself between me and the street.

This time, he didn’t let go of me, his hold around my waist tight enough to keep me from slipping away.

“What is this?” I mocked as we walked down the sidewalk. “Some macho man thing? Can’t have a woman walking near the road?”

He chuckled, tilting his head to meet my stare. “It’s the gentleman thing to do, Talie.”

“Gentleman?” I scoffed under my breath. “You own a sex club.”

“No one has sex there,” he tossed back. “And you haven’t been gone that long. You know I can be a perfect gentleman.”

“ Can be,” I echoed. “I haven’t seen any manners since I’ve been home.”

His fingers dug into my hip. “Well, now you have.”

“Why?” I asked, still stuck on the fact that he literally moved me away from the road. “You worried a white van is going to stop and someone is going to try to kidnap me? This isn’t one of those romance books you read.”

A laugh escaped me when he stumbled a step. I secretly liked how he read those kinds of books, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to stop bringing it up. It always took him by surprise, which was an emotion I rarely was able to get out of my husband.

“No, this is real life,” he finally replied, shooting me a look before a grin tipped up his lips. “But we can recreate any of those scenes if you want. Just say the word.”

“There you are.”

Char’s voice rang out, and I witnessed her getting out of a black town car. The driver was pulling multiple bags out of the trunk as my sister raced toward me, her heels clicking against the sidewalk.

“You’re late,” she said, glancing at Damian before her eyes dropped to his arm wrapped around me. “Sorry, Damian, but this is a girls’ night.”

“Oh, he was escorting me.” I grinned. “Making sure no white vans come to take me. Isn’t he a gentleman, Char?”

Confusion was sprawled on her face, and Damian let out a loud sigh before turning me in his arms to brush a light kiss on my cheek. My stomach flipped despite itself when he kissed me again near my ear.

“Be good,” he breathed out. “Don’t get into trouble.”

“Don’t worry, husband. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

When he pulled away, his eyes were narrowed. “Where are you going?”

“What are you doing tonight?” I countered.

“Working.”

My gaze cut to my sister. She still had no idea Damian owned Club Facade, and even though I was dying to tell her, I couldn’t. Damian would be furious. While I doubted he would really tell my father about the money Char spent on the black card for his club, I wasn’t going to take the chance.

“I’m staying the night at Char’s,” I informed him.

“Fine. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

“I can find my own way back to your apartment.”

“No,” he said simply. “Call me when you’re ready to leave.”

I rolled my eyes, deciding not to argue with him. I wasn’t going to call him, but he didn’t need to know.

“Come on, we need to get ready.” Char hooked her arm with mine, pulling me away. “Bye, Damian.”

“You two have a good night.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I caught him staring at me as we moved toward Char’s building.

My heart thudded. I almost wanted to tell Damian about my career I built as a DJ.

Working in music was something I’d always wanted, and he knew it.

But I wasn’t ready. What if he tried to tell me I couldn’t do it even in secret?

Nope. This was my secret to keep, at least for now.

“Ready?” Char asked in a low voice, giving me a smile. “The venue sent over the contract for you to sign.”

My stomach bubbled with nerves and excitement.

I’d only been home a few weeks, but my music career already felt like a lifetime away.

It had never been in the cards to do this here in the States.

But Char was right. I’d rather do it secretly than never do it again.

I was going to enjoy what I could about being here.

Standing behind the table, I smiled as I stared at the dance floor.

It took me a little while to get the right mix of music that appealed to this crowd.

It was slightly different from what club goers in Asia liked, but it didn’t take me too long to find a beat everyone began dancing to.

I had my own laptop, but the turntable was a loan. Not that it mattered.

I was having so much fun being back in my element.

There was no way this was the only time I’d be doing this.

After tonight, my DJ name would be circling the club scene around the city.

I wasn’t super well-known, but my name was well-respected in other countries.

It wouldn’t be difficult to get more gigs.

Though, I was going to have to be much more careful about my identity here.

I brushed my fingers over the red mask. It didn’t fully cover my face like Damian’s mask did at his club, but it was enough to obscure my identity.

I spotted my sister dancing with her two friends who went to Club Facade with us.

She was in a party dress and looked like she was having fun.

My tight blue jeans and black top were comfortable.

The wedged boots I was wearing matched perfectly, but didn’t make my feet ache from standing for hours.

Adjusting my headphones, I turned my attention back to my laptop and started a new mix. The crowd cheered, proving I was playing the music they wanted. It was almost closing time, making disappointment surge through me. I could have done this for hours longer and been happy.

Once I got the signal to wrap it up from the club manager, I slowly turned down the music and announced closing time.

I kept the music playing as people began milling around and grabbing their things before leaving.

Once the place was pretty empty, I packed everything up before leaving the table.

Leaving my mask on, I chatted with the manager for a few minutes, making sure they had all my information.

I’d opened a new checking account earlier today and made sure to set up direct deposit.

I slipped into a back room and changed into a sleek black dress before pulling my hair into a ponytail.

After leaving the room, I strode toward the back exit, only slipping off my mask when I was sure no one was around.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I stepped into the alley and made my way toward the front of the building.

To anyone wandering outside, I looked like another club goer.

This was much more than I used to do to keep my identity a secret, but since I was in New York, it was a necessity.

I couldn’t imagine what my father would do if he found out.

I bit my lip, Damian’s words running through my head. He was right. Even after everything, here I was, still hiding from my family. I could do this all out in the open, but the fallout would be disastrous, and it wasn’t something I wanted to deal with.

Spotting Char on the sidewalk near the limo, I hurried my steps, shooting her a smile when she caught sight of me.

“You were great,” she gushed, wrapping me in a hug. “Everyone loved the music.”

“Thanks. It was so fun.” We climbed into the limo. “Thanks for pushing me to do this, Char.”

She laughed. “What would you do without me?”

Pain lashed in my chest. This was exactly why I was still here instead of leaving. I didn’t want to live a separate life from my sister.

“Where are your friends?” I asked, not wanting to dwell on those thoughts.

“They already left.” She poured some champagne, handing me a full glass. “Are we doing this again next weekend?”

“Depends on if the club wants me to return,” I mumbled. “But I’m hoping I can find more venues to play at.”

She rambled on about the guy she’d met on the dance floor, and I listened with a smile on my face as we headed back to her apartment. Maybe being home wasn’t the worst thing. If I could do what I loved and spend time with my sister, then it was all worth it.