Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Sage pulled on my arm. “We’re going to dance,” I said. “You coming?” I flinched when Sage dug her nails into my hand.
“No, but thank you,” he said, and pushed past us to the lounge. Sage watched him go from the corner of her eye but then dragged me through the crowd until we reached the center of the dance floor. Green laser lights flickered over the massive room and a crowd of bodies moved around us to the beat. I smiled and let the alcohol and music carry me away. Lost to the freedom, I felt like I didn’t open my eyes until Sage’s mouth met my ear. “I need a drink!”
I looked around. The dance floor was crammed, and a bead of sweat ran down my face. We’d been dancing awhile, if the increase in capacity was any indication.
Sage held my hand and pulled us across the dance floor until we arrived back at our VIP table. She glanced over at the bar and froze. When I followed her gaze, I saw Atticus talking to a striking Spanish woman in a gold dress. The woman said something to Atticus, and he put his arm around her waist, then left through the back of the club.
Acting like she hadn’t seen anything, Sage grabbed a new bottle of champagne and quickly poured us each a glass. “Sage?” I said, checking she was okay, when people sat down at our table.
I looked up in confusion, only for annoyance to fill my veins at the sight of Alexis Hobbs, Camille Dubois, and Jake McGowen. Sage stilled and narrowed her eyes at them. As much as Jasper and others had warned us against them, they hadn’t had much to do with us. A few snide comments here and there when in the practice ring, but we never socialized anywhere they did, so we’d managed to avoid them.
Up until now.
“Ladies,” Jake said, nodding his head. Jake was Switzerland to me. Jasper hated him; they had history. But he’d only ever been kind to me and Sage. His choice in friends, however, left a lot to be desired.
“Jake,” I said.
Sage was less amiable. She scowled at them all, showing exactly what she thought of them joining us.
“Hallie, Sage,” Alexis said, her posh English accent grating on my last nerve. I adored most British accents, but for some reason, I hated hers. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Camille looked anywhere but at us. She almost seemed bored by our presence.
“Alexis,” I said in return. Sage still said nothing. Alexis didn’t seem to care and made herself a gin and tonic from the drinks laid out at our table.
“Say,” Alexis said, sipping her drink and relaxing back on her seat, “Did you all hear that Devon Smith was caught fucking his eighteen-year-old groom? Too bad his wife turned up to surprise him in Shanghai.”
Jake shook his head. “Devon has been cheating on that woman with anything that moves for years. That’s not exactly groundbreaking.”
Alexis raised her eyebrow at Jake. Leaning forward, she said, “I guess.” She paused, then said, “How about Gemma Montgomery from Canada sucking Roger Sykes’s cock under his desk just so she didn’t lose her place on his team?” I hid my shock at that. If that was true, it was awful. Gemma Montgomery had just turned twenty years old. Roger Sykes owned a stud farm in Montana, a really good one, and was at least three times her age. And married with kids.
Jake ran his hand down his face as though he was tired of this type of conversation. Camille was now playing on her phone, completely checked out. I couldn’t help but admire her beauty, but it made me sick to think that Jasper had been with her.
“Actually,” Alexis said, pulling my attention again. This time her gaze slammed to mine. “It seems Montgomery isn’t the only one fucking her boss to climb to the top.” I stilled. The breath left my lungs, and my heart quickened to double speed. Sage leaned into me, a silent signal that she had my back.
Alexis fought a smirk, and Camille lifted her head from her phone, only to place it in front of me on the table. When I looked down, there was a grainy picture of me and Jasper walking one evening beside the Huangpu River. We weren’t holding hands—Jasper had his in his pocket. But I was smiling at something he said. And the way he was looking at me . . .
Like he loved me.
In any other circumstance, I would have asked for this picture to keep. But right now, fear raced down my spine. I wanted to hit myself. I was strong, goddammit. I wasn’t shy and meek, and I certainly wasn’t scared of bitches like Alexis and Camille, but having my biggest secret at risk of being exposed . . . it made a statue of me.