I give him a nervous smile trying not to show him that I’m terrified of his size. The smile he returns to me is nothing less than threatening. It makes the hair on my neck stand up.

The security guy takes a couple of steps toward me, and the man speaks again. “If you don’t leave this room right now, I will have you escorted out.”

I panic as my eyes fly from the security and to the other guy. “I’m not leaving without Blane,” I find the courage to say.

“I’ll be right there,” Blane assures us before he tosses the security guy a hateful look. “Just wait for me by the bar.”

“But …”

“Go!” Blane shouts getting pissed at me.

I take a deep breath as I try to calm my racing heart. I throw the guy dressed in all black one last look before I grab Savannah by the hand and storm past the security guard and out the door.

CASE

I stand in one of my private rooms as I stare at the guy in front of me. Blane knows he fucked up. “I didn’t know I had to inform you not to bring bitches to our meetings,” I grind out.

He was watching the door as the two women left. At my words, he turns to face me. “I tried to leave them behind. I thought I could do it without getting caught,” he snaps.

I raise an eyebrow at his tone. He takes a calming breath. “And they’re not just bitches, so don’t call them that.”

“Who are they?” I demand.

He runs a hand through his dark hair. “Savannah is my girlfriend.”

“And the other?”

“Taylor is my sister.”

The one I was eye fucking earlier is his sister? “You have a sister?” I growl.

He looks at me confused. “Yes,” he says slowly. “And you had no right to scare her like that.” He throws a look of disgust over to Miller, my security guard. “And if you lay one hand on her, I’ll kill you.” Miller just snorts.

I let out a puff of air and ignore his statement. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me that?” I snap.

“You never asked.” His voice rises defensively.

“Fucking idiot,” I hiss. “Three months we’ve been setting this up and you never once mentioned a girlfriend or a fucking sister.” The girlfriend isn’t that much of an issue. But a sister? She can be big trouble. And not just because I was eye fucking her moments ago when I watched her from the stairs.

He shakes his head. “What does it matter?”

What does it matter? A lot! “Because you can’t protect her.” Not the way I can. And by the looks of how she reacted when she saw the drugs on the table, she’s never been part of this world. Addiction. Where people will do anything to get their next fix. She doesn’t partake in such activities. She has no idea what kind of world in which he has stepped in. This is a multimillion-dollar industry. Worldwide. People take their money and merchandise very seriously. I know I sure as hell do.

He actually rolls his eyes as if that’s the most stupid thing he’s ever heard. “Protect her from what?”

How could I hire someone so stupid? “You came to me. You made me an offer. You begged me when I refused. I asked you if you understood what could happen. The consequences you could face,” I shout, getting pissed. “You have a sister! They find out what you’re doing, they will go for her. And they won’t use her for leverage.” I shake my head. “They will fucking take her, and you will never see her again. They will use her as an example.” I feel a pain in my chest at how true that statement is. If only he had the slightest idea …

“They won’t find out what I’m doing. I’m not going to get caught.”

I just stare at him for a few seconds, trying to decide what I need to do. I have learned from experience to always prepare for the worst. And an innocent bystander paying the price for what I have done is the worst. Blane knew what he was taking on when I accepted his offer. His sister did not.

I sit down in my chair and let out a long breath. The sound of the music from the club is starting to give me a headache. When I look up at him, he stares down at me with a frown on his face. “I need to do what is best for her,” I say.

His dark blue eyes harden and his lips thin. “We made a deal. You can’t go back on that,” he says fisting his hands down by his side.

I shake my head. “I’m gonna add to it.”

He straightens his back. “How are you going to do that?”

“I want her,” I say simply.

“No!” he shouts, shaking his head. “I will not allow that.” He starts to make his way around the coffee table toward me, but Miller, my security and good friend, grabs his arm and yanks him back. “You think I would just hand her over to you? Like she’s just some pawn in this game …”

I stand and raise my hand to cut him off and for Miller to let him go. “Things have changed,” I say simply “And this is not up for negotiation.”

“I won’t let this happen. I’ll tell her who you really are ...”

I’m in front of him with my hand around his throat in a matter of seconds. “Don’t you dare come to my house and threaten me,” I yell in his face. “I own you! Or did you forget that?”

His blue eyes look at me with hatred and his nostrils flare. “I know what I signed up for. She owes you nothing,” he rasps, trying to breathe.

I have to give him credit for standing up for her. If I had been this way once, then maybe … not the time for that. I mentally shake my head to clear it. “She may owe me nothing, but you owe her everything. Just as you do me. And I’m telling you, she will end up paying if you screw up in the slightest way. Are you that arrogant, that self-absorbed, that you would bet her life on it?” I give him a shove as I release him. He stumbles a few steps back. Reaching up, he rubs his throat and lets out a cough.

“I would never want her life in danger,” he replies after he catches his breath.

I nod my head. “Then it’s settled. Things have changed.”

He looks over at Miller and then back at me. “What do I have to do?” he asks, shoulders slumping and sounding defeated.

“Stick to the plan. And keep your mouth shut.” He nods. “I’ll take care of her,” I say simply, but the truth is that it won’t be that simple. I don’t have a problem when it comes to women, but then again, most women don’t look at me with the hatred she did. I can change that, though, but the question is, how far will I have to go in order to make that happen? And the answer is, as far as I need to.

TAYLOR

I can’t stop staring in the direction of the hallway that leads to the restrooms and private rooms. Where my brother remains.

“Why hasn’t he come out yet?” Savannah yells over the music.

As much as I hated that room, I hate the blaring of the club music even worse. “Why didn’t you tell me what was gonna happen?” I demand, turning to face her.

Her green eyes bug out. “You thought I knew?” She points at herself.

I shrug and lean over to her ear. “You see him more than I do.” How could she not know what he is up to? How could I not know?

She shakes her head, making her blond hair whip back and forth. “He said he just wanted to go out. He didn’t even want to bring us. I had no idea that he was into … drugs.” She mouths the last word, and I sigh heavily.

I’ve never known my brother to do drugs. He has a steady, reliable job. He’s a good guy. It’s crazy how someone so close to you can hide so much.

I start to hit her in the arm when I see him round the corner. His eyes are on us, and they harden as he looks at me. I narrow mine as well. As he approaches us, he grabs both of our arms and starts to push us through the crowd toward the front door.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I feel the fresh air hit my face. Being inside that club rattled my nerves.

I look over at my brother. “What were you thinking, Blane? Drugs?”

“Not now,” he snaps. “At least wait until we get in the car, for Christ’s sake.”

I huff as we round the back of the corner to the parking lot. I yank my arm out of his hold and cross them over my chest like a petulant child. If I could, I would stomp my feet. I could go as far as refusing to get into the car until he tells me everything, but that would cause a scene. And as much dirty shit that goes on in this club, I bet the guard would come out to silence me before I caused a scene and the cops were called.