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The two men surveying the entrance to the VIP lounge turned to meet Gideon's eyes. Interest flashed again in his dark eyes, but he just nodded professionally and then turned away again to watch the crowd, looking for trouble. Sam didn't know the second man, but gave him a friendly smile and pushed his way between the men to look for Dominik, who was usually at the bar at this time of the day.

She found him leaning far over the counter and arguing vigorously with Veronika, one of the receptionists. The pretty busty brunette wore a tight corset that showed off her ample curves even more, a short fitted black skirt and again those sky-high heels that Sam couldn't walk two steps in. "Don't piss me off, Viki. Or do it, but then in the pleasant way. I don't want to have to throw your pretty ass out on the street," Dom scolded the hostess who had scared Sam the night before. She leaned further over the polished wood, trying to get his attention while he was already beginning to greet the guests served drinks. The place wasn't full yet, but it was Saturday night and it was going to be pretty tight tonight. Samantha couldn't believe she had only been with her brother for about twenty-four hours.

So much had happened. Her mother was dead, a policeman had harassed her. And her and Killian. Well... 'I just want to move to the service area of the lounge. That's not a big request. You need staff up there." Dominik snorted derisively.

"But I don't like your motivation, sweetie. Killian doesn't like it when he's adored out." a policeman had harassed her. And her and Killian. Well... 'I just want to move to the service area of the lounge. That's not a big request. You need staff up there." Dominik snorted derisively.

"He doesn't have a problem with his sister's pining," she mumbled only half understandably and so quietly that Sam had to put most of her words together. Dominik now grinned at Veronika with a shark's smile.

"And you shouldn't use that tone of voice to Killian or anyone else. The little bird can adore her brother as much as she wants. Get used to the idea, Killian loves her more than his damn life. Life is unfair, especially to little brunette girls who can't do anything but look nice. Now get your ass back in reception and do what I'm paying you to do: look pretty."

Veronika wiggled on her pumps towards the entrance in a huff, and Sam couldn't help but yell at the cruelty and condescending way Dominik was treating her. She waited until he had served two more customers and smiled at him when he spotted her.

"What would you like, my beauty?" "Something that makes me not only want to dance, but also to do it," Sam replied and caught herself giving him a seductive look. She had promised Killian not to flirt with anyone anymore. Crap. Thank God Dominik didn't agree to that. He opened a Redbull can, poured it poured the contents into a glass and reached for the vodka bottle.

"I'm sorry about your mother," he said quickly, dropping the subject at the same moment. Samantha was grateful for that.

"How much did you hear from the conversation with Viki?" Despite his always cheeky manner, Dominik was a damn attentive and serious person, Thomas was too and Samantha was always slightly disturbed when she noticed how she herself always is forgot again. Her brother was involved in criminal activities and so were Dominik and Thomas.

They were dangerous. Just because they were so tame and playful with her didn't mean they were with everyone. "How much did she tell you about last night?", Sam asked the counter question, Dom grinned, but not like he had grinned at Veronika.

His smile reached his eyes have to, otherwise there is no Vodka-E for you." Damn. Samantha pursed her lips but decided to be honest with him and told him about the brief conversation with Veronika when she showed up at her brother's door. At the beginning of their story, he laughed now and then, but then stopped, as if he had remembered something.

"Listen Sam. I know these rumors annoy you and you have every right to annoy people and ridicule them. But I don't think you should support that too. you and Kilian That looks pretty wrong sometimes, without wanting to judge you."

She took her drink, stirred it with the straw and after a sip she remembered that she hadn't eaten since this morning. Still, she just shrugged while turning away from Dominik and his warnings.

"And if so," she began after a while, "I don't care what other people think. We're both adults." She knew herself that with these words she confirmed the rumors in his presence and when she looked at Dom, he raised an eyebrow and he had to clear his throat in shock.

"I was afraid that there was more to it," Dominik said quite calmly and then found his way back to his honest smile. Samantha looked at him sideways, waiting for the condemnation that Thomas had already given her, but that did not come.

"It kind of seemed inevitable with your past, didn't it?" He shrugged.

"You okay?" Samantha asked suspiciously. Dominik smiled.

"Why not? I see no reason to make a tab out of this. You are grown up and the arguments that the opponents of such relationships make are the same as those of the homophobes: it's unnatural, it's wrong and so on. I don't see anything wrong with that, and when you then cite the higher chance of birth defects, I wonder why you don't force all mothers who still want to give birth to a disabled child to have an abortion. Give society a few more decades, it just takes time for everyone to get the stick out of their ass."