The world looked terribly small from thousands of feet up in the air.

I guess it only made sense.

The weird thing was how small I felt, how isolated.

For the first time in a week, I was alone with nothing more than my own thoughts in my head, and I didn’t like it.

I’d spent most of my life alone, so this shouldn’t be anything new. It shouldn’t be anything different. And yet…

And yet…

The checks Piety had given me burned a hole in my pocket. There was no way this plane could land soon enough. I’d done what I had to help Camry, but part of me wished Camry had never been in the picture – and I hated that part of myself.

Hated it, and hated that it was growing bigger and bigger.

For a few days, I hadn’t had to worry about taking care of my sister or anybody else.

Oh, the worry had been inside me, rubbing around like an annoying bug, but I wasn’t constantly forced to watch my back, or wonder when she’d show up or if I’d hear from her – or the cops.

Now it was all rushing back and what I wanted to do was board the first flight back to Philadelphia so I could see Piety again.

But I had responsibilities – a sister to take care of.

I didn’t have time to dream about something that never would have worked out anyway.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like when she came back to annul the marriage. I had to handle Camry first, but then I’d see her again. See her and…

Let her go.

The words made something ugly and hot fester inside me, and I admitted to myself that at some time during the past week, a part of me had begun to wish this whole thing was real. At least a part of me wanted the chance to make it real.

So, yeah, we didn’t know each other all that well – we hadn’t had that chance. But everything I knew about her, I liked. I wanted the chance to know more, and I wanted…everything. A little more of everything when it came to Piety.

And that wasn’t going to happen.

Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back onto the padded headrest just as one of the airline attendants came by and offered a cocktail. Piety had done everything first class – including booking my trip back to Las Vegas. I had a wide, comfortable seat, and I’d already been given a snack and offered wine or a premium beverage. I’d declined both.

When she asked again, I requested scotch, and when she started to name the offerings, I just shook my head and asked for the best.

A few minutes later, something smooth and powerful was gliding down my throat, and I silently toasted the woman who was my wife for a few more days.

Once the scotch was gone, I closed my eyes and put her out of my mind.

I had to move on.

All that mattered was Camry.

* * *

“Have you got the money?”

The man on the other end of the line made me want to do something brutal, ugly, and violent.

I managed to keep that desire out of my voice as I responded. “That’s why I’m calling. When can we meet?”

“Well…” Stefano drew the word out.

I already knew he would try to make it seem like he was doing me a favor. Bastard. If I could put my fist all the way through his face when I saw him, I would.

But I already knew that would just cause more problems for Camry.

She’d gotten herself hooked up with a crook like Stefano, and she’d outdone herself. He wasn’t the first asshole she’d hooked up with, but he was, by far, the worst. He sold drugs and flesh, and while he might not be the one to get his hands dirty, he didn’t like being double-crossed either. I’d been doing my research on him, the best I could. Law enforcement had tried to arrest him more than once, but the piece of shit kept slipping free.

No, the best chance was to just get Camry away.

“I think we can make something happen tonight. You bring that money, pretty boy, you hear me?” Stefano said.

“I hear you.”

He named a place and hung up. I shoved my phone into my pocket and stood there, staring at nothing. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my gut was raw. I didn’t like this, didn’t like any of it.

But what the hell could I do otherwise?

* * *

There was an air of desperation to the place. Even the dancers strutting up and down the stage looked just this shade of panicked, like a mouse caught in a trap or cornered by a cat, a particularly cruel one that wanted nothing more than to play with its food.

When Stefano glanced at one of the girls on the stage, she put a little more heart into her act. I could have sworn I saw her hands start to shake.

I wanted to grab her off the stage and give her my shirt – and a damn sandwich. She was so skinny, her ribs showed, and her hipbones jutted out against her skin. She looked like she hadn’t had a good meal in weeks, or longer.

“Like that one, do you?” Stefano gave me a leering smile.

The asshole was almost as tall as me and muscular, the kind of guy who liked to stare at his muscles as he worked out and flexed, if I had to make a guess.

He looked about the way I thought he would, dark eyes, dark hair, and a sleazy smile that made me think he’d been born straight out of a grease trap.

Everything about him was slimy.

“Tell you what,” he continued. “You can have her for the night. A freebie. Once we wrap up business.”

Just the suggestion made me feel dirty.

“I don’t think so.” I met his dark brown eyes. “I don’t need to pay a woman to have sex with me.”

A muscle pulsed in his cheek.

Should have kept my mouth shut.

But he just smiled. “Sometimes we all like it a little wild, you know. Just thought I’d give you the offer. My girls will do anything.”

I looked past his shoulder, staring at the woman on the stage. “Yeah. I see that.” Then I met his gaze and put the envelope down on the table. “Here. The money you say Camry owes. Now, take me to her so I can get her out of this stinky place.”

He laughed. “So you want to save your sister. What makes you so sure she wants to be saved?” He took the envelope and started to count. I shifted restlessly in the chair, thinking about the other two grand I kept on the side. It would be enough, I hoped, to put the two of us up in a hotel for a little while so I could find a decent job, see about getting her help–

“You’re short.”

I shot him a narrow look. “No. I’m not. I counted it twice. You said she owed you ten grand. That’s ten grand.”

“Ten grand is just for the drug debt.” Stefano lifted a shoulder. “But if she goes with you, I’ll lose another ten grand easy – just within the first few weeks. She’s a favorite. Won’t be easy to replace her.”

“You arrogant–” Coming out of the chair, I slammed my hands down on the table, glaring down at him.

He smirked, his eyes flicking left then right.

I knew without looking that some of his goons had come up and surrounded us. Arse. The fucking arse. I was tempted to beat him shitless just for existing.

But Camry needed me.

“You got this easy enough,” Stefano said, smacking the envelope against his hand.

“I don’t have another ten grand.” Now I understood the desperation some of these women must feel. Or at least a shade of it. I needed to get Camry away from this scum.

“Then you better get it.” Stefano leaned in, still smirking at me. “Until you do…she’s mine. But I’ll give you some time. A few weeks…interest-free. Hurry it up though. You wanted to do business with me, so we’re doing business.”