Strife: Part Two (The Strife Series Book 2) by Sky Corgan Read Free Book Online Page A

complain.
    Nathan doesn't respond. He simply shuts the door behind me and then crawls into the driver's seat to start the vehicle. The silence is unpleasant, only elevating my fears. This is definitely the kind of guy who does lots and lots of dirty work.
    Even though I gave myself a pep talk on the way over to James' office, my nerves are on the fritz. Between the vague threat of physical repercussions should I screw up, being in a vehicle with a guy who looks more like a murderer than a driver, and thinking about spending the night with a mega-rich rock star who blatantly rejected me the night before, I can't seem to get myself together. It's going to be yesterday all over again, I can feel it.
    We pull up in front of the Chateau Silverbridge, and Nathan gets out of the vehicle to come around and open my door. My stomach feels like there's a rock sitting at the bottom of it. I'm nauseous and overheated and a mental mess. I try to recompose myself before Nathan can see how much I'm falling apart since I'm sure he'll report back to James.
    When he opens the door, I smile. His tan face greets me with a scowl. While I can't see his eyes, I know there's no warmth behind them. I'm nothing to him. Just a job.
    “You will go straight to the elevator and take it to the sixth floor where Mister Strife is staying. You won't look around, you won't dawdle. You don't want to be late,” his words are just as harsh as his appearance. “Do you understand?”
    “Yes, sir,” I reply meekly before slipping around him to walk inside the hotel.
    How in the hell does James expect me to perform when I'm scared half to death? Each step I take is unsteady. I keep my eyes forward when I enter the hotel, too afraid to even look around as I make a beeline for the elevator. I think I can feel Nathan's gaze upon me, watching me, waiting for me to screw up, even though there's not much of an opportunity yet. I'm probably just imagining it, though.
    It's not until I step into the elevator and the door closes behind me that I feel a rush of relief. I'm safe for now. Safe until I call Nathan to pick me up again. Whether I'm safe afterward or not depends on what Dmitri tells James. It's scary to think that my physical well-being rests on the words of another. An angry client could lie, and I'm confident that James would take their side over mine. What have I gotten myself involved with?
    When I reach the top floor, I exit the elevator and just stand there for several moments. My body is covered in a cold sweat. My heart is still beating rapidly. I look and feel like I just ran a marathon. There's nothing sexy about me.
    You're getting ready to see Dmitri Strife again. You should be excited about that. He's handsome and rich and has connections.
    Try not to think about the bad. Nothing will happen to you if you don't screw this up. Everything is going to be alright. It always is.
    You just have to make Dmitri happy. That is your one and only goal tonight. Please him. Put all of those years of theater arts to good use. You don't really even have to fake it with him. You like him. He's a good guy.
    Even though I genuinely like Dmitri, I know that I can't allow myself to get attached. Can't allow myself to feel anything. This is the life of an escort. Emotionless. Cold. Everything is an act. Everything has to be an act to keep my sanity.
    I straighten out the front of my dress and force a smile. My body calms as my legs carry me the rest of the way to the door. I knock three times and hold my breath, trying to formulate a polite greeting in my head, something far more elegant than the night before.
    Yesterday, I was a blundering idiot. Tonight, I'm a lady—a professional escort.
    When he opens the door, though, all of that goes out the window. I'm starstruck, but beyond that, the realization of how excited I am to see him, not as someone famous but as a man, hits me like a ton of bricks. His charming smile melts me, and I silently hope that it's going to be