My Stepbrother's Rules: The Complete Series (Steamy Stepbrother Romance) by Lila Moore

going to get into one of the parties? And what about Alex? I hadn’t spoken to him since ditching him in The Red Room. He would never approve of my undercover work. Some of the BDSM club’s patrons were his colleagues, maybe even his friends.
    I had a lot of work to do and not a single ally.
    I sat at my desk all afternoon coming up with a strategy. Finally, I picked up the phone and called Ivy. After speaking to three different people at the club, I finally got her on the line.
    “Ivy, this is-”
    “Natasha,” she said.
    I started to correct her, then I remembered the fake name I’d given the bodyguard. He must have passed it along to Ivy.
    “Yes. Listen, I’m dying to get started. The girls told me about a party in the hills. I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but…”
    “Sweetie, if this business is about anything it’s overstepping boundaries. Of course I’ll give you a shot. Be at the club and ready to go by six. I’ll have one of the girls take you out to the mansion.”
    “Great!” I said.
    I surprised myself by how sincerely excited I was. A twinge of guilt twisted my stomach. What about Alex? I didn’t know how to define our relationship anymore. It was hard to say if I was betraying him or not, but I didn’t like the idea of hurting him.
    “Six o’clock sharp,” she said. “And wear something classy.”

PART THREE

1
     
     
     
    I sat in the backseat of a sports car next to one of the girls from the club. I fidgeted nervously, straightening and readjusting the neckline of my dress. I wore a plunging black number with a high slit in the side. I ditched my wig and decided to dye my hair dark red. Ivy said it flattered me so I decided to make the change. If nothing else, it would please her which could work out to my advantage. Staying friendly with the boss of The Red Room could have its benefits.
    I rode next to a girl named Angie who didn’t like to talk. I’d tried unsuccessfully to question her about the party and the club. She shrugged off most of my questions or answered with an irritated: “Apparently.”
    “Is the party full of rich, powerful men?” I’d asked.
    “ Apparently .”
    “Do things get rough?”
    “ Apparently .”
    “Will we make good money?”
    Shrug.
    I gave up questioning her. It was clear she knew more than she was willing to tell me, but getting her to talk was too difficult. Besides, I’d soon have the answers to my questions once I was inside. Still, I wished I knew what I was walking in to.
    After a meeting with my editor, I was feeling paranoid. He warned me not to confront anyone at the party and to keep my true identity secret. He was convinced these people were dangerous. There was no reason to believe I was in danger, but his words had left me shaken.
    I pulled a loose string from the hemline of my dress and sighed. Ivy told me to wear something classy. I didn’t own any formal party dresses. I’d been forced to go through my mother’s closet and take an old cocktail dress. When I tried on the dress I was shocked by how revealing it was. I had no idea my mother owned such sexy clothes. What kind of parties was she going to when I wasn’t around? I found it all mildly amusing and mildly disturbing.
    Our driver was one of the bodyguards from the club. He hummed to himself and kept one hand on the radio. How much did he know? He acted as if this was routine.
    We turned into a long driveway and slowed down. Woods hugged the road tightly. The trees and underbrush were so thick that they acted as an impenetrable boundary. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. The woods wouldn’t shelter you from predators.
    I sighed and tapped my foot.
    “Could you please stop?” Angie said. It was the most she’d said to me all night.
    “What?”
    “Shaking your foot. It’s getting on my nerves.”
    “Oh, sorry. Hey, do you think-”
    “I don’t know.”
    She didn’t even let me finish my question before shutting me down. I turned away and sighed