Chapter 186

‘We done? Finished tying me up in demands? Stripping me for all I have?’ He sounds sulky, proper little boy in a bad mood, and for the first time in a long time I feel smug about his tone of voice. A smile curling across my lips unintentionally and I have the urge to giggle at his behaviour.

‘Stroppy much! I may need a wage advance to sort out a wardrobe and such. I got robbed after all. If you hadn’t put me in a position where I had to sell all that I owned I wouldn’t need to buy more, so pay up Carrero … I blame you for my catastrophic outcome.’ I have my game face back on, confident when faced with sulky. Even If I don’t really feel it, but my new rule is to never let him in again to see beyond this bravado.

Alexi ponders my face for a moment before leaning back and pulling out his wallet from his inner jacket, sliding out a black credit card and holds it out to me without hesitation. I blink at it, and then him, and do a double take at just how easily this one was to get out of him. I shrug with one shoulder, internally surprised and a little smug about this victory too. He isn’t even going to argue on this point and I fully intend to exploit him this way while I am on a roll. I feel like he owes me and I have no qualms in spending HIS money.

He cost me everything and it’s a small price to pay in return.

‘I hope the hair is on that list … brown isn’t your colour,’ he adds as he watches me tuck it into my bra at the side of my left breast, his eye lingering on the cleavage I exposed in doing so. I ignore it, and he quickly averts his eyes to scan my hair instead, which is in a bedraggled ponytail and I have to agree. I hate this hair; it’s why it spends its life tied up and looking like a birds nest.

‘I didn’t have the funds for the Camilla upkeep, Dahling, but don’t worry, red has always been my colour and will be one of the first things I spend your money on. Nice to know you agree.’ I wink, a good old Walters trait and smile cattily, falling easy into my old role and rooting out the mannerisms. It feels great to air them confidently.

I too perch an elbow on the bar and lean into it while still facing him, finding it ridiculously easy to fall back into old behaviours now I am back here. I missed being this girl, she’s the real me.

‘It’s definitely your colour, and I miss it. The limit is ten grand, let me know when you need it paid and I’ll do it. Let’s call it business expenses; I need you to look like the hostess, not a waitress. Buy whatever you need to bring her back. It’s Camilla I’m paying for … Not Meghan!’ Alexi gets up and makes a move to walk past me, stopping when he gets level and turns to me so we’re facing, even if he towers over me in flats.

‘Meghan sadly died earlier today. When her ex-boss’s nose met the base of a very heavy pot, and I quit before he fired me.’ I get a little inkling of pride when I say it and can’t help smiling wider when he breaks into an unexpected smile too. A real one, dimples and all.

‘You did what?’ He half laughs, half questions me and I just shrug, a moment of genuine pleasantness between us.

‘The creep wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. Take note, New York … I learned how to finally deal with men and wandering hands; would be a shame to scar that pretty nose of yours too.’

Alexi stops smiling and that hint of overprotective and possessive psycho flickers over him instead. I know it too well and it sobers my moment of cheer. He hates people touching what is his, even if he has agreed that I won’t be.

He seems to stop and think for a moment, a struggle to control those stormy facial tells he has going on so very subtly and then snaps himself back to deadpan, something in his head clearly clicking into place. A decision made, no doubt.

‘I have to go get some work done upstairs; I’ll leave you to it.’ His tone is tight, borderline angry, eyes scanning me again and, in this second, I really want to be able to read that face and know exactly what he is thinking. Being this close he makes it hard to breathe and I should maybe make it clear from now on he should always stay five feet away at all times, for my own mental state.

I know he’s probably working out what punishment he should exact on Joe and I honestly do not care. Joe’s not my problem anymore and Alexi isn’t either. This club is my focus and as long as whatever he does stays away from me and these four walls, he can do whatever he wants. He won’t just let it slide that Joe touched me … just like I know deep down he probably has men scouring the streets for the yobs who robbed my apartment. I know that side of him all too well but I no longer want to know about it. Be it some kind of responsibility to protect those he employs or something else, I’m done giving it brain space.

‘I want some time to look this place over, make a list of things that need doing anyway before I head up to MY new apartment and take a nap. You can tell your tramp to call the guests and the escorts and cancel them all for the next week. Should be her that takes the shit for that, seeing as she is why it’s being shut.’ I call after him as he walks confidently towards the inner hall door and I watch him go, eyes following lines of his body and try not to check out his arse when it’s facing me. He always did have a nice butt.

‘You can tell her to do it yourself, she’s due here in twenty minutes. Feel free to tell her she now answers to you even though I am back. I don’t have time for her.’ He throws me a sort of smile, as though he knows in that statement, I’ll get some evil joy. I just smile back with a matching one. Two devils together sometimes, us two. I try to ignore the moment.

Alexi doesn’t seem that bothered that his toy is about to get her marching orders and I wonder if he is still sleeping with her. It has been four months after all, and he isn’t known to stick with one girl for long. I doubt she is still gracing his bed; I know him better than that. She too lost her usefulness no doubt, or became too easy and not any fun anymore. Not that I care or want to think about who he is sleeping with. It’s none of my business.

‘I will. It’ll be my pleasure.’ Full Camilla charm back on show and it earns me a lingering look before Alexi walks off, stopping as he gets to the end of the corridor and looks back at me with a changed expression.

‘I’m happy you reconsidered my offer. You belong here.’ It’s all he says and despite myself, I can’t help the little tingle of emotion that runs through me. Hating myself immediately after he wanders out, and push it down deep pulling on that stubborn head and remind myself that no matter what … I won’t soften towards him or let him back in.

I am immune to his shows of charm and caring. I know they are always fake.

Besides, that ship has sailed.

This is business only!