His Mistress,His Secret

showered, stubborn and sour. I hated it here. Hated the sticky floors, the flickering neon l

pride, and medicine su

t from pretending. I laughed at their crude jokes, let them call me "sweetheart", and when one of

job wasn't

had a name on it. Rent. Food. M

ing music and drunken laughter. I slipped it out when no one was watching. A text glo

fever's still there.

ed back, fingers trembling: No. Ju

o

with peeling paint, a broken heater that rattled all night, and a bed too small for th

ustomer waved me over. The clock above the counter ticked mor

ck ballads. The floor grew stickier with each spill. And still,

ched. My palms were raw from scrubbing glasses. But I told myself the

rack, nodded at my boss, an

ttles. The cold night air stung my face as I wrapped the coat tight around me and started

rushing off t

fr

way. Their smiles were sharp, their eyes mean. The

oice to stay steady even though my heart was

l buckle of his belt glinting under the flickering streetlamp.

I ran, they'd chase me. If

ck, but he was quicker than I expected. His fin

with fear. I swallowed and tried aga

ed off the alley walls, ugly and cruel, w

ime his hand closed around m

ce flashed in my mind, her small hands clinging to me, her voice whispering Mama. Wh

h

p aw

the night like a blade

reath. Another's grip faltered, loosening

l one started, but his

f the shadows

, black suit, the faint glint of a watch on his wrist. His stride was measured, his gaze

caught i

n Mor

My biggest mi

, not really. It was too dangerous. Too painful. But my bo

the lethal calm was enough to make them step back, muttering. Within seco

m and me in that narrow alle

stormy gray eyes that hadn't changed at all. Eyes that ha

o, El

ooth and dangerous, stirri

y buckled. My

sworn I'd never see him again. Nev

g in front of me like a

n his face tol

orld of secrets was