Chapter 11

The sound of my phone vibrating wakes me up. I don't want to move because I don't think I've ever slept so good in my life. The noise stops after a moment, and I try to fall back asleep, but it starts going off a few seconds later. I huff as I sit up and blink a few times.

It takes a second for them to adjust, and then I remember I'm not in my own bed. Which is probably why it's so freaking comfortable. My phone stops and starts again, and I scramble around looking for it. I almost fall off the bed in the process but finally find it in my purse on the bedside table.

My eyes almost bug out when I see it's three in the afternoon. Not even twenty-four hours without a job and I'm already a bum. Great.

"Hey," I answer, already knowing this isn"t going to be good. Lawrence never calls me. Why would he unless something has gone really bad with my mom? Dread settles heavy in my stomach as I wait for the news.

"Have you seen her?"

"Really?" He has to know I haven"t.

I turn my body and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I look down and see I'm completely naked and my clothes litter the floor. This bedroom is bigger than my whole apartment, but I don't see Rogue anywhere. Can he ditch me in his own home? I wouldn"t put it past some men. Rich guys think they can do anything they want. Hell, all men really.

"‘I've tried everyone else." Lawrence lets out a long sigh.

I get up and start picking up my clothes. "I shouldn"t have given her the money." I toss my stuff on top of the bag I brought with me. She might be out on a bender or something. Who knows?

"Don't blame yourself. I was the stupid fuck who let her count the money for me last night. We'd been slammed but I should have known better."

"She stole from you? Seriously?" My mom could be shady at times, but I've never known her to steal from Lawrence. He was the hand that fed her.

"I don't think she acted alone. Lesson fucking learned." His voice is filled with both anger and disappointment. He's not going to go after my mom, but he's also never going to be there for her again. She burned that bridge, and there's no rebuilding it. And if he can't get a hold of her, I'm sure she already knows it.

"Lawrence, I'm really sorry." He's always been so good to her, and I can't help but wonder what the hell she's going to do now. Stealing from him is a deal breaker, and everyone knows it. I thought it was why she'd never done it in all the years she'd worked for him, but there must have been more to it.

"You know, your mom doesn"t work here anymore." I let out a humorless laugh as I fall back onto the bed. I know where this is going.

"I'm not taking my clothes off for money." I run my hand through my hair, trying to tame it.

I have no doubt it's a hot mess right now. My body starts to hum, thinking about how it got to be a hot mess to begin with. Just the thought of Rogue and my whole body lights up. He has this hold over me that I don't understand. While it"s fun and exciting, it scares the crap out of me too. I never let men close, but he keeps pushing right on it.

"You can serve drinks."

"Yeah, I've seen the girls who serve drinks there. I"m not going topless."

"Come on, Em. I'm fucking desperate. I'm down your mom and the two other bitches that helped her. You know you'll make a killing here, and you don't have to be topless. Just a little bit less than what you girls wear over at the casino."

I bite my lip, thinking. What is really different about serving drinks at a casino and a strip club? I wasn"t dancing, and he was right. I would make three times more. Plus, I'm desperate too. I need a job to live.

"Deal," I agree, because what choice do I really have?

"I need you tonight."

"I figured. I'll get there as soon as I can." Between what I wore last night and stuff I'll be able to use from the dressing room at The Landing Strip, I'm sure I can manage an outfit. Either way, Lawrence will deal for tonight if he wants me there as quickly as possible.

"I'll see you soon," he says before hanging up.

I reach over and turn on the lamp next to the bed. I gasp when I look down between my thighs. I run my fingers along the red marks that I know are from Rogue's short beard. I shiver, recalling the feeling of him eating my pussy for hours. After every orgasm, I kept trying to close my legs, but he didn"t stop. I lost count of how many times I came, but he was starved. After that I passed out and must have slept for ten hours straight.

I look around the bedroom again and notice his side of the bed is empty. I get up and find something to wear and remind myself to not get attached to Rogue. He will get bored and be onto the next soon enough.

Even so, I know it's going to be an argument about me leaving. Then again, if he's always so worried about where I am, then where is he? He knows I have to work, but not necessarily where. He thinks I have a shift at the casino, and I might just keep that little detail to myself.

After I'm dressed, I venture out of the bedroom. I didn"t get a good look when we got here last night since we'd been all over each other. I don't know how we didn't end up having sex, but it was probably due to me passing out.

I run my hand along the beautiful countertop and love how his place isn"t overly done. It doesn"t look like a woman lives here, but it still screams money. I look down at my faded jeans that I didn"t buy that way and my thrift store tank top. I don't belong here.

"Rogue?" I call out and wait. Did he leave?

I check a few surfaces to see if he left me a note, but there's nothing. I guess I don't need to leave one then either. I take out my phone and request a Lyft. As I wait, I snoop around some. Each room is like the last with basic essentials. Everything is in its place and clean with nothing bold or over the top.

My phone alerts me that my ride is here, and I venture back to the bedroom and grab my bag. I go to the front door and put my shoes on, but just when I go to open it an alarm sounds.

I have no idea what to do since I don't have the code. I cringe and just walk out, hoping the company will call Rogue, and he'll tell them it's fine. He knows he left me alone in his bed.

By the time I finally make it to The Landing Strip, I start to think I've made a mistake. He burned down a gym to prove a point to me. What the hell did that even mean? Who burns down a building to get their way? It's nuts, but it didn't stop me from walking upstairs and packing a bag and going home with him. I think I might be a touch crazy too at this point.

"Ember," Lawrence calls when I enter the club. Like always, he's sitting at the bar keeping an eye on things with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. It will make me feel a whole lot better if he's sitting here making sure no one messes with me.

"Call me Cherry tonight, please."

"Cherry it is." He looks at my street clothes and waits for me to explain.

"I got stuff." I pat my bag. "It's not much, but you get what you get with a last-minute call." I shrug. "Still no word?" He shakes his head no. "I"m sorry, but it's my mom."

"Do yourself a favor and let her go. You can't save people; they can only save themselves."

"If it was only so easy," I murmur, looking around the club. It's already busy even though it's still so early. Then again, it's Vegas. "I'll go get changed."

It doesn"t take me long to pull it together. Not when you're in a room full of other women more than willing to help. Plus I already know a handful of the ladies who have been here forever.

The only underwear I have are the same ones I wore last night. I don't know how I missed packing a new pair. The inside is still covered in Rogue's cum and I can smell him all over me too. One of the other girls asks me who I've been rubbing up on and my cheeks burn.

I debate covering up the small marks on the insides of my thighs with makeup, but between the fishnet pantyhose and the dim light of the club, no one will notice them. No one should be getting that close to me since I'm only serving drinks.

"You look hot." Sable bumps her hip with mine as she hands me a small serving tray that lights up. I'm taking that as a major compliment since Sable is the prettiest and most popular girl here. "You think you can handle this? Some of the men can get a little handsy."

"I think I can."

"Don't think, Cherry, know. You look like a sex kitten, but if they get a whiff of that innocence underneath, they'll eat you alive."

That's not scary at all. "How does your boyfriend handle you getting naked for other men?"

She gives me a wicked smile. "He likes to watch."

"To watch you dance?" She lets out a laugh, letting her robe fall off her shoulders before tossing it over her chair in the back.

"Oh, sweet na?ve Cherry." She steps closer to me and twirls the end of my hair around her finger. "He likes to watch me with other men." Oh wow. The thought of Rogue with another woman makes my heart hurt. He hasn"t even been with me all the way and I don't think I could handle that. "Women too." She gives my hair a tug before letting go. "Think about it." She winks before she leaves the dressing room and walks onto the main stage.

I stand there shocked for a moment. I have a feeling Rogue wouldn"t care much for me being with anyone else, man or woman. He's possessive when we're together, although I don't know if it's how he always is or if it's me that pulls it out of him. I know it's silly to think I'm getting something different from him because he's clearly done this a time or two.

I let out a sigh and push away that silly feeling that I shouldn"t be at this club. Rogue and I are a fling. It's hot and wild now, but it'll burn out. Right?

I should have known better. I really should have. If he was willing to burn down one building, he'd be more than willing to burn down another.