Page 45 of Deceitful Oath
“Hey,” Lisa interrupts my thoughts. She’s carrying a tray of empty champagne bottles, her VIP room tablet tucked under her arm.
“What’s up?”
“Carlo wants to see you.”
“Me?” I look up from my ragged nail beds.I really need a manicure.Then I almost laugh at that thought when I remember I can’t even afford to pay my rent. “Why me?”
“Dunno,” she grunts, setting the tray down and ducking under the bar. “I was on my way back from one of the rooms and he told me to get you.”
“Weird.” I give her a sideways glance. “He didn’t say anything else?”
Fuck, if I’m about to get fired from this job for some mysterious unknown mistake, I don’t even know what I’m going to do.
“Girl,” she snaps, exasperation painted across her face, “I was trying to balance ten champagne bottles; I didn’t stop to chat with him.”
“Got it, got it,” I say. “Sorry!”
She shakes her head as I duck under the bar and make my way to Carlo’s office. His door is closed so I knock lightly, pushing away that ominous feeling. The last time I felt like this, my car got stolen so that’s probably not a good sign.
“Come in!”
I push the door open and slip in. Carlo’s sitting behind his desk, his face neutral.Okay, he doesn’t look like he’s about to fire me.I breathe out a sigh of relief and plop down in a chair across from him.
“You wanted to see me?”
“I did,” he answers, finally looking at me. “I have a question to ask, and I hope you’ll answer truthfully.”
“Of course…”
“Good,” he nods, “because as Buddha said,three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
“Did he really say that?” I ask, leaning forward. I have no idea where this is going, but the crazy, zealous look in his eyes makes my stomach flip.
“How do you know Rafael Romano?”
“Who?”
“Hmm, Lux,” he shakes his head like he’s disappointed in me. “I thought you agreed to be honest.”
“Right, and Ihonestlyhave never heard that name before.”
He glares at me, blood rushing to his cheeks. Silence stretches between us and I throw my hands up helplessly.
“Should I know that name?” I wonder. He’s giving me nothing to go off here and I’m incredibly confused. “Is that a customer? A regular? Did someone submit a complaint?”
“Rafael Romano,” he repeats, his voice dark and menacing, “is your boyfriend.”
If he didn’t look like he wanted to kill me, I’d probably laugh right now. Instead, I stifle that instinct and shake my head.
“No, no, you’re definitely wrong about that,” I tell him.
“You’re fucking lying,” he roars, standing up to tower over me. I scoot my chair back a bit, grateful for the desk between us. His face is turning a terrifying shade of purple, and a single, thick vein pulses in his forehead.
“Carlo,” I finally manage to say, “what the hell is this?”
“I’m only going to give you one more chance,” he growls, stalking around his desk toward me. “How do you know Rafael Romano?”
“I don’t!” I yelp, standing up and backing away from him. I don’t think Carlo would ever hurt me, but he looks like a rabid dog right now and I’m not about to take my chances. “Who the hell is that guy?”