My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 128

Chapter 128

I looked at her, seeing the genuine hope in her face. She was the kind of friend I wished I had the luxury of keeping, but my life was a mess and I didn’t want to drag her down with me like I probably did to Ciro, because he is nowhere to be found since that night and I don’t know if I want to ask Raphael about it.

“I’d love to, Aileen. Really,” I said, and I meant it. “But I have to get back. Some other day? Please?”

She just nodded, her smile turning a little shy as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Of course. Rain check You look exhausted anyway, get some sleep.”

“You too,” I said, grabbing my bag.

I walked toward the elevator, feeling her eyes on my back. I felt bad turning her down, but as the doors closed, the only thing I could think about was my Mama D and my girls waiting for me.

“Girl! We’re finally in the big leagues!” Bri shouted.

Even through the excitement, the sight of her was jarring, her face was still horribly swollen.

Since they couldn’t perform, the weight of the night was resting entirely on me and Emma. Because I won’t let Morgan perform. Morgan was barely more than a kid, and I kept her in the same separate, protected corner of my life where I kept Jules.

I stripped off the stiff white shirt and tailored trousers of my office life. I kicked the pants aside and opened my locker at the Rose Garden.

As I caught my reflection in the vanity mirror, my heart sank. Just as I’d suspected, my inner thighs were a mess. Ugly, deep purple-red bruises blossomed across the pale skin, the physical receipt for every electric jolt I’d used to survive the morning. They looked like burns, angry and tender to the touch.

I reached for the lingerie. It was a skimpy, midnight-black set made of sheer lace and dangerously thin silk straps, but the bottom was a high-cut, vintage-style garter belt with wide, overlapping lace panels. I stepped into it carefully, wincing as the fabric brushed against the battered skin.

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