The Exposé 3 Read Online Free Page B

I see a busy intersection up ahead, I could cry with
relief. I turn the corner and quickly dash into a Dollar Store. I
hang back in the aisles, checking through the window until the men
walk past.
    I sag back, my heart pounding.
Who were they? And what did they want?
    Maybe
I’m being paranoid, but this Dimas stuff is setting me on edge.
The more questions I ask, the deeper I get-- and something tells me,
the answers won’t be pretty.
    But I have to keep digging. For
Dax.

 

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    DAX
     
    After blowing up at Dominique, I
try my best to keep my temper at the club and not cause any more
scenes. I stay in my office, away from the party atmosphere, and
think hard.
    Nikolai
isn’t going anywhere, but even now that I know exactly what he
wants - leverage over this politician -- I’m still no closer to
a solution. Sneaking those security workmen in here was a bold move,
and it would have paid off for him if I hadn’t caught them at
the last minute.
    I
came so close to fucking up big-time, and all because I was too
focused on Zoe to pay attention to what’s right in front of me.
    Zoe.
    I see a flash of her blue eyes in
my mind, and those juicy lips parted in a sinful moan.
    I can’t get her out of my
head.
    I
pull my laptop closer and run a quick search, typing the name she
told me into the search box. For a split-second, I wonder if even
that was true, but then the results start piling up. Investigative
reporting articles, photos of her on the staff of the college
newspaper. No wonder she came up with a fake identity -- I would have
busted her in a heartbeat with this résumé!
    Through my anger, I can’t
help but feel a stab of admiration. Coming here undercover was a
gutsy move. It shows she’s smart, and resourceful too.
    Not to mention lying and
manipulative.
    I
slam the laptop shut. I didn’t expect to feel so betrayed.
Women have tried to screw me over before, and I never dwelt on it. I
just put them aside, and move on. But for some reason, Zoe’s
duplicity keeps burning at me.
    I saw something in her. A
stubborn ambition that just wouldn’t quit.
    It reminded me of myself.
    A
knock breaks through my thoughts, and then the door opens. My buddy,
Cam, leans in holding a bottle of scotch. “I heard you were
sulking back here,” he says cheerfully, then enters the room.
“Glenlivet twenty year.”
    “I know,” I reply
wryly. “I ordered it in stock myself.”
    Cam
pours us both a drink and then settles back in a seat. He looks past
me to the two-way mirror I have installed, giving me a front-seat
view of the main room of the club. “I don’t see your
waitress working tonight,” he says, giving me a sly look.
    “She’s
not my waitress, and I fired her.” I gulp the scotch.
    Cam raises his eyebrow. “Damn.
I was hoping to watch you guys go another round. I don’t think
I’ve ever seen anyone talk back to you like that,” he
adds with a smile.
    I grit my teeth. “It’s
not a good thing.”
    “Sure it is.” Cam
gives me a look. “When was the last time you dated someone who
challenged you?”
    “I
date plenty,” I argue.
    “Yes, but they’re all
nice, polite girls with a submissive streak.” He grins. “You
need someone to push back a little. You’re so used to running
the world here, you need a partner. An equal.”
    I try to shut down this line of
conversation. “It’s a moot point. She was an undercover
journalist, trying to expose the club.”
    Cam hoots with laughter, then
stops. “Wait, did she get anything on you?”
    I shake my head, and take another
gulp. “I don’t think so. But it was close. That’s
the last time I let my dick do the screening on new applicants.”
    “Hey, I’m sorry,”
Cam offers. “But that doesn’t change what I said. One of
these days, you’re going to need a real relationship. Nobody
should have to carry everything alone.”
    “Wait, wasn’t I the
one giving you this talk last year?” I grumble.
    “Times change.” He
grins. “Think