Since Sasha had taken off instead of staying, Kallie had no clue what the man’s plans were for the day. He’d had things to do, that was all he’d told her. Well, she had no intention of sitting around the house waiting for her phone to beep or the doorbell to ring. And she still hadn’t made up her mind about his proposal. Without him there, the temptation to take him up on his offer seemed less appealing.

So, she went to work.

She’d grown comfortable there. There was nothing fancy about it, but the place grew on her like it did other people. The place seemed to always be packed, and Kallie made better tips than she expected. She liked the job, liked the atmosphere and the people. It was lively, noisy where people laughed and conversed.

She arrived a few hours after the evening shift began. Angie started earlier so she and Sal could go out, and one of the guys from the kitchen was going to tend bar.

Kallie wanted to talk to Sal directly about the prospect of quitting, but they were busy and there was no moment for privacy. She didn’t try to push it either. It was a lame excuse but one she used nonetheless. If she asked Sal about quitting, he’d put two and two together and realize she and Sasha were sleeping together. Four days into her job and she was having hot sex with the owner.

Just thinking about sex with Sasha made her blood warm. But there was a little personal, moral backlash that made her hesitate to tell Sal, or anyone. Of course, the only people she had to tell were those she worked with. Sasha hadn’t flaunted it to anyone. But who cared if people knew? She didn’t know anyone in this part of town. Most who’d known her before thought she was some kind of Madame. So why should she care now?

She’d come to Darkness for simplicity and stability. To get away and be no one for a little while. Lay low. Not cause any ripples in the water.

Kallie closed her eyes and sighed. What an idiot! Even if she didn’t quit to let Sasha take care of her, she might end up having to just to regain the anonymity she’d wanted. Allowing people to get close to her hadn’t been in her original plan when she took off. She didn’t want anyone to know her.

Then she halted. So why did she allow Sasha in? She huffed quietly to herself, Because I just can’t resist him. The man was hot and sexy, and beyond charming. The way he made her feel.

She looked around as she waited for a drink order. The tables in the bar were arranged differently tonight because a band was going to play. Sal said it was a rhythm and blues band. When she’d given him a look, not expecting Darkness to have that kind of music, Sal had rolled his eyes and explained that it was the only kind of music Sasha liked. What Sasha wanted, he got. Then Sal had laughed and explained that the band was out of Baltimore and they were pretty good.

Her order came up on the bar and she turned to carry it over.

Angie stopped her as she went to bring the try back. “Can you grab table three’s order? I’ve got a twenty order to sort and it’s all mixed drinks.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks,” said Angie, “it’s already in the computer; Sal’s mixing it now.”

Kallie went to pick up the martini glass already set on the bar and brought it to table three. She paused a moment. She’d seen this woman before, but not at the bar—she was sure of it.

Realization hit her like a tidal wave and she gulped for breath. The woman was a ghost from her past. She’d been placed through Kallie’s company as an executive assistant, but she’d really been working as a call-girl for Jeremy. Jeremy’s freakin’ prostitute! The world could not possibly be this small.

What the hell was she doing in Darkness?

“Kallie!” Sal called out sharply.

He’d never called her by her name so it caught her attention. Kallie looked his way. “Yeah,” she asked, as she got closer.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” He pushed through the swivel door into the kitchen. It was awfully busy and it wasn’t like Sal to leave customers unattended.

She followed him in, not liking the look on his face. She’d seen that face before; had used it herself. He was going to fire her. She pressed her lips in a tight line, annoyed. She knew exactly what had happened. Sasha had spoken to him and told him what was going on. All the nonsense about choice was just that...nonsense.

“Umm,” he began. “Sasha and I had a conversation.”

She snorted. “So, you want me to leave, I take it?”

“No, of course not,” he said, looking flustered. “It’s just that Sasha doesn’t want you to work here no more.”

The woman sitting in the bar had already soured her mood. This was just the icing on the cake. Men did not own her. She wasn’t a game or a piece of meat for them to use or flash as they pleased. This is bullshit! She unfastened her apron. “Sure, of course,” she said tightly. She’d go back and grab her stuff from the house and leave. Find somewhere else to start over. Sasha’s alpha male routine had lost its charm. Kallie’d had enough of feeling no control over her life where men were concerned. She had no intention of experiencing it all over again, no matter how good-looking or how much material comfort he was willing to share with her.

“Whoa, I didn’t mean now. After the shift, of course.” Sal ran his hand through his thinning hair. “You can—I mean, can you stay here until then?”

“If I’m being let go, I think I’d rather just get a move on.” Screw Sasha. She was worth more than this.

“Kallie, that would leave me kind of short.” Sal sighed. “It’s busy out there tonight.”

“I was doing an okay job, wasn’t I?” she asked, unsure of what she would do next. Still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

“You were doing great.”

“Do you mean that, or is it just because I’m asking?”

“I mean it.”

She believed him. The look on his face told her that he didn’t really want to let her go. His hands were tied as well. “I wanted this job, Sal. It’s not fair. Sasha said it was up to me, but I guess that isn’t so. I hate leaving you in the lurch.”

Sal pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took out a bill. He gave her a hundred dollars.

Not that she couldn’t use it, but she didn’t feel like she could accept it. “That’s okay,” she said, handing it back to him. “You keep this.” She turned back to the door and then spun around again to grab her apron. “Tell ya what, I’ll finish the shift and then I’ll go.” She paused to tie the apron back on.

Sal sighed again. “Kallie, I meant it when I say you were doing a great job. If you really want to stay I’ll talk to Sasha.”

“Would you do me a favor and don’t?” she asked gently. “I’ll handle this my own way.”

“Sure thing, Kell.” He smiled, clearly relieved that he wouldn’t have to tell Sasha.

It had only been the day before that Kallie thought she’d been given a gift by the angels of heartfelt wishes. Like they’d graced her with a man who could help her through the devastation her past had just recently left her with. To give her a sweet but strong man and a nice place to park herself as well. She figured the universe was saying ‘here, you deserve it for having gone through such hell with Jeremy.’ Now she realized she was paying the price for an unbelievable impulsive move. Just take an adventure? Yes, she’d believed that crap from her own mind. Now it appeared to be one that had too many twists and turns. She would not be manipulated like this ever again. In a few weeks, if life were okay, she would look back on the hours she spent with Sexy Sasha with delicious fondness. But for now, meeting him had just brought up a lot of unprocessed sadness.

And anger.

She was pissed. And how did you cool an angry woman down? You pick a fight.

She grinned and headed over to the table with the woman she’d recognized earlier order. “Hey,” she said, tossing a napkin towards the woman. “Do I know you?”

“I ordered a bourbon and coke,” the woman replied coldly. She seemed to be meticulously made-up. Though she was dressed exactly and appropriately for the bar, leather and lycra, she looked like she just stepped out of the salon. She looked like she was on a really hot date, or she was working.

Kallie stared down at her bar-maid clothing. “You know who I am,” Kallie insisted. “You worked for Jeremy.”

The woman looked Kallie dead in the eye and laughed.

Kallie stepped back in humiliation. The woman was laughing at her.

“I’d like the correct drink I ordered now,” she said.

“Get it yourself,” Kallie snapped. Let Angie serve this woman; she had no intention of doing it. She took the drink on her tray and finished it off herself.

The woman scoffed. “By the way, I don’t work for Jeremy,” she taunted. “Never did.”

Except Kallie had her. She spun around to face the woman in triumph. “That’s not true. You were one of the women Jeremy ‘placed.’ My company. I know who worked for me.”

“Whatever, sweetie.” The woman smirked, clearly not bothered by Kallie’s remark. “I may have been ‘placed’ as you put it, but Jeremy was not my boss.”

Kallie had no idea what the woman meant. She shrugged. “Whatever, lady.” I’m not your sweetie. She turned again to check her next table and smiled as the woman called out to remind her she still needed her order. That was never going to happen.

She headed back to the bar after refilling two tables’ drinks and checking in with Sal. “I’m taking a smoke break.” She didn’t wait for Sal’s reply. What was he going to do? Fire her on her last shift? She stepped out front, tucking into a little alcove off to the side so she wouldn’t be smoking at the entrance of the bar. She’d kept the smokes from the first day and pulled one out.

From where she stood, she was able to see the bar customers through the window. She played at smoking really, and wasn’t staring at anything in particular, when she spied Sasha through the window. He was talking to the woman who had worked for Jeremy. The woman was probably telling on her.

Didn’t matter. Kallie shrugged. She’d quit.

She dropped her barely lit smoke to the ground and stepped on it, still staring into the window. The woman put her arms around Sasha’s neck and gave him a kiss, like there was more than customer service between them. He unlaced her arms and took a step back.

Kallie shoved her hand into her pockets and stacked her cash, fighting the impulse to just leave. She tossed the pack of smokes and went back inside.

She didn’t look Sasha’s way when she went back to work. He sat at the bar, not making a move to talk to her either. Closing time could not come fast enough, as the woman who kissed Sasha kept trying to antagonize her.

“Angie,” Kallie said abruptly in front of the woman. “I’m not waiting on this woman. If you want to, you can, otherwise, ma’am, you have to find another way to get your liquor.” Kallie caught Sasha staring at her, clearly ticked off. She didn’t care. He could be hot, gorgeous, and amazing in the sack, but he wasn’t the last man on earth. Even then, she wouldn’t be interested. Not after today.

A hand rested on the small of Kallie’s back.

From the shiver that raced up and down her spine, she knew it had to be Sasha. She wasn’t in any mood to be his trophy or his plaything. “Hey,” she said firmly and glared down at his hand. “Not in public.”

He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Excuse me?”

Kallie ignored him and called out to Sal, “Hey, Sal, you think the crowd’s died down enough?”

Sal glanced at Sasha and around the bar. “Yeah, it’s died down.” He sighed. “I’ll manage. But if you go now, I can’t hire you back.”

Anger burned inside of her as she plastered a smile onto her face. “You fired me,” she reminded him, “so what were the chances of that anyhow?”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sasha asked.

“Excuse me,” she said.

Then just as she was about to make her getaway, he surrounded her waist with his arm. “I asked you a question,” he said. “There’s a problem here. I’d like to fix it.”

“I fix my own problems,” she snapped. “Sal’s my boss and I squared it with him.”

Sasha’s eyes narrowed. It was clear that he wasn’t used to being challenged. She didn’t know whether he was trying to collect his temper or if he was in total disbelief. Either way, it didn’t matter.

He stooped, leaned in, and lifted. Kallie was up and over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. Sasha pushed through the door, dipping so she wouldn’t hit her head. It felt like a roller coaster ride. How dare he? He lowered her to the ground. She had to whip around and face the stainless-steel cupboards away from the door because she’d fallen out of her uniform. “Damn you,” she swore.

Sasha found a folding chair and sat in it. He leaned forward and pulled her to him. She had no choice but to sit on his thigh, though she resisted as much as possible. “What the hell happened?” he asked.

“I’m moving on,” she snapped, finally sitting still so she could hiss at him. “That’s what’s happened. Now take your freakin’ hands off me, so I can just leave.”

“Are you going back to the house?” His eyebrow came up, clearing confused as to what was going on.

“No! I got fired tonight. I wonder why.” She paused a moment to let the words sink in. “I’ve decided this is a bad idea. I’m taking my stuff and going back to where I’m from.”

“And where would that be?”

None of your damn business. “Let me go,” she said.

And like magic, he released her. He stood her up and then rose to his feet as well. It was like watching a giant redwood sprout up to tower over her.

She stared at him, her chest heaving. There was something sad about leaving this kind of chemistry and heat behind. She wasn’t ready for him. Or for the seriousness that was required to be in a relationship. She was exhausted. Tired, broke, and way too upset. She suddenly had to try very hard not to cry.

Sasha didn’t touch her. He didn’t say anything. He just stood, his smoldering eyes boring into her. “Tell me where you want to go and I’ll drive your stuff over,” he said finally.

She sucked in a sharp, shaky breath, about to tell him that she was sorry. “I—”

“Hey, Sasha?” The woman who’d worked for Jeremy pushed through the kitchen door. “I saw—”

“Not now!” Sasha cut her off, his jaw tight with frustration.

Kallie wanted to ask him how they knew each other, but didn’t dare. The woman was a prostitute, and two men were shot like it was nothing on her first day here. This was all too dangerous, too strange. How did he know this woman? He certainly didn’t have to pay for a call girl. It all came tumbling down on her like a rush of bad happenings all at once. Well, she’d done it to herself; she was in the bad part of town. She needed to go home.

The woman’s face softened. “Sorry,” she said, ducking back out of the kitchen.

Kallie watched the woman scurry out and turned an accusing eye to the man standing by her. He looks guilty. He was suddenly evasive and couldn’t quite bring his eyes to meet hers. And then it hit her. That was why he didn’t want her to work at the bar. Why he hadn’t wanted her to come in tonight. “How do you know her?”

It was like she knew what the truth was and she slipped instantly into a dream state. She didn’t know where she was channeling all these hunches. Either she was writing the story or the facts just fit together. Either way, it felt like she’d stumbled into truth and suddenly felt sick.

“She comes to my bar.” He cleared his throat. “To Sal’s bar.”

Kallie had a feeling he was lying or, at the least, not telling the whole truth. “You do know she’s a prostitute.”

He raised his eyebrow but said nothing.

“Is that how you make your money?” she demanded. “Or how you spend it?”

His face hardened as his eyes narrowed. There was a flash of anger that mellowed quickly. “You’d do well not to ask me how I make my money,” he warned. “Or ask any questions like that.”

She shook her head, anger rising as memories of what she’d been through flashed through her mind. “Is that the way you work, Sasha? You approach business owners who might be a good front for high-end prostitutes and say, ‘Hey, let’s do business?’ Just like that?” She snapped her fingers. “So, Sal’s bar is his, but you own him in a way, don’t you?” She clenched her hand in a fist to stop it from opening and slapping him in the face with it.

His glare met hers. “I’ll say this once,” he said, each word slow and punctuated. “How I make my money is none of your damn business. It has nothing to do with you. That’s all you need to know.”

“You’re right,” she snapped. “That’s all I need to know.” She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Sasha sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. “Now, be a good girl and let me take you to the house. If you don’t want to stay there, let’s get you situated where you want to be.”

“I don’t need any of your pity hand-outs.”

“Don’t be foolish and leave yourself high and dry.”

“Yeah, that’s the least you can do, right?” she said boldly. “You know what? I think I’ll just give Jeremy a call to see if his phone still works.”

He put his hand on hers as she pulled out her phone. “Let’s go. You don’t need to be talking to Jeremy.”

“Why, you and him buddies?” Kallie pulled her hand out of his. “I don’t need you, or anyone else, to fuck with my life,” she growled. “Now step back.”

Sasha looked over her, standing close without touching her. “Fine. Understood. Let’s put a cap on this conversation. Okay? It’s getting old. I just want to help you move on. I’m not after anything, nor am I looking for anything. It’s late. I’m tired. I’ll bring you to the place and tomorrow you can decide what you want to do. Neither of us is thinking straight tonight.” He gently pressed his fingertips on her back and moved her forward as her long braid knocked his hand. “I like the braid by the way.”

“I hate it,” she mumbled, but didn’t stop him from guiding her out. She was tired, too, and mentally exhausted. Tomorrow would be better for thinking things through.

They passed the prostitute as she sipped her drink. Kallie and the woman glared at each other. Somewhere in the drama, her wild conspiracy theory that Sasha ran a high-end call girl/escort businesses became fact. If he was sleeping with the women, that was an entirely different thing. However, she wasn’t trading one secret pimp for another. That much she was sure of.

There was no Town Car waiting. Tonight, Sasha drove a two-seater vintage Jaguar. It was something watching Sasha crumple his body into the small car. Kallie thought about how rats were able to collapse their skeletons to go through small paces. That’s what Sasha felt like to her now, a rat. If she really thought about it—it was insanity to ride anywhere with him. She’d heard two men get shot the first night she was there. He warned her about asking how he made his living, and he was just plain scary. What the hell was she thinking?

They drove in silence. She made no effort to talk to him. She closed her eyes and faked sleeping. Seemed the easiest idea, secretly watching to make sure he took her back to the house.

His car glided into the driveway. He hit the remote and raised the garage door. It was just a garage, but it was kind of ominous parking in it. It felt like rolling up into a coffin. Sasha parked and jumped out to open the door for her.

For the first time, Sasha led her into the town home from a different entrance. They climbed the stairs to the living room level. “Can we just talk for a minute? Then I’ll go.”

She faked a yawn that turned into a real one. “Fine,” she clipped.

“I’m not sure exactly what set you off tonight,” he stated calmly. “I thought everything was going well and now, it’s obviously not.”

“Are you trying to make up?”

He smiled, but he didn’t really seem to be amused. He was dead serious. “Usually, if something happens, adults have a discussion. I know I don’t know you well, so I don’t know, maybe this is the way you operate. But you came out swinging at me. If I’ve done something to upset you, I’m asking you to tell me what it was.”

“This blow-up was a blessing in disguise.”

“I asked you a question, and I’d like an explanation.” Sasha’s eyes narrowed. “You called me a pimp. And, basically, a gangster. I want to know how I went from a guy you’d sleep with, to a criminal.”

“You’re the one who knows the woman who’s a prostitute,” she snapped, the words sounding silly to her own ears. That was her reasoning? He knew a hooker?

“You know her, too,” he reminded her. “You and I live in the same town, though you came from a different part. That woman’s just someone who happens to be from my neighborhood.”

She put up her hands. “I think we should just stop. You and I are far from obligated to each other. You’re cute. We had a thing. It was hot. But we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot and I think we should just part ways. I’ll gather whatever I have here and call a cab.”

“To where?” he asked. “It’s two o’clock in the morning. I meant when I said the house is yours to use. Tonight, tomorrow, however long till you find your different direction.”

Kallie didn’t want to spend another night in the house. She trusted Sasha less than when she didn’t know him. She didn’t need his permission to call a cab. She’d get her stuff together and leave after he left. “Fine. Whatever.”

He relaxed, probably thinking he’d won the battle. “I’ll stay away. Unless, of course, you need something. And if you ever want to talk about what the fuck just happened, please do, because I still don’t know what the hell happened. I’ll be happy to talk to you about it.” He stood and kissed her on the forehead, despite the tension between them.

She didn’t move and hated the fact that her blood raced from his touch. She should be hating his touch.

“It’s a shame. I really liked you,” he said mournfully.