“The hooker …” He coughs.

Brecken and I immediately turn to face Rachel. The look in her eyes says it all. The fear she has as she takes a step back from us. Her eyes dart back and forth between the two men, and she goes to open her mouth. But I reach out and grab her upper arm. Without another word, I yank the back door open with the other and drag her inside. I pull her behind me through the busy club as the music pounds and the lights flash. The drunks sway on their feet and some I push too hard, causing them to fall over. As we approach the stairs, she tries to pull free, but I just dig my fingers into her more.

Opening my office door, I feel a moment of happiness when I see that Taylor did as I asked and left my office. I slam the door and let her go.

“What in the fuck are you doing, Rachel?” I demand as I whirl on her. Tears run down her cheeks, and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel sorry for some overemotional bitch. “Hooking? Since when did you start getting paid to be a slut?” I shout.

She sobs. “I … I lied to him,” she admits. “I told him I was a hooker.” Her head bows as she sobs.

“Why in the fuck would you do that?” I growl, running a hand through my hair. On top of being a crazy bitch, she also is a liar. Just like I am.

“I did it to make you jealous,” she cries.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Do I look like I’m jealous?” I demand. “I’m fucking pissed, Rachel. And it has nothing to do with the fact those two men downstairs were going to pay you for sex.” She knows not to bring this type of shit into our club. “Of all the shit you have done …”

“I’m sorry.” She continues to cry, and I fall down into my office chair. “You’ve been gone for three days. Then when I saw you walk in with her, I just knew I had lost you.” She rambles. “I felt like I had to remind you what I meant to you.”

“You know what you mean to me.” I sigh.

“You don’t look at me the same way you once did.”

I shake my head, and I take a deep breath. “Rachel, things have changed.” And I’m not just talking about the last three days. Things changed between us after the first time Brecken and I both fucked her. I had fallen for Rachel hard and fast when I first met her. She had that damsel in distress thing going on, and I saved her. We, Brecken and I, both found her and saved her. But the love I thought I felt for her soon turned to nothing but lust. She became the whore every man wishes he could have. The dirty talk. The way she allowed us to do anything we wanted to her … I get it now, now that I’ve met Taylor. The way I felt when that man in the alleyway had her was nothing short of hot rage. And I can’t even fathom the thought of sharing Taylor with any other man, not even Brecken. So, no, what I feel for Rachel is not love. “I have to let you go, Rach,” I say looking up at her. It’s time. I know what Taylor and I have is limited. It’s a clock counting down to destruction, and it needs all my attention. I don’t have time to put up with Rachel’s drama.

Her head whips up. “You’re firing me?” I can’t help but watch the black mascara run down her cheeks. “You can’t do this to me, Case.” Her voice shakes. “You can’t pick her over me.”

I place my forearms on my desk and lean over as my brows scrunch. “It has nothing to do with Taylor.” Does it? Of course, it does.

She throws her head back and laughs as if that was the funniest thing I’ve ever said. “You may be able to feed her lies. But I’m not as naïve as she is.” She angrily wipes the tears from her face smearing the black. “It has everything to do with her,” she screams, getting angry with me. “You belong to me.”

I shake my head and speak. “I don’t belong to you, Rachel.”

“What about me? Everything we shared?” She sniffs.

“The only thing we shared was a bed,” I say seriously. She gasps, and I remove my forearms from the desk and stand from my chair. I walk up to her and run my hand down the side of her wet face. It feels cakey from all her makeup. “And that is over.”

She slaps me across the face, and I bite my inner lips at the sting. “I’m not gonna hit you, Rachel,” I say evenly.

She lets out a sob. “You are the only one who understands me,” she cries.

“We both know that’s not true. Brecken understands you. He can take care of you.” Just because I no longer want her doesn’t mean Brecken doesn’t want her.

She shakes her head. “Brecken isn’t you,” she says softly.

“And you’re not Taylor,” I say truthfully. That’s how Rachel and I have always been. We may be fucked up, but we are honest with one another. No matter how much it hurts.

“Fuck you!” She spits the words at me.

I reach out for her, but she pulls away from me this time. “When she finds out the truth about you, she will leave you with nothing. And I won’t be here to pick you up.”

I hate how her words rip my heart open. I know my days with Taylor are numbered. “You’re right. She will leave me when she finds out who I am, but I won’t need you when that day comes.” Rachel has been a part of my life for years, but it’s time to walk away. She no longer needs to fill that hole I have.

She covers her face with her hand, and it breaks my heart that I have to be this hard on her. I never expected Taylor to become so important to me. To turn the tables on me. But I can’t change what I feel. What I know. Rachel is toxic whereas Taylor is fresh air.

I watch her walk out of my office and my life as tears continue to run down her face. I want to stop her. I want to tell her to stay close to Brecken. Someone will need to save her when she gets herself in a position she can’t get out of on her own. But she also needs to know we won’t always be there for her.

I send Brecken a quick text about what just happened with Rachel and me and then close down my office. I’m done with this fucking night! I don’t even care to go back down and see how Brecken and Miller cleaned up the two guys who started the fight over Rachel. For all I know, Rachel is down there crying to Brecken right now.

I make my way up to my apartment and quietly enter my bedroom. Taylor sits up immediately when I enter. “What happened?” she asks worriedly.

I reach up and undo my pink silk tie. “Just another bar fight,” I respond yanking it free of my collar.

“Are you okay?” She shoves the covers off her and crawls to the end of the bed. My hands pause as they unbutton my dress shirt, looking over her naked body. The bruise on her side is almost gone. The scratches on her leg have healed, and she no longer wears the bandage on her neck.

“I’m fine.” I pull the shirt from my dress pants and start to unbutton my pants.

She frowns. “Case.” She places her hands on mine, stopping me, and I look up at her. “You don’t seem fine. Tell me what’s wrong.” I love the look on her face right now—it’s full of concern. It shows me just how much she cares about me. And I hate that one day soon it will no longer be there. All that will be left is hatred like Rachel.

I let go of one of her hands and reach up, cupping her face. God, her skin is so soft. Her face is free of makeup, and I’ve never seen her more beautiful. Her pouty lips and big blue eyes. It’s been so hard not to touch her the past three days, afraid I would hurt her, but now, the way she’s looking at me up through her lashes, I know I can’t wait any longer. Rachel was telling the truth; my time with Taylor is on a timer, and I’m not sure when that timer is going to go off.

I let go of her other hand and place it on the other side of her face. I lower my mouth to hers and whisper against her lips. “It’s just been too long since I’ve had you.” May have been only three days, but it feels like years.

A shiver runs through her body. “I told you I’m fine,” she whispers against my lips. “I’m ready.”

I press my lips to hers, and she opens her mouth welcoming me in. I kiss her deeply. A growl escapes my lips when her hands go down to my pants. She pulls my belt free and then goes to work on my button. As soon as I feel my pants hit the floor, I shove her to where she falls onto the bed.