“You’re tight with Damen. Why don’t you talk to him about it?”

“Don’t be like that, Hayden. We both know he doesn’t have what I need.” She ran her finger along the neckline of her top, which exposed a ridiculous amount of cleavage. It was meant to be seductive. It had the reverse effect. If my dick could have crawled up inside my body to get away from her, it would have.

“What are you really here for? Or did you just come to stir up shit?” I asked.

“I came by to visit with friends and this is the kind of reception I get? I’m hurt.”

“Drop the act, Sienna. No one’s buying your crap.” I needed her to leave. Tenley had kept it together well enough during the session, even with my stupid fucking inquisition. But it was like the calm before the storm. Her small breakdown when she told me about the plane crash could be a precursor for something far more intense. I wanted to be there in case it happened.

Sienna pushed away from the counter and sashayed over to me. “Are you still mad at me about the last time we chatted? You really need to learn how to let things go.” When she tried to put her hands on me, I caught her wrists.

“Easy, honey, you’re all fired up tonight, aren’t you?” Sienna said, loud enough so only I could hear. “Is that little girl you just sent home causing problems for you? Is she making you wish you weren’t so fucked up?”

Sienna knew exactly what to say to push my buttons. I let her go and stepped back. “It must be hard, Sienna, knowing that as fucked up as I might be, I still don’t want you.”

She leaned in close, her spite like a shadow rising around her. “Always lying to yourself, Hayden. It’s just a matter of time before you come back. Maybe I won’t be interested anymore. You’re not as fun as you used to be.”

“It’s been over a year. When are you gonna get it?” I seethed. “I’d rather stick my dick in a cheese grater.”

Sienna laughed, enjoying my anger. “Wow. You’re really uptight. When was the last time you got laid?”

“Keep pushing,” I warned.

“And what? Are you gonna get rough with me? Show me you’re the man?”

“We both know that’s not how I roll. Now I suggest you get the fuck out of my shop before I call the police for solicitation. You’re certainly dressed for the part,” I said, burning her the only way I could.

“You never used to mind.”

“That’s because I never gave a shit about you or who you put out for.”

“Not even Chris?”

My fists clenched and I took an involuntary step toward her.

“Hayden!” Lisa came out from behind the counter. No matter how angry I was, I would never actually hit Sienna. Lisa should know that better than anyone else, so her reaction pissed me off even more.

I threw my hands up. “I’m outta here.”

I turned and headed for the rear exit. I slammed my palms into the release bar and threw open the door so hard that it smashed into the brick wall and ricocheted, almost hitting my shoulder on the rebound. Sienna kept shooting off her mouth as I walked away, but I ignored her, because the alternative would make me hate myself.

“It’s time to go, Sienna,” Jamie said as Lisa called after me to stop.

The door closed with a metallic bang. I kicked the closest object. The garbage bag went airborne and hit the wall, splitting open. Paper and other items littered the ground like entrails. It didn’t make me feel better at all.

Chris slipped out into the alley. “Jamie’s getting rid of her. You all right, H?”

“No. I’m not all right.” I paced the alley, frustrated. I hated how easy it was for her to get under my skin. “Why today? Why when I have Tenley in the shop?” I wanted to throttle Sienna. “Why is she always fucking up my shit?”

“Because that’s what she’s good at.”

It annoyed the crap out of me that Chris was right. It was such a fucking embarrassment that she had been the one person I’d kept going back to and for no other reason than to get off. I didn’t want that time when I’d been completely out of control to come back and bite me in the ass. I finally had something that felt real with Tenley; messing it up wasn’t an option.

“She’s like a fucking parasite.” I wheeled around, pointing an accusatory finger at Chris. “If you hadn’t pushed me to go to The Dollhouse, I never would have seen her and she wouldn’t be here ruining my life again.”

Chris raised his hands in the air. “I get that you’re pissed, brother, but don’t start blaming me for your issues.”

I was itching for a fight and Chris was the only person volatile enough to make it happen. Jamie came outside before I had a chance to do something really stupid.

He surveyed the scene. “Chris, can you help Lisa close up? I’ve got it from here.”

Chris turned away and pushed past Jamie. “I don’t know why the fuck I even bother with him.”

I went to follow, but Jamie put a hand on my chest and the door slammed shut. “You need to calm down.”

“That bitch ruins everything.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, but she’s not the real problem right now. Take a breath, man.”

He held on to my shoulder, talking me down from the ledge I’d climbed up on. Christ, I was acting like a lunatic. I took a few deep breaths and then a few more, so ramped up at first I could barely think.

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

Sure, I got irritable and pissy, but I didn’t fly off the handle and kick the shit out of garbage bags. It was bad enough I’d tried to pick another fight with Chris. I’d be lucky if he didn’t quit or take Damen up on his offer and go work for him again.

Jamie gave me a wry smile. “You really want me to go there?”

“It’s not funny. I’m losing it. I need to talk to Tenley.” I tried to get around him.

“Whoa, hold up there. You need to get yourself together before you go check on her,” Jamie said. “You go see her in your current state and it’s going to make things a whole lot worse.”

“But I just let her leave. She’s got to know something’s up.”

“I’m sure she does, but she’s not in the headspace to be dealing with your baggage right now. So, like I said, you need to get a handle on what you’re going to say to her before you go over there.”

Jamie’s words felt like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t tell Tenley about my history with Sienna. Not now. The idea of explaining that complicated non-relationship wasn’t something I wanted to do. Ever. Sienna was right—Tenley, for all her markers of deviance, had never engaged in even a fraction of the debauchery I had. I didn’t want to think about what could happen to the fragile foundations of our bond if she knew about my past. The week leading up to this session proved how much I needed Tenley in my life, and Sienna was the one person who could jeopardize everything. I was fucking petrified.

“She told me what happened to her. It’s worse than I thought it would be.”

He nodded solemnly, like he expected as much. “Why don’t we go back inside, and we can figure things out?”

“Sienna’s gone?” I asked. If she was still in there, I might lose my mind permanently.

“I told her it would be best if she didn’t come by again.”

“Like that will stop her.”

“Probably not.” Jamie opened the steel door and ushered me inside.

Lisa rushed over. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known you were almost finished, I would have warned you she was here. I thought I could get rid of her, but she wouldn’t leave.”

“It’s okay,” I said, even though it wasn’t. Lisa was sensitive, and I didn’t want her to feel responsible for what happened.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Not really.”

Lisa put her arm around my waist and steered me toward her office. Chris had already gone home. Jamie shut off the lights in the main studio and dropped down on the corner of the desk. There was no point in beating around the bush.

“I don’t want to tell Tenley about Sienna.”

“You might not have much of a choice,” Jamie said.