Hot.

I'm fucking scorching hot, and I don't know why. Well, I do. But really, I shouldn't be. Callum said he promised to tell me about Victoria tonight after finishing doing whatever he is with his brother, so I should give him the benefit of the doubt; he will keep his promise.

So why can't I shake this weird feeling in my gut—like a woman's intuition feeling assaulting my stomach, and I don't know why. Callum's never given me any reason to think he'll go back to his old ways, and he has done and said everything right to instill in my mind he would never go back to being the man he was.

And I need to believe him.

I also need to trust him—just like he's begged me to do. And I should—he trusts me, so I need to return the credence he so rightfully deserves.

I just hate broken promises.

I can't force Callum to tell me anything about his ex, that's for sure, but the point is, he promised. And I feel like I'm being a pushy bitch trying to get him to open up to me, something he doesn't need to do, yet he does. This is our life, and if he wants me in it, he needs to break down walls, or our relationship will go nowhere; it'll stall because you can't have a future with someone who refuses to rip off their bandages.

I need him to tell me what has been killing him because I want to be the one to help him get through this tragedy that's been haunting him since high school.

I tried finishing the financials Callum needed from the gala event—what we spent, money wasted, what we made, and the total donations since the deadline to donate had passed. But I couldn't think.

And I was hungry.

Grabbing my purse from underneath my desk, I eyed the camera aimed at me, wondering if he was watching me. I wanted to give him the double-fisted two-finger salute I used to show him all day, but I couldn't.

He did nothing wrong other than take a raincheck for lunch.

I need to remind myself he still promised to talk to me—to do something he hasn't even done with his best friends.

I left my office, stopping at Emma's desk on my way out. "Have you had lunch yet?"

She looked up from the computer, shaking her head. "No. Not yet. I brought lunch with me today but haven't eaten it." She aimed at the computer, saying, "Something isn't right here."

I drew my brows together, asking, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, confusion heavily playing on her face. "Money. Lots. And. Lots. Of money disappeared from Callum's account."

"What?" I squealed, rushing around her desk to see what she was talking about. She tapped her computer screen. "There are two huge withdrawals, one yesterday and one today. And it wasn't me. I've tried calling Callum, but it goes straight to voicemail."

I sighed, then groaned, "I talked to him a little while ago. He said something had come up, and he had to meet with Trent at the club."

Yesterday, four million, and today... one point seven million dollars.

"I've checked all his expenditures; he emailed me last night since the gala event, asking that I balance his bank accounts since he hadn't been keeping track, and those are the only two I can't pair up to anything Callum claimed he spent."

"Maybe he forgot?" I quickly shook my head. Stupid comment since she said he emailed her last night, and the money was withdrawn yesterday afternoon and early this morning. "Forget what I just said. That was a stupid comment. What I mean is... hell. I don't know what I mean. He never mentioned that he spent that kind of money on anything."

I reached for the top button on my blouse and clutched my shirt, swallowing what felt like a lump lodged in my throat. He was in Oregon with Victoria's family... what the fuck? Did he pay them off?

I looked at the computer screen, then at Emma. "Do you know anything about Victoria?"

"His ex?"

I nodded.

"Not really. I heard rumors she died when they were in high school. But that's all I know. Why?"

I bit my bottom lip. She pretty much knows what I know, so I shouldn't say too much. But I will tell her something to see if I can get anything else out of that she may know, not realizing she does. "Callum was in Oregon these past few days—with her family," I whispered. "Do you think he may have given them money?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Why would he be there? With her family?"

I shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd know since he tells you everything. Because it was a shocker to me when I found out where he was."

"He never told me. I only know that he keeps his schedule blocked out every year at this time of year—for three days. He never says why. But they're the same dates every year. And nothing is ever spent to this degree when he's away those days."

Interesting.

Suddenly I got an idea. "Have you ever been to the club?"

She laughed.

"I take that as a no. So. Emma. What do you say we go somewhere to grab a bite to eat and then make a detour and head to the club to find mister moneybags and find out what the hell is going on? Because if he didn't spend that money, we need to go to the police and file a report."

She looked mortified at my mentioning the club and having her go inside with me.

I laughed at her expression and gave her a playful shove. "Come on, girlfriend. The club isn't that bad. It's interesting, actually."

Plus, I need to see what Callum is up to. It's not like him to cancel on me. He's only canceled on me once before. But I was okay with that since Monday nights are my nights with my sister, anyway. And I had canceled my time with her to spend with Callum. So it worked out anyway because I saw her while he did his thing.

But today? My gut is telling me something else and seeing all that money withdrawn from his account in two days screams something is off.

"We won't be going there to do anything sexual. We're just going to see Callum. He said he'd be there, and if he's got nearly six million dollars stolen from his account, I'm sure he'd like to know immediately."

"Fine. Let's go. The last thing I want and need is Callum accusing me of stealing from him."

***

I didn't know where we'd find Callum in the club, but I'm sure he's either in the conference room or Trent's office.

At least, that's where I hope I'll find him.

"I need your ID and papers, please."

Emma looked at me, confused. "Papers?" she whispered.

I looked at Lydia Deetz's twin and smiled. "Give her the bracelet. We're only here to find Callum, anyway."

"He's with Trent."

"I know he is. Do you happen to know if they're in Trent's office, or would they be in the conference room?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Thanks for the help," I muttered.

Lydia Deetz's twin smiled, saying, "You're welcome," then explained to Emma the club rules before sending us off on our mission to find the Harrison brothers.

Coming here during the day is so much different from at night. It's busy, but nothing like the night crowd. From what I observed as we walked around is it's a lot more business-like people attending during the day. Suits and ties the men are wearing, and dresses, skirts, and blouses the women seem to be wearing.

And I don't even want to know why that is—especially with Callum here wearing his expensive-as-shit tailored suit.

"This place is huge," Emma loudly whispered.

I giggled. "I know it is," I said, pointing to a hallway. "We'll wander that hallway first. That's the business meeting area. We can't see in the rooms, but anyone inside can see us."

"That's weird."

I laughed. "What I was told was they did that so while they were conducting business shit, they could see tits and ass walking the floor without having to stuff money down their shit like they'd have to do at a strip joint. They wanted to see out but didn't want anyone being able to see inside the room where the outsiders could distract them."

"Smart."

"I think that was Callum's idea, too," I laughed. "It wouldn't surprise me either."

"So, how will we know if they're here?"

"Watch me. I'm going to fuck with them. They have to be in one of these rooms."

I walked up to the first one, pressed the palm of my hands on the wall, then my nose kissed the wall as I slowly walked down the row of rooms, making a fool of myself.

But I didn't care.

I need a spanking. It's been fucking weeks since he last gave me an orgasm that way.

Nobody was coming out, and it was pissing me off. Either they're in stitches laughing so fucking hard, or they're shaking their heads, disappointed in me for acting like a toddler. I could have even embarrassed them if they were in a meeting, and instead of letting anyone know they knew me, they ignored me.

What I did get out of my goofing off was Emma laughing hard and loudly.

Even with her laughing like a hyena, nobody came out. So... that tells me we need to continue walking around. I had no key card to access the area to get to Trent's office, and I know they have cameras all around the joint. So Callum will find me if they're in Trent's office and they see Emma and me walking around.

He always does...

"I don't think they're here."

"They're here. We have lots to cover yet, and trust me when I say this, but Callum finds me whenever I'm here. And that's when I never told him I was coming here. And it's because of the cameras. So if they see us walking the floors, guaranteed Callum will be in our faces barking orders for us to return to work."

A nervous laugh left Emma's lips. And the longer we walked around the club, men checking us out as we walked by, the more nervous Emma became. So I assured her nobody would confront her, asking if she'd like to have fun since she was wearing the bracelet, warning everyone she wasn't there for sex or company.

We walked every floor, hallway, and even the voyeur area I walked a shocked Emma through, and still no Callum or Trent. "Maybe they did leave. Because if they were here and in Trent's office, Callum would have been in our faces, escorting us both out."

Only the second I got done telling Emma what I did, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a door opening to one of the private rooms, and I froze. Then my heart dropped into the pit of my body when I saw it was Callum escorting a woman out of the room with his hand on the small of her back—and she was pregnant—way pregnant.

Is that where all of Callum's money went? Did he knock up Smurfette? A woman on one of his sexual rendezvous, and he came here to pay her off?

I felt all the blood flowing through me dissipate, and I grabbed Emma's arm when four more people left the room—including Trent. Two women and four men were in that room.

"I'm going to be sick."

"I don't know what to say," Emma whispered, sounding as if she felt sorry for me.

I should run after him and confront them all, but I won't.

I'm too numb.

And pissed.

Lilah would be pissed at me if I did something to get eighty-sixed from the club. Because the anger rushing through me right now is so intense, I know I'll do something I'll regret, and I'll say some hurtful things I don't mean—well, I will, but I feel I'll do stuff that I never do and I'll embarrass myself—and Emma.

"Don't say anything. I need to get out of here. We need to leave... fuck Callum. Fuck Trent. Fuck Wish Upon A Star. And fuck what happened to Callum's money. He can kiss my fucking ass."

I pulled Emma through the club, hoping to get out before we were caught. And before I embarrassed myself by puking all over the place.

"Maybe it's not what it looked like?" Emma suggested. "That woman is nothing of Callum's type—not at all."

"Maybe not. But he was a womanizer, fucking anything that had a pussy, and fucking anyone who would submit to him—so you never know. He could have been desperate at the time, too."

"Have a nice day!" Lydia Deetz's twin shouted as we hurried through the lobby.

I said nothing, and neither did Emma. Not until we were fast-walking down the sidewalk to get to Emma's car. She said, "I think you should go back in there and confront Callum. There's got to be an explanation for what we saw."

I stopped walking and turned, facing her. "Callum, explain anything? He can't even fricken explain to me what happened to his ex? He can't explain to me why he turned into a fucking womanizer for seventeen years. He can't explain anything to me, Emma! Nothing! The man is so tight-lipped about everything, it's infuriating!"

Emma tried calming me down on the way back to the office, assuring me it wasn't as bad as it looked, and I refused to believe her. I couldn't.

I was literally shaking. My hands, my legs, and my feet. My heart was racing, my stomach was in knots, and my mind was foggy. I didn't know what to think. And I didn't know what to say. All I knew was that I couldn't be in the office in case Callum decided to stop by after he was done doing whatever the fuck he was with those people—with his brother!

I hurried through the maze of cubicles, and when I got to my office, I slammed my door, looked at the camera, and gave him the welcoming I had been giving him for months—the double-fisted-two-finger salute, shouting, "Fuck you, Callum! I hope you and Smurfette are fucking happy! Hopefully, Gargamel finds where you two are and destroys you both!"

I slammed my purse on my desk, plumped my ass into my chair, then turned on my computer and waited for it to load. When it finally came alive, and the internet showed it was working, I clicked on my email and typed one out to Callum.

From: Eloise
To: Callum
Subject: I QUIT

Screw you, Callum. You wanted me to trust you? You wanted me to believe every fucking word you told me? Everything you said to me since Hawaii was all a fucking lie. Wasn't it? Every fucking word you said was all a lie just to get in my fucking pants.

Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm not. But I don't give a shit. It's like the old saying goes. Once a player. Always a player. And you, Callum? You just proved to me that you would never change.

You don't love me. You don't want a future with me. You don't give two shits about me. You just care about your-damn-fucking-self and your money. Well, fuck all of it. I don't need you or anything that has to do with you—I did just fine on my own these past couple of years.

Have a nice life. And enjoy your kid that's on the way.

I quit.

Eloise

I hit send and then roamed the office looking for a box, and when I found one, I quickly stuffed it full of my things, slung my purse over my shoulder, and stomped out of the office, Emma trying to block me from leaving.

"Step to the side, Emma. I'm not staying."

"I can't let you quit. Maybe you should just take the rest of the day off, cool off, and wait for Callum to come home so he can explain what we witnessed," she suggested. "I honestly believe we walked in on something else that was going on."

I shook my head. "NO. His hand was on her, Emma."

"She was pregnant. Maybe something happened to her, and he was guiding her somewhere?"

"No," I hissed. "There was more than them in that room. And Callum used to involve himself in groupies or threesomes, whatever the fuck you want to call them. He was up to no good, and we caught him red-handed. Move to the side, Emma. I'm leaving."

Emma sighed, then reluctantly stepped to the side. "You're making a big mistake."

I had a gut feeling something was off, and what Emma and I just saw proves that my gut instinct was right.

"Maybe so. But I'm also not sticking around in case what we saw wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me. I'm leaving so I don't look like a fool when everything I thought was real comes crashing in my face, and the demons Callum has been carrying with him leave his body to flaunt their shit in front of me, rubbing in the fact that he can't help himself. That he needs a variety of women to continue getting through this thing we call life. Because he can't live without fucking every pussy, he can get."

I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. "I'll keep in touch. Thanks for being the friend you've been since I started. And if you hear from Mason, tell him I said hello, and that I miss his ugly face," I laughed, but not humorously.

A sick feeling thrashed my belly as I walked out of the office. And it accelerated the more I headed down the corridor to the elevators. As if it's telling me I'm making a huge mistake. Maybe so, but I need to protect my heart; it can't take a beating from a man anymore.

***

Lilah: Where are you right now?

I shoved my empty glass to the bar's edge, then raised my hand like I was in school, trying to get the bartender's attention. "I'll have another Long Island Iced Tea. And I need a shot of Fireball, please."

Me: I'm getting shitfaced. You should join me.

Lilah: I'll join you if you tell me where you're at, like I asked where you were the first time.

I looked at the cute young bartender when he returned with my drinks, flashing a killer smile. "Thank you." I pointed at the shot and returned the smile. "You should do one with me. I'll even buy it."

He chuckled. "I would, but I can't drink while working. Bar rules."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Don't get me wrong. I would. Fireball is my favorite, but my boss is sitting at the other end of the bar, so it wouldn't be such a good idea for me to enjoy a shot with you."

"That's fine. I understand. My sister is on her way, anyway."

Lilah: Hello? Where are you?

"Oh, wait. Where am I again?" I asked the young stud while looking around to find the place's name on the walls. I even looked at their napkins, assuming the bar's name would be somewhere in the building.

Mister, cute young bartender, laughed. "You're at Lucky's."

"Oh yeah... I forgot."

Me: The bartender says I'm at Lucky's. Wherever that is.

Lilah: Address, please. I've never heard of it.

I snapped my fingers, calling for the bartender. When he approached, I handed him my phone. "Will you text my sister the address, please?"

He typed in the address for Lilah, handed my phone back, then leaned forward, quietly asking, "Would you like a glass of water until your sister arrives? I'd hate to have my boss cut you off."

"The mood I'm in, I dare them to cut me off," I groaned. "I'm not doing anything to be cut off. I'm not being loud and disruptive, I'm not stripping my clothes off, and I'm not yelling. I'm just sitting here, quietly minding my own business."

"I know. But they've been watching you since they showed up."

They're probably one of Callum's cronies. With all the people he knows, I wouldn't doubt it.

"In that case. Hit me up. This time, line up two shots of Fireball and another Long Island. I'm getting fucked up tonight, and nobody is going to stop me."

I'm going to be so sick in the morning—I can feel the sickness forming in my belly already. But I don't care. I'm in the mood to destroy my liver for the night.

He sighed, shaking his head before turning around and reaching into the cooler to grab the cinnamon treat I'm in the mood to get fucked up off of. Just to add more spice to the mood I'm in.

The woman had blue hair. She was at least six or seven months pregnant. Callum's hand was on her. And he was in a room with Trent and three other people—a fucking groupie—two women and four men.

Threesomes destroy relationships...

They're not all hyped up to be what they claim to be...

Lies... all lies... just to satisfy me, so I'd drop the threesome teasing.

Yeah, well, groupies destroy relationships too—especially when you don't involve the person you're involved with in the sexual tryst.

Finally, Lilah arrived and didn't look happy when she sat beside me. While her eyes focused on the bartender, she said, "Callum called me in a panic, wondering if I heard from you and if I did where you were."

"What did you tell him?"

She looked at me. "Nothing. I told him I hadn't heard from you."

"Thanks." I took a drink, then asked, "So. When are you supposed to call and tell Callum you found me?"

"I'm not going to call him."

"Good. Otherwise, I was going to tell you I'm leaving; then nobody will know where I am once I leave this building."

After she gave Hunter, the cute bartender, her drink order, Lilah turned to face me, asking, "Care to tell me what happened? I want to compare your story to Callum's."

"Yeah?" I said, arching a brow. "What did he have to say?"

She tsked me. "I'm not saying anything. I want you to tell me what happened to see if you overreacted."

I didn't overreact.

I know what I saw.

And what I saw, I wished I hadn't seen. I can't unsee it, either.

Unfortunately.

"Emma and I saw him leave a room with a pregnant woman—a very pregnant woman—and not long after they left, four more people left the room—a private room, Lilah. And Trent was one of them that left with them. Callum was supposed to be having lunch with me. Instead, he was there—with them—doing God knows what. Actually, I didn't even want to know what they were doing. I already know."

"I think you should call him. He's freaking out, Eloise. He said he didn't do anything wrong. He claimed the only thing he did wrong was canceled your lunch plans. But said you were fine the last time he talked to you."

"I blocked his number, and I added his email address to the spam folder. I'm not calling him."

"Have you been here all day?"

I drank my two Fireball shots one after the other, then sucked down my Long Island as I looked at Lilah. I shrugged, saying, "Maybe a couple of hours. After leaving the bullshit office, I went to Callum's and left his "promise" ring on the counter. Then I grabbed the things I brought to his place, went home, and dropped everything off before driving around the city, trying to figure out what had happened and what I wanted to do about it. Then when I saw this place, my car sort of just pulled into the parking lot and parked. The next thing I know, I'm in here, drinking and getting myself shitfaced. Wondering what I did wrong in life for me to keep meeting men that are fucking assholes."

"Call him, Eloise. You need to hear his side."

My new friend placed another drink in front of me. "Drink this. You look like you could use it."

"Straight-up vodka in a tall glass? Hell yeah, I need this," I said, taking a long drink. My nose bunched up. "Water? I don't need this; what I need is something to knock my ass out. So hit me with the good stuff."

"Sorry, pretty lady. But I can't. You've been officially cut off."

I felt my cheeks heat, and then I snapped, "Fine. I'll go somewhere that wants my money."

I stood, grabbing my phone and purse off the bar, then looked at Lilah, asking, "Are you coming?"

Lilah furrowed a brow. "Where are we going?"

"The fucking club. I have a bone to pick with Trent, and then I'm finishing this night by getting fucked up where I don't know who I am or where I am and forgetting this day ever fucking happened."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!! 🤞🤞