One Day (The Private Club #3)(18)
Author: J.S. Cooper

I started running again, and this time I tried to think of what I was going to say when I saw him. For some reason, I didn’t want him to know everything I knew. I ran to my room and pushed open the door. I nearly sank to my knees in relief as I saw David standing there.

“Hey.” I watched as he jumped back from my bed. “What are you doing?” I frowned at him.

“I was searching the room to see what happened to Nancy.” He looked at me angrily and I saw him pushing something into his pocket.

“What the f**k, David? Are those my panties?” I walked towards him. “What sort of a sicko are you?”

“Oh, it’s okay for Greyson to have the goods, but not me?” He retorted back at me and I stopped.

“Excuse me?”

“You think I don’t know you’re f**king Greyson every opportunity that you get?” He looked disgusted. “Even in the pool? What a slut you are.”

“It was you in the room?”

“Yes. I came to talk to you. See if you knew anything about Nancy, but you were too busy having fun with the boss.”

“What I do is none of your business.”

“I guess you chose him over me because he has more money.” David reached out to touch me and I flinched.

“Don’t touch me, David.” I glared at him. “And for the record, I would never be with a man like you. Greyson’s money doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“He’d flip if he knew we f**ked.” David’s glance grew ominous. “It would be the perfect revenge.”

“Revenge for what?” I swallowed hard and took a step back.

“It wouldn’t just be about revenge. I really do want to f**k you. You’re sexy as hell.”

“Leave me alone, David.”

“When you call out my name, I want you to say Ryan. I want you to scream, ‘Fuck me harder, Ryan!’” David was almost panting, and I looked around the room for an object I could use as a weapon if he tried to assault me.

“Wait, what did you say?” I froze and stared at him for a moment as my brain comprehended what he had just said. “Why do you want me to call you Ryan?” And why did that name sound familiar to me? I didn’t know any Ryans.

“That’s my name.” He shrugged. “My real name.”

“Ryan.” I looked at him again and then it hit me. “Maria’s ex boyfriend wasnamed Ryan.”

It was his turn to freeze then. His eyes grew cold and he surveyed me. “How did you know that?”

“So you did know Nancy then.” I nodded to myself. “Nancy is Maria’s sister and you were her ex-boyfriend.”

“I was her boyfriend.” His voice cracked. “She said she was coming to New York to be an actress. We were still together. She didn’t even dump me. We were still officially dating when she brought that jerk home.”

“That was Brandon though. Not Greyson.”

“Everyone knows that Greyson’s the real mastermind here at the club. Nothing would have happened if it wasn’t for him.”

“So you joined the police force to investigate him?”

“No.” He laughed at me and gave me a pitiful stare. “I’m not in the police force, Meg. That was a lie to gain your confidence.”

“So why are you here then?”

“I wanted to find out what happened to Maria. I want to know how she really died.” His voice choked. “I wanted to get revenge.”

“So why did you get Nancy to come?”

“I’m pretty sure that they are trafficking women. Too many women disappear from here on a weekly basis. I needed someone on the inside who could testify for me. Nancy was going to be that girl.”

“So where is she?”

“That’s what I don’t know.” I could see the fear in his eyes. “We argued and then she was gone.”

“What did you argue about?” I asked him.

“You.”

I was taken aback. “Me?”

“She told me to leave you alone. She told me that she didn’t want to see you hurt.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I was going to make you fall for me. That was why I came and kissed you. I was going to seduce you and make you want me.” His eyes studied my body. “It wasn’t all about revenge, you know. I do think you’re hot.”

“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes, trying not to shudder. I couldn’t believe he was so cocky as to think I would actually want to be with him. That I would ever choose him over Greyson. Never in a million years. They didn’t even compare to each other.

“She told me to leave you out of it. I told her it was the best way to get back at Greyson.”

“How would that be getting back at Greyson?”

David laughed. “He loves you.”

“No, he doesn’t.” My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t even know him.”

“Trust me, he loves you. Maybe he doesn’t even know it yet. But you forget, I’ve been here for two years. Greyson doesn’t even interact with the girls once they start. He hasn’t been able to keep his hands or his eyes away from you.”

“It’s just sexual attraction.”

“Who knows? How does it feel to be the devil’s mistress?”

“He’s not the devil,” I whispered.

“He’s going to burn in hell.” David’s eyes flashed. “I’m going to make him pay for what happened to Maria.”

“Shouldn’t we find out where Nancy is first?”

“I could take you right now and it would kill him.” He grabbed my wrists and pushed me up against the wall. “He’d never be able to look at you the same way again, knowing I made you come and scream my name.” He laughed as he kissed my neck. “I know you see. I know what it’s like to lose someone I love and know she’s f**ked another man.”

“It’s not Greyson’s fault that Maria left you, Ryan.”

“He started this f**king club. He uses women for his own gain. If it weren’t for him, she never would have met Brandon. Brandon didn’t even love her. I loved her. I still love her!” He banged his fist against the wall. “I wanted to marry her. Do you understand that? I wanted to marry her and start a family. I loved her so much. I just let her go to New York to try and make it. I always thought she would come back to me. Instead, she came back with a coke habit and a new man.”