I had to tell her the truth or step away from Ruin.
And I knew I couldn’t step away from Ruin. My soul was in this place. It’d been a part of my life forever.
So, that meant I had to tell Rome the truth.
I rested my fingertips against my lips as I considered it, unsure how I would even begin to explain my world to Rome—Vanilla. Would she judge me like everyone else? Or did she love me enough to keep an open mind? She allowed me to do some kinky stuff to her, so she definitely could expand her horizons.
I knew she trusted me, so hopefully, that trust was enough.
I was going to go through with it.
Come clean.
Fuck, I hoped it went well. Losing her wasn’t an option. We’d made so much progress, and I didn’t want to give it up. I wanted to move forward with her, have a life that we could both enjoy.
My office door burst open when Jackson walked inside. He may have knocked, but the music was so loud I couldn’t hear it. The music from the club doubled in sound once the door was open. When he shut it behind him, it returned to a dull hum.
“Hey, I’ve got a new member in the hallway. Wants to join.”
“We’re at full capacity.” Now that Rome had been chased from my thoughts, I focused all my attention on him.
“He’s just one more. I really like the guy, and he’s willing to pay double the membership fee.”
“We’re at full capacity,” I repeated in a bored voice. Jackson and I had already had this discussion. If we let this business go to shit, we would lose members just as quickly as we received new ones.
“Come on, it’s one more person.” He rested his hands on my desk and leaned forward. “Is one person that big of a deal?”
“If we make an exception for him, we have to make an exception for other people.”
“Oh, come on. The front door says we aren’t accepting new members. The only reason why this guy asked is because I know him.”
Jackson would pester me until he got his way, or he would just do it behind my back. I had bigger issues on my plate, and this didn’t deserve more energy than necessary. “Fine. Send him in.”
“Yes!” He fist-pumped the air and ran back to the door.
The second he was gone, I thought about Rome again, unsure when I was going to confess my darkest secret to her. I wanted to sleep with her a few more times, just in case she walked away. But even if I did get in a few more rounds, I would never be satisfied—because I’d always want her.
“Here he is.” Jackson walked back inside with his friend behind him. “This is Christopher. Christopher, this is my brother and co-owner of Ruin.” He stepped aside so we could shake hands.
I stared into the face of a man I already knew—and had known for a while. He stared at me with the same threatened expression, cold and surprised. His arms remained by his sides as his expression darkened, turning into a look of dark rage.
Fuck.
I rose to my full height and tried to think of a quick explanation, a way to defuse the bloodlust on his face.
Christopher didn’t say a word, looking at me like a bug stuck on the bottom of his shoe. He liked me, even respected me, but now that he knew I operated the most popular BDSM club in New York, he despised me. He could only assume that I was the biggest liar on the planet.
Jackson glanced back and forth between us. “Do you two know each other?”
Christopher stepped forward, his hands still by his sides. He snorted through his nose then spit on my desk, covering the top of my laptop. His eyes never left my face. “No. Not anymore.” He left my office and stormed out, leaving the door open as he walked away.
I dropped back into the chair and dragged my hands down my face, knowing the first thing he would do was return home and tell Rome everything. She would hear the terrible news from him, that I’d been lying to her this entire time.
I was in deep shit.
Jackson turned back to me once Christopher was gone. “What the hell was that about?”
I dropped my hands into my lap, feeling cold panic sweep over me. “That was Rome’s brother.”
“Seriously?” he asked, his jaw dropping.
I nodded.
“Oh, damn. He’s nothing like her.”
“No, he’s not. And now he’s going to let my skeletons out of the closet.”
Jackson didn’t show any sympathy. “Well, you’ve had six months to tell her the truth. It’s not like you didn’t have a chance.”
I glared at him. “Thanks, Jackson. You’re such a comfort…”
He shrugged in apology. “I want my brother back. And the sooner she leaves, the sooner you’ll be back to normal. You don’t know what I’m talking about, but very soon, you will.”