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But my body wasn’t listening. The next wave ripped through me. Harder this time. It stole the world. My body pushed against the straps without permission. A scream tore itself from somewhere so deep inside me I barely recognized it as my own.

“Tori, my girls…”

Tears slipped freely now, pooling into my ears.

“Push another round of morphine.”

The voice floated somewhere near the ceiling, far out of reach. A sharp, icy pressure flooded the IV line in my forearm. It spread outward in a rapid, numbing wave that turned my bones to lead.

The agonizing pressure in my stomach and back finally detached itself from my mind. It softened from that sharp, blade-like stabbing sensation into a dull, distant throb. The sound of the sirens receded.

My fingers slid off the edge of the gurney. My thoughts slowed to a crawl. My eyelids collapsed under a weight I couldn’t fight. As the world blurred and darkness came for me, I breathed one final word.

“Lev.”

Sebastian and I were in the club’s office, papers spread out before us on the sleek mahogany desk. I tapped my foot to the muffled beat from the dance floor below.

“You make your decision yet?” he asked.

They were offering me part ownership. I’d been saving for years and, after dedicating myself to dance, this was a completely new adventure. All that remained was did I want to be a silent partner like Marcel or hold a more public one?

For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to measure my future in competitions or auditions. I couldn’t wait to trade it fully. The only way I wanted to measure my future now was in nursery walls, bedtime stories, and two tiny girls who already had me wrapped around their fingers. Them and their mama.

I’d been all over the world, seen so many places, and I was thankful for the experiences. But I had two little girls that would be here early next year.

February 5th, to be more specific, that was if Isabella went full term.

I tucked that thought away and turned to answer her brother. Hopefully, he’d still want me on board after tonight.

“The struggle is real. I’m still weighing the pros and cons of it. But regardless, I’m in,” I said confidently.

The only real con I could see was how it might reflect on my daughters growing up. With having established a name for myself in the dance world, did it make more sense to have anonymity?

It was important enough that I wanted to include Isabella when I made the decision. Her opinion mattered here, too.

“Well, you still have some time. Any new updates from the designer?”

I shuffled the files on the desk and pulled the schematics for the BDSM club layout out. A surge of excitement coursed through me.

“The Versailles Suite will be a hit with our high-end clientele. The opulence and attention to detail will have them thinking they’re royalty,” I remarked.

“Did you hear? Alek’s requested first dibs on it,” Sebastian said with a grin.

“Why am I not surprised? And let me guess, Nik’s called the Schoolroom, yeah?”

“Nope, he’s requested the Japanese Tea Room. He’s gonna tie up your little mouse. Make her squeak for hours. And then Ivan’s going to chase her through the Backwoods.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. Crazy fuckers. The lot of them.

“And what about you? Which room are you tackling?”

“The Dungeon, of course.”

“The real question here is, what one are you aiming for?” he asked.

I shifted nervously, not wanting to answer. If I did, it would only make tonight more awkward. Excitement built inside me, almost making me want to burst with the news. But the last thing I needed was to declare a room for opening night, then go home and stand next to his sister for the announcement.

The only thing he’d see was red.