DIRTY MONEY

CHAPTER 2;CAUGHT

The days after, Liam has walked out of that room, The Velvet Room changed overnight. At first, it was subtle, the new lighting in the dressing room, better champagne in the mini fridges. Then it became obvious. New security at the doors, ones who didn't smile. A new manager who looked at girls like they were inventory. And a new rule: Anya was no longer available for any clients except one.

She found out from Cynthia, who found the paperwork on the manager's desk. "Liam- Kroft acquired the club," Cynthia wispered, her voice a mix of disgust and awe "Apparantly, your billionaire bought the whole damn place.Lock, stock and barrel."

Anya blood ran cold. She tried to throw herself back into routine. But it didn't fit in anymore. She danced on autopilot, her body moving through the motions like a lifeless soul.

As she finished her make up, then went on stage and danced her set with a fierce, defiant energy she never knew she had. She could feel his eyes on her the entire time, a physical weight from the owner's box above the floor. She refused to look up. When she finished, she retreated to the dressing room, half expecting a knock. Nothing.

Then the manager called her to his office. His face was ashen. He wonldn't meet her eyes."New owner wants to see you. Tonight. The Onyx Room."

Her blood went cold."Who?"

He just pushed a piece of paper across the desk. A sindle name, written in crisp, confident handwriting."

Liam.

She stared at the word until it blurred. Rage and somthing far more dangerous rose in her chest. He'd bought the clib. The entire club. Not for her, she realized with sickening clarity. Because of her. Because he could. Because men like him bought what they wanted, and she was just another thing.

"Tell him no. She said flatly.

The manager laughed."You tell him. He owns you now sweetheart."

She went back and quickly changed, pulled on her coat and walk out the back door into the alley. The night air was sharp and clean, a relief after the cloying perfume of the club. She made it about ten steps before a black car pulled silenty along side her, Its engine barely a whisper. Then the rear window rolled down.

Liam sat in the back, his face half in the shadow, his eyes fixed on her with the same unbearable intensity. He looked tired, she noticed, the furrow between his brows was deeper, his jaw shadowed with stubble. He looked like a man who hadn't slept.

"Get in, Anya."

It wasn't a request.

"I don't work for you," She said, her voice steady despite the hammering in her chest." I work for the club. There's a difference."

''The difference." He said quietly," Is that I own the club. And I'm asking you to get in the car."

"Asking?" she laughed. "Is that what you call it."

Something flickered in his eyes. Patience, perhaps. Or the last thread of it. "Please."

The word hung between them. It was so soft, so unlike the man who'd bought an entire establishment on a whim. For a treacherous moment, she really wanted to believe it. To beleive him.

Then she remember the hospital. The wife. The door slamming.

"No."

She turned and walked away, her heels sharp against the pavement. The car didn't follow. She told herself she'd won.

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She was wrong.

The next night, she was called to the manager's office again. This time, two large men in suits waited outside. Inside, the manger didn't look at her at all. He just pointed to a piece of paper on his desk.

Her termination. Effective immediately. Violation of contract clause 14-A; refusal tp accomodiate a private request from ownership.

"I'll fight this." She said but her voice wavered.

"You will lose." The manager finally looked at her, there was something like pity in his eyes."He's not playing games.Anya. Just go talk to him. One dance. Then maybe he gats bored and moves on."

But she knew Laim was not a man who would get bored so easily. He was a man who acruired. Who consumed. Who held on.

She found him in Onyx Room, waiting in the same chair, in the same position, as if no time had passed at all. The low light craved hollows under his cheekbones, made his dark eyes bottomless.

"You fired me." She said from the doorway.

"I removed an obstale." His voice was calm. Reasonable. It made her skin crawl."You wouldn't come to me. So i removed the reason you had to stay away."

''That's not how it works." She stopped her throat tigh."I'm not yours."

He stood slowly, unfolding his hands witha predatory gaze. He moved toward her, she hated herself for stepping back. For the way her body betrayed her, pulse quickening, skin flushing with awareness of his approach.

"You danced for me," He stopped, inches away from her."You looked at me like I was the only man in the world. You felt something. I know you did. I feel it too."

"That was a preformance." The lie tasted ash in her month."Its what i do.You paid for it."

"Ipaid for a dance."His voice dropped, rough and low."Not for you to shake in my arms.Not for you to forget your name when i touched you. That was real. And you know it."

She should have denied it. Should have laughed in his face, turned, wAalked out. But she was frozen, trapped in the gravity of him, in the inbearable truth of his words.

"Your wife," She whisoered. It was the only weapon she had.

Something dark passed over his face. Pain, quickly masked."My wife is not here."

"She exists. She's real.And i won't be-" Her voice cracked." I won't be your escape. Your dirty secret.Your-".

His hands caught her wrist. Not hard, but firm. A shackle of warmth."You won't be any of those things," He said. "Because you're not listening to me."

''Let me go."

"No."

She pulled against his grip. He held fast. Panic fluttered in her chest, not fear of him, but fear of herself, of how easily she could stop fighting, how much she wanted to stop fighting.

"Liam-"

"My name," he said softly." sounds different when you say it."

Something broke in her then. Not her resolve, that had already been crumbling since the momment she saw him in that alley. Something deeper. The was she had built between who she was and who she pretened to be.

" I know you're scared. I know you feel this thing between us and it terrifes you because it doesn't make sense. Because I'm married. Because i bought his club like a f*****g i***t just to have the write to be in the same room with you."

She stared at him, heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm not asking for forever," he said quieter now."I'm asking you to understand.I'm asking you to understand.I'm asking for one night. One dance. The one we didn't get to finish."

"And if I refuse?"

His jaw tightened. For a moment, she saw the man beneath the obsession, the exhaustion, the loneliness, the desparate, clawing need for something real in alife built on contracts and obligation.

"Then i'll wait,"he said."I'll wait until you have no choice but to see me. Until you realize i'm not going anywhere. I own the club. I own the building. I'll own the street if i have to. You want to run? I'll be here when you stop."

The arrogance of it should have infuriated her. Instead, it hallowed her out. Because she belived him. Because some trautous part of her didn't want him to stop.

"I hate you." she whispered

"No." He reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away. His finfer brushed her cheeks, feather light." You hate that you don't."

She should have slapped his hand away. Should have walked away. Instead, sho stood there, trembling, as his thumb traced the curve of her jaw.

"The dance." he said."Give me that. Then we will talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Then give me nothing,'' His voice dropped to a murmur"Give me the preformance. Give me the lie. Just stay.;

It was the crack in his voice that undid her. The vulnerability beneath the command. The man who had everything, she realized, was begging her for something money couldn't buy.

She stepped back. Her hands went to the clasp of her dress.

His breath caught. Auidible in the silence.

She let the fabric on her skin fall to the ground.