“Perhaps it was for the same reason why you told me your mother stopped dating when you were a child?”
“What?” My face froze at his words.
“I know that your mother dated a man when you were eighteen.”
“How?” I said softly.
“I know you used to sleep with him when your mother went to work at night.”
“It was a ...” My voice trailed off as I stared at him. What could I say to that? It was the truth. It was the reason why I’d been a do-gooder all through school and college. I’d been so ashamed of myself for sleeping with my mothers’ boyfriend. So so ashamed. But how had he known?
“I told you I know your secrets, Evie. We all have secrets. We all have things we’re too ashamed to admit.” He started dancing again. “But why should we all be ashamed? Not a one of us is better than the other.”
“How did you know?” I wanted to run away, the shame running through my veins very much prevalent. I’d been so young when it had happened, yet I’d never forgotten. I’d changed my whole life. I’d become a good girl, but still I’d succumbed easily when presented with a real test. I’d gone home with Grant without blinking. Maybe this was the lifestyle that was in my DNA. Maybe this was who I was supposed to be.
“Grant told me.” He said softly. “There are many things Grant knows about you. Things he knew before you went to the club that night. He likes to find out about the girls we bring home before we bring them home for some fun. He wants to make sure they can handle it. None of our picks are random.”
“He told me on that night that he has a lot of fake bachelor parties.” My head was thudding as I thought. “He uses the same strippers for the parties, doesn’t he?”
“Yes.” He said simply.
“And that’s how he gets the girls, isn’t it?” My heart sunk at what I realized must be true.
“Yes, the girls come through his contacts.”
“And Hailey told him about me. She told him about my past. She told him where we would be so he could take photographs of me. She told him I needed the money. And that’s why she convinced me to work that night.” As I spoke, I knew my words were true. I felt betrayed by her, truly and deeply betrayed. And it was then that I remembered what Eugenie had said. Who had been the one to betray her? “Do you get all the girls through Hailey?”
“She’s your friend right? I don’t know if I should say anything else?” He looked worried.
“You know she’s my friend.” I sighed. “You knew all along, so why are you pretending you don’t know? Why are you pretending as if you three didn’t set this all up from the beginning?”
“I wouldn’t answer that if I were you.” A deep voice sounded from behind us and we both froze.
Chapter Six
Tyler’s body froze as we heard Grant’s voice.
“Why are you here?” Tyler’s voice sounded deadly.
“I knew you were here.” Grant laughed and stopped in front of us. “You always loved this field.”
“You’ve been here before?” I looked at Tyler with hurt eyes, but he didn’t answer me.
“This is not the first time this has gone down.” Grant answered and he looked at my naked brea**sts. “But I’m here to take care of you.” He licked his lips and stepped forward. “Let me take care of you like I took care of you on that first night.”
“That was a mistake.” I took a step back and held my arms over my brea**sts.
“It was a mistake, Sleeping Beauty?” Grant’s voice sounded strange in the field and I stared at his dark face, illuminated by the moon. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days and there was a lot of facial hair and scruff covering his face. I shivered as I realized just how alpha and wolflike he looked.
“Don’t call me that!” I shouted at him and looked over at Tyler who was just watching the two of us,
“You like to pretend you’re all prim and proper, but this isn’t your first foray into the world of crazy sex, is it?” Grant’s voice echoed as he took a step towards me. Tyler grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“Don’t move a step closer.” His eyes narrowed at Grant. “Or I’ll hurt you.”
“You’d hurt your own cousin?” Grant looked at him for a few seconds and then he looked back at me with a snarl. “What have you done to him?”
“Did Hailey tell you to proposition me?” I changed the subject, needing to know exactly how I’d gotten myself into this situation.
“She gives the best lap dances, you know.” Grant laughed and stepped back as Tyler glared at him. “Much better than you.” He laughed and I could feel myself growing sick. “She has no problems fucking me while she dances.” He rubbed his crotch through his pants. “I wanted her to come back with me initially, but that would have been a bit awkward, wouldn’t it have been, Tyler?” He looked and Tyler and smirked.
“That’s enough, Grant.” Tyler’s voice was low and I could see and feel his chest moving up and down, even though I wasn’t next to him. He was angry and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
“What’s gotten into you? This is what we’ve been waiting for.” Grant looked at him.
“This is different.” Tyler looked at me then, a light in his eyes I’d never seen before.
“How is this different?”
“She’s different.”
“You’re joking?” Grant shook his head. “She’s not different, Tyler.”
“Different from who?”
“Remember what happened to Eugenie?” Grant looked at Tyler. “You don’t want another Eugenie.”
Tyler looked at him and then at me and it suddenly struck me that maybe Tyler didn’t realize that Eugenie was alive. Grant was twisting everything. He was somehow in Tyler’s head.
“Eugenie is still alive.” I blurted out and I watched the expression on Tyler’s face as I spoke. “She’s not dead, Tyler. She’s alive and maybe your sister is as well.” I moved closer to him and looked at Grant. “I think Grant has been lying to you.”
“Stupid bitch.” Grant’s eyes narrowed as Tyler pulled me towards him, his arm around my waist. “You stupid, stupid bitch.” Grant stared at me and shook his head slowly.
“What’s she saying, Grant?” Tyler’s voice was lethal and I could feel the power coursing through his body as his fingers gripped my skin. “Eugenie’s alive?”
“She’s in the house.” I spoke up again. “Grant did something to her. He won’t let her leave. I think he’s been keeping her as his slave or something. I think he’s been drugging her. That’s what her letters said.”
Tyler turned to me, his eyes surveying my face for a few seconds. “Put your clothes on. We need to go.”
I nodded and grabbed my clothes and pulled them on quickly. Tyler and Grant stood there staring at each other wordlessly. I could see that Grant looked scared. I wondered what Tyler was going to do to him.
“You have to let Eugenie go.” Tyler said softly. “And you have to leave.”
“But Tyler...” Grant’s voice trailed off as Tyler glared at him.
“It’s over, Grant.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”