“I’m sorry,” Valentina says. “I didn’t know you were busy.”

I free my tie from Helga’s grip and straighten, not missing Helga’s curious expression. I have to be careful. Helga is perceptive. Raising a brow at Valentina, I encourage her to continue.

She swallows and holds up the envelopes. “Your mother sent me to bring you these.”

“Leave it on my desk.”

She approaches with averted eyes and puts the stack on the corner. With a small nod, she hurries out of the room.

“New staff?” Helga asks. “You never told me you have a maid. I thought you used a cleaning service.”

I grip her arm and drag her to her feet.

“What are you doing?”

“Tell me why you’re really here.”

She licks her lips. The facade finally drops. “I need money.”

I always leave money after fucking Helga, and she’d feel two weeks without a bonus. Letting go of her arm, I take out my wallet and press a couple of thousand in her hand. She bats her eyelashes when I take her wrist and pull her around the desk.

“Does this mean we’re fucking?”

“It means I’m walking you out.” I all but drag her to the front door where Rhett stands guard. “See to it that she leaves the grounds.”

“Gabriel!”

The last thing I see before shutting the door in her face is her disgruntled expression. It’s over. I never want to see her again.

---

Gabriel Louw has a reputation. He’s dangerous, and the women who have first-hand experience say he fucks like a horse. Why seeing it with my own eyes hurt so much I can’t fathom. It’s not like I found out today. What did I expect? Exclusivity? Last night was sweet. The dull ache between my legs reminds me of how Gabriel fucked me with his finger. It’s the kind of hurt that feels good, until a few moments ago, before I walked in on a pretty blonde with her naked parts splayed on his desk. It’s a game to him. I’m his toy. When he tires of me, he’ll cast me aside. The only thing he values is the debt I owe. When I walk free, I don’t want to leave a piece of my heart here. That will be too ironic. It’s a good thing I walked in on them. No, it’s a good thing he allowed me to walk in on them. I guess he wanted me to see that, to remind me I’m not special. I’m one of many, and for the moment, I’m convenient.

I get through the day by working myself to a standstill. Even my brain is too tired to think. That night, for the first time, he doesn’t come to me. I’m a heap of shivering and aching need when morning comes, cursing him and my body. Visions of him in the blonde woman’s bed drive me to maddened tears. He’s ruined me for other men. He’s ruined me for even myself.

I’m busy with the vacuuming the following morning when he stumbles through the door, Rhett and Quincy in tow. His hair is disheveled, and there’s blood on his shirt. His knuckles are bleeding. My heart squeezes, and my pulse quickens. He glances at me, but limps down the hallway without a greeting. I contemplate the reason for his state the whole day, refusing to acknowledge the worry that gnaws on my gut. Worrying means caring, and I don’t care.

At five, I have a shower and change into my shorts and T-shirt. I throw my tank top into my bag together with the food for the homeless dogs. I’m not in the mood to face Gabriel, but I’m not so stupid as to ignore his order to say goodbye before I leave.

Like yesterday, he calls me in when I knock on his study door. I don’t enter, but only pop my head around the frame.

“Have a good weekend. I’m off.” I retract my head, hoping to get away with a quick greeting, but I’m not that lucky.

“Valentina.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before facing him again.

He gets up from behind his desk. He’s wearing a blue shirt with navy pants and a striped tie, looking as hot as ever. “I’ll take you.”

All I can do is stare at him in confusion. “What?”

“I’ll drop you off.”

Gabriel is offering me a lift? I’m not sure how I feel about that. I don’t want him to be kind to me. “That’s not necessary. I can find my own way.”

“Like you did last week?”

“Um, yes.”

“In a minivan?”

“Yes.”

He crosses the floor with menacing steps. “If you ever get into a minivan again, I’ll tan your ass so hard, you won’t sit for a week.”

I blink up at him.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” he asks.

For a white girl, he means. Other people have cars. Nobody dares walking in the street alone. The chances are too good of getting raped, tortured, and murdered. Life carries no value in this city, but in my world, if you don’t have a choice, you just have to take your chances.

“You’re worth a lot to me, Valentina. I own you, and I protect what’s mine.”

He returns to the chair and lifts his jacket off the back. Picking up his keys from the desk, he takes my hand and leads me to the garage.

I feel small next to him in the luxurious interior of his car. He says nothing as he steers the sleek Jaguar down the driveway and into the traffic. Instead of heading east, he goes north. He doesn’t ask where I’m going, so I keep my mouth shut until he pulls up in front of an exclusive store in Sandton. I get out when he comes around to open the door for me, clutching my bag to my chest as he guides me inside the luxurious shop. It’s not like any department store I know. There are no items on display. There’s only a leather sofa and a glass desk stacked with clothes, purses, and shoes. A pretty, young lady greets us by the door and waves an arm to the desk.

“Everything’s ready for you, Mr. Louw.”

He acknowledges her with a curt nod and ushers me forward. “Go ahead. Choose whatever you like.”

Dumbfounded, I gape at him.

“What’s your color, darling?” the woman asks. “Red will look good with your complexion. White, too. Silver for the evening.” She starts pulling dresses from the heap and drapes them over the sofa.

“Um, excuse me.” I clear my throat. “May I please have a moment with…” What do I call him in front of her? “…Mr. Louw.”

“Gabriel,” he corrects.

The woman looks from me to Gabriel. There’s judgment in her eyes, even if she tries to hide it. “I’ll fetch refreshments. Take your time.”

When she disappears into a backroom, I turn to Gabriel. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting you clothes.”

“Why?”

“I threw your blue dress in the trash.”

“I don’t expect you to replace it.”

“I told you I like to take care of you.”

Wringing my hands together, I close the distance between us. “I can’t take your money.”

His eyes darken, the chipped blue turning stormy. “It’s legal money.”

“It’s not that. It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Feels pretty damn good to me. Are you saying making me feel good isn’t right?”

“Don’t twist my words.”

He grabs me to him so suddenly my breath catches. Holding me around the waist with one arm, he cups my breast and gives my nipple a soft pinch. “Don’t test my patience.”

Immediately, heat floods my body. It bubbles in my veins and sends blood to my clit. My nipples are as hard as pebbles. I want to hate the feelings coursing through me, but I can’t. As my body puts my arousal on display, the same heat I feel reflects in his eyes.

The shopkeeper returns with a pitcher of ice tea and glasses, but Gabriel doesn’t let go of me.

She measures our stance. Depositing the tray on the table, she says in a professional tone, “Have you chosen anything yet?”

An hour later, I walk out with a new dress, designer jeans, two T-shirts, a casual trench coat, a pair of ballerina flats, five sets of pretty underwear, and a cute off-shoulder sweater. Gabriel pushed me to take more, but this is already more than I need.

He loads my parcels in the back of his car, and when we’re seated, he turns to me. “Where to, beautiful?”

I’m sure he already knows, but I give him Kris’ address. On the way there, I try to figure out what just happened. By the time we pull up in front of the practice, I’m still nowhere near understanding Gabriel.

He switches off the engine. “Your flat has been sold.”

“Wow, that quickly?”

“I arranged for the money to be paid into your bank account. I hope that’s in order.”

“Gabriel...” I’m at a loss for words. “Thank you.” The words don’t express my gratitude, but they’re all I can muster.

“No need to thank me. I said I’d handle it.”

He reaches over me and opens my door, his arm brushing against my breasts. Before I can object, he gets my parcels and carries them to Kris’ house. Charlie meets us by the door, taking me into a bear hug.

“Va–Val!”

“Hey, big brother.”

Gabriel holds out his hand for Charlie to shake. “Hi, remember me?”

“You’re the ba–bad ma–man.”

Gabriel chuckles. “I guess you can say that, but I prefer Gabriel.”

Charlie takes a step back and looks at me with big eyes.

“It’s okay, Charlie. Gabriel isn’t going to hurt us. I work for him, remember?”

After contemplating my response, Charlie’s good manners finally win. “Want a jui–juice?”

“Sure.” Gabriel flashes me a smile and makes himself right at home in Kris’ kitchen.

I’m wary of having him around my brother. I watch him like a hawk while he makes small talk with Charlie, but Charlie quickly warms up to Gabriel. When he leaves an hour later, you’d swear they’re best buddies. What game is Gabriel playing? He can toy with me if that’s the price I have to pay for Charlie’s freedom, but I won’t let him disrupt my brother’s life.

---

Since Carly is at her mother’s this weekend, I have the evening and tomorrow to myself. Magda is out with friends. I ensured that no business meetings were scheduled and gave Rhett and Quincy the weekend off. I pour a whiskey and settle into an armchair in the reading room with Valentina’s file in my lap. There’s not much in her history I don’t already know. Her father, Marvin, was involved in a car cloning syndicate. Her mother, Julietta, was a housewife. Valentina grew up in Rosettenville, in the south. When she was thirteen, their Chevrolet went off a bridge. Marvin was killed on impact. Valentina survived, and Charlie incurred serious injuries resulting in brain damage. One year later, her mother was killed during an armed bank robbery. An aunt took care of Valentina and Charles, moving into the flat her parents owned in Berea when their house was auctioned to cover the outstanding accounts and funeral costs. The aunt died after Valentina’s nineteenth birthday, leaving her to take care of Charlie alone.

My earlier question remains. Why did no one take care of Julietta and her kids? In our business, family is everything. We take care of our own. Marvin wasn’t at the top of the hierarchy, but he wasn’t a petty thief, either. He had enough influence and support to guarantee his widow and children protection, a roof over their heads, and food. Instead, they lived from hand to mouth after his death.

I put the file aside and wipe a hand over my face. The second folder contains Valentina’s bank activity of the day. Half of the money I paid her for her flat was transferred to Kris’ account. The other half, she paid into an account registered to UNISA. Following up the lead on the University of South Africa, I confirm my assumption. Valentina is enrolled in a correspondence degree in veterinary science. Using my contacts, I have a number for Valentina’s mentor at the university within minutes. Even if it’s late, I dial the number. It doesn’t take me long to convince Mrs. Cavendish to have breakfast with me tomorrow.

---

I sit at a table tucked away in a private corner on the Rosebank Hotel rooftop when Aletta Cavendish arrives. She’s not the old prude her voice made me imagine. The only reason I know it’s her is because she walks onto the rooftop at the exact time we agreed. The tall platinum blonde is in her late thirties. Wedding ring. Big diamond. The husband must have a cozy job, because university professors don’t earn that much. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, and there’s not a trace of makeup on her face. Even without the help of cosmetics, she’s attractive. She wears a white T-shirt and flowing, Indian-print skirt with leather sandals. There must be twenty bangles on her arm. The flower-child type. From her straight back and square shoulders, I gather she has confidence. Her walk is easy and light. Clearly the type who sleeps well at night.

She gives her name to the waiter, and when he motions in my direction, she meets my eyes with a level and friendly stare. For a moment, there’s shock on her face when she takes in my features, but her smile doesn’t unravel. Her earrings dangle as she approaches my corner. I’m on my feet before she reaches the table.

She greets me with a firm handshake. “Mr. Louw.”

“Gabriel, please.” I pull out her chair and seat her. “Thank you for meeting me.”

Dropping an oversized bag next to her chair, she gives me a scrutinizing look. “I have to admit, if the student concerned wasn’t Valentina, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I appreciate your time.” I nod at the waiter. “Shall we order?”

As she studies the menu, I observe her. Aletta is intelligent and doesn’t beat around the bush. I like her. She’s passionate and dedicated. Must make a good teacher.

We both order coffee and eggs benedict. When the waiter’s gone, she says, “You said on the phone you’re Valentina’s new employer. I didn’t know she’d changed jobs.”

“It’s very recent.”

“What does she do for you, exactly?”

“House management.”

She tilts her head. “Like a maid?”

I smile, keeping my expression even.

“I’m surprised,” Aletta continues. “She loved the job at the vet practice, and it was good experience.”

“I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.” No lies there.

The waiter returns to serve our coffee. Aletta stirs in one sugar and milk. “In that case, it must be for better money. God knows, she can do with every extra cent.”

“I’m concerned about her financial welfare, which is why I wanted to meet. Valentina doesn’t know about it, of course. She’s proud. I’d appreciate it if we can keep this discussion between us.”

She blows on the coffee, watching me from over the rim. “What are you asking me?”

“How much does she owe?”

“Isn’t that a question you should ask her?”

“All right. I’ll rephrase that. How much does a veterinary degree cost these days?”

“You’re looking at roughly fifty thousand a year, excluding books and material.”

“I know how much she earned before she started working for me. How did she manage?”

“She has a partial bursary, but it’s not enough to cover everything.”

“Is she a good student?”

“Honestly? She’s hands-down the best I’ve ever had. Her grades are top, but that girl has a natural vet in her. I’ve never seen animals react to anyone like they behave toward her.”

You bet. “Then how come she secured only a partial bursary?”

“With the financial collapse and political unrest there’s very little left in the university coffers. There are no full-time bursaries for vet students. I’m donating her books, but as you said, she’s proud. Luckily, Valentina is also strong. Becoming a vet is her dream. She’ll find a way.”

The food arrives. The waiter arranges the salt and juice, shifting it around several times before he can fit the plates.

I’ve never had to worry about money. If I want something, I go out and buy it. I can’t imagine what it’s like to work your fingers to the bone and worry about covering your bills, which is ironic coming from a man who makes money from other people’s financial troubles.

I lean back in my chair. “If I’m to create a bursary, can I choose to who it’ll go?”

The knife stills in her hand. “Yes.” She looks at me with mild surprise. “You can name the beneficiary.”

“The beneficiary doesn’t need to know who the sponsor is?”

A smile warms her eyes. “You can call the bursary whatever you want. It doesn’t have to carry your name, and it can certainly be anonymous.”

I lean my elbows on the table and tip my fingers together. “In that case, I’d like to offer a full bursary, all expenses paid.”

Her smile turns ten degrees warmer. “I’ll put you in touch with the right person in finance.”

“Monday.” I want to pave this road for Valentina as soon as possible.

“Gotcha.” She takes a bite, chews slowly, and swallows. “You know, I had my doubts about you.”

“Yes?”

“I thought you were going to tell me Valentina’s studies are interfering with her job.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that.”

“I’m glad I was wrong.”

She has no idea.

---

After breakfast, I text my private banker and give instruction for the bursary to be set up. Then I head to Rosettenville. I drive past the address in my file, the house in which Valentina grew up. It’s a humble miner’s house, the cheap, cookie-cutter type the gold mines constructed for their workers and later sold to private owners. In this street, everything looks the same. It’s hard to imagine someone like Valentina walking the streets of this average and dull neighborhood. She belongs someplace exotic, someplace beautiful. The main street that houses most of the commercial businesses is quiet. The shops are closed on the weekend. At the mechanic workshop, I park my car and tuck the gun into the back of my waistband. Lambert Roos lives in a house adjoining the workshop. The simple dwelling has a low wall in front, an easy target for thieves. With the fall of Hillbrow and downtown, Rosettenville became a dangerous neighborhood. The fact that he hasn’t raised the wall and fitted it with electrified barbwire tells me one of two things. Either he’s too poor or he’s powerful enough for criminals not to fuck with him. Judging from the peeled paint on the walls and the missing roof tiles, I’m putting my money on the first option.

I jump over the wall and bang on the door. Footsteps shuffle inside.

“Who is it?” a male voice calls.

“Gabriel Louw.”

There’s a moment’s hesitation before the door swings open on a crack. A short, bald man dressed in a vest and a pair of boxer shorts regards me with skepticism. He shoots a look over my shoulder, his gaze traveling up and down the street.

“I’m alone,” I say with a cold smile.

“Well, well, if it ain’t Owen’s ugly duckling. Howzit?”

I should kill him for that remark, but I need information. Shoving past him, I make my way into his house. The place smells like old socks and stale cabbage. The carpets are worn, and the furniture has seen better days. Business must be slow. Or maybe not. On the table, there are several bags filled with white powder. Coke or maybe cat.

His eyes follow mine. A thin layer of perspiration shines on his forehead. “What can I do you for?” he asks with humorless slang. “Want a beer?” He shifts his weight.

He’s hospitable enough, but he wants me gone.

“Remember Marvin Haynes?”

Cocking his neck, he blinks twice. “Yeah. Who doesn’t?”

“You must’ve known him well, seeing that you were supposed to marry his daughter.”

His puffy eyes narrow, and he utters a forced chuckle. “He lived down the road, but we weren’t thick with each other. Saw his missus from time to time in the pharmacy. Why do you ask?”

“If Valentina Haynes was promised to you, why didn’t your family take her and her brother in after her mother died?”

He scratches the back of his neck. “With her daddy gone, the deal was off.”

“You didn’t want to honor the agreement?”

“She’s not my type.”

Bull fucking shit. “She’s a very pretty woman, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t like pretty? Or you don’t like women?”

“Look, she didn’t do it for me.”

“You backed out because she didn’t do it for you?”

“Yeah.”

He’s lying through his crooked, yellow teeth.

“Why do you want know?” he asks, trying to look nonchalant, but his voice breaks on the last word.

I shrug. “Curiosity.”

With a nod, I go back to my car. Before I’m inside, the idiot has his cellphone in his hand, looking at me through the tattered lace curtains as he makes a call. I should’ve tapped his phone before my visit. It doesn’t matter. I’ll find out. I text Anton with Lambert’s name and address, as well as the date and time, instructing him to get a recording of the conversation and send it as an encrypted message to my private email account.

---

When I step outside Kris’ house on late Sunday afternoon, Rhett is waiting across the road next to the Mercedes. He opens the backdoor in silent instruction for me to get in. Not a word passes between us during the drive to Parktown. My heart is sad to leave Charlie. I feel guilty for not being able to take care of him, but more than that, I miss his presence. His joy is innocent and genuine. He’s the only piece of uncomplicated truthfulness in the twisted emotions of my life.

Despite my sadness, my body starts humming when we get nearer to the house. Like a conditioned animal, my body becomes aroused at the knowledge that it will soon be with my captor, while my brain condemns the reaction. I hate this division between my thoughts and physical reactions. I’m at constant war with myself.

Gabriel himself waits on the porch. My heart gives an unwelcome lurch at the sight of his muscular shape. He gets the door and my parcels, the new clothes still unpacked and the price tags intact. Rhett disappears to wherever. The minute he’s gone, Gabriel brushes his lips over the shell of my ear.

“Welcome home.”

The words grate on me. This isn’t my home. My home is with Charlie. What Gabriel is doing to us as a family is wrong. I hurry inside and make my way to my room. A minute later, Gabriel steps inside, standing like a menacing, dark energy at the foot of the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Aren’t you happy you got to spend time with your brother?”

I give him a hard look. “Of course I am.”

I start unpacking the clothes, taking my time to fold each item meticulously.

He lets me carry on like this for a while before taking the pile from my hands and leaving it on the bed. “Let’s go for a swim.”

My jaw drops. He’s inviting a house servant for a dip in his pool?

“What do you say, Valentina?”

“I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“You don’t need one.”

Without waiting for a response, he takes my wrist, pulls me through the kitchen and out the backdoor. On the deck, he starts stripping his clothes.

I glance around to make sure we’re alone. “What are you doing?”

“Swimming naked with you.”

“Are you crazy?”

“We’re alone. Magda’s out, and Carly won’t be back before tomorrow.”

Gabriel stands stark naked and hard in front of me. His scarred body is terrifying in its brutal beauty. The marks on his foot and knee don’t diminish his physical perfection. To me, they add to his appeal, making him breathtakingly perfect in a broken kind of way. Is it the warped attractiveness of imperfection, or is a part of me is just attracted to everything that’s dark and destructive?

Flashing me his rock-hard ass, he walks to the deep end and dives. Water splashes onto the side, the sound reminding me of holidays and stress-free times long gone.

“Come on,” he calls. “The water’s good.”

It’s tempting. It’s been a hot as hell day, and my body feels sticky. I can’t remember the last time I swam.

My gaze travels in the direction of the staff quarters. “Rhett––”

“Rhett won’t come near the house unless I give him an order. Now I’m giving you one. Get in.”

“All right.”

Pulling off my trainers and clothes, I walk to the edge of the pool. The minute our gazes lock, there’s a shift in his. The ice in his eyes makes way for a molten look of heat. Unashamedly, he ogles my breasts and lower. His cock grows enormous under the water. I wish I wasn’t tingling between my legs or that my nipples hadn’t hardened, but I’m as helpless to my reaction as I am to his wordless command when he curls a finger at me. Stepping into the cool water at the shallow end, I leave my guilt and judgment behind. No matter how hard I protest, Gabriel will do whatever he wants. The crazy, unequal power play gives me a measure of absolution.

When I’m up to my waist in the water, he swims to me and grabs a fistful of hair. Pulling my head back to arch my upper body, he latches onto a nipple, and sucks my breast deep into his mouth. I cry out as pain assaults the sensitive tip. Immediately, he pulls back to look at me.

“You usually like that.”

I cup the sore curve. “It’s almost that time of the month. They get overly sensitive.”

He studies my breasts with new interest, taking both into his hands. “They’re bigger.” He jiggles them, making me groan with the discomfort. “And heavier.” His hands move down my sides to my hips, and over my swollen stomach. “When’s your period due?”

“Tomorrow.” I shake a little when I say it. After that, the birth control will be effective, and nothing will prevent him from taking the final step.

He eases up then, setting my body free. “Maybe the water will do you good.”

It does. We swim a few laps and just drift around without talking. By the time we get out, my skin is wrinkled. Gabriel fetches towels from the pool house and covers me with one on a deckchair. For a few blissful moments, I forget my circumstances and simply enjoy the rays of the setting sun on my face. I’ve never been alone with him in the house. There’s less tension when no one else is around.

When it starts to get cool, he carries me inside and lies me down on my bed. Like every night he came to my room, he makes me come. He’s gentle, avoiding my sore breasts and swollen abdomen. Afterward, he lets me take him in my mouth and stays with me for another hour.

Does he hold other women like this? Does he go out to fuck someone after he’s been with me? I’ve never seen another female in the house except for the woman in his study, but that doesn’t mean he’s celibate. Maybe he entertains his women elsewhere to protect Carly. For all I know, he has a girlfriend. Maybe it’s the woman I saw. Maybe he’s fucking her brains out every night after he leaves my room. Our silence is no longer amiable.

I can’t help myself from asking, “Are you sleeping with someone?”

His chest vibrates against my back with a chuckle. “Does it matter?”

If the ache in my ribs is anything to go by, yes, it does, but I’d die before admitting it. “Just wondering.” Hell, I don’t even sound convincing to myself.

“Her name is Helga.”

Humph. It’s like he punches the wind out of me with a fist in the stomach. I wanted to know, and now I regret asking. I especially don’t want to know her name. Pain lances at me from all directions, rendering me vulnerable. Jealousy mounts in my chest.

“She’s the woman you saw in my study. That’s what you’re really asking, isn’t it?”

Now that it’s out, I may as well go the full nine yards and let myself hurt thoroughly. Maybe the ache will dampen my need for Gabriel. “Did you sleep with her?”

“Yes.” After a moment, he continues, “But I haven’t fucked her since you arrived.”

Something gives in my torso, like an elastic band that snaps. Stupidly, I feel like crying. Correction, I feel like bawling. Damn PMS. “It doesn’t matter.”

His laugh is knowing. “Of course not.”

“Why haven’t you slept with her?” I hold my breath for something I can’t name.

“I don’t want to.”

But he may. Gabriel is the kind of man who takes what he wants, not by force, but by making your own body betray you, by stealing your will and breaking every one of your good intentions, leaving you with a hole only he can fill. Where I’m aching now, only his cock can fill the empty feeling. It’s twisted. He made me want him––need him––like I need water, while he can walk away on a whim, whenever he doesn’t want me. There’ll come a day I’ll be the next Helga, a day he won’t come to my room to make me come, just because he doesn’t want to any longer. He’s an asshole, and I hate myself for being affected.

“You’re quiet,” he muses. “If you’re tired, I’ll let you sleep.”

Longing for solitude so I can curl into a ball, I let the lie spill from my lips. “That’ll be kind.”

My heart drops when his weight lifts from the mattress. With a chaste kiss on my forehead, he walks from my room. Finally, I have the solitude I demanded, but I’m utterly and miserably lonely.

---

On Monday morning, Magda awaits me in the kitchen with shocking news. Marie had a stroke.

“You’ll take over the menu planning,” she says, “and the cooking. Run it past me to approve.” She points at the computer in the corner. “You’ll find the budget and supermarkets that deliver on the system.”

“Will she be all right?”

“I don’t know. Her daughter will let me know. It’s mighty inconvenient, though, seeing we have a formal business dinner at the house on Friday. Oh, you’ll have to see to the catering and serving. I’ll email the menu to the kitchen computer. I’m only expecting two or three guests.” She writes a code on the message pad. “Here’s the password.”

She’s halfway to the door before I find the courage to speak. “I’m not sure I can manage.”

She twirls around to narrow her eyes at me. “Do you have a problem?”

“The cleaning and cooking…it’s a lot for one person. It’s not that I’m not willing, but it’s a big house. I don’t want to neglect one or the other.”

“Then make sure you don’t.” Her lips thin into a smile. “Your life depends on it.”

I stare at her back as she leaves the kitchen. I hate the haughty clack of her heels as much as I detest the traffic cone color of her lipstick. She may look down on me because I’m poor and treat me like a slave because she owns nine years of my life, but when those nine years are over, I’ll never take an order from her again. I’ll take Charlie and move to another town, a city where the Louws don’t rule. Allowing the intention to strengthen my resolve, I switch on the computer and wait for it to boot up so I can place the grocery order for the day.

---

Monday and Tuesday pass in a blur. I wangle some sort of schedule, vacuuming only every second day and ironing later at night. By Tuesday evening, we get an update from Marie’s daughter, stating that she won’t be back at work for at least six months. Since I don’t know Marie’s recipes, I don’t have a choice but to change the menu. What I know is more my late mother’s Mediterranean style. I find a small, local producer of fresh produce, which turns out not only to be organic, but also cheaper. The fruit and vegetables aren’t pretty, but they’re tasty. I also order less cleaning products. I can wash a floor just as well with a bit of vinegar in water than with an expensive product that smells like a summer orchard, but has been tested on animals. The result is a thirty-percent saving on the weekly grocery bill.

The new work pace is strenuous. On top of that, my period arrived right on time. I’ve always suffered from a heavy flow that leaves me feeling weak. I order an iron supplement with my personal deliveries to boost me for the big night on Friday. The last thing I want is to fail my first dinner party test when my life depends on it.

Despite my period, Gabriel still comes to me at night, but instead of bringing me to the earthshattering climaxes I got used to, he fondles my body with backrubs and massages. It’s strange and out of character for him, not that he’s predictable. The more Magda pushes me, the kinder Gabriel acts toward me, which infuriates Magda. It’s a vicious circle between the two of them, and I’m caught in the middle.

Carly is cool but not completely unfriendly since she got to go out on her date. Sebastian is allowed to visit her at home with her grandmother or father’s supervision, but as Gabriel is always out during the day, it’s mostly Magda who keeps an eye on the lovebirds.

On Wednesday, Carly is alone by the pool. When I pick up her towel to put it in the wash, I notice she left her iPad outside again, something she does often. I take it with the intention to put it away in the house, but as I reach the sliding doors, Quincy’s voice stops me.

“Hey, Val. Look, Bruno’s all better.”

Bruno runs on a leash with Quincy, the limp gone. The dog barks and wags his tail furiously when I approach. Leaving the iPad on the wall, I go down on my haunches and get a sloppy dog kiss.

I laugh, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Glad to see you’re back in shape, boy.”

“Thanks, again.”

“I’m glad I could help.” I straighten and glance over my shoulder at the house. “I better get back. Lots to do.”

“Yeah.” He looks uncomfortable. “Are you coping?”

“Sure.”

“Valentina,” Magda says from the door, her condescending stare resting on Quincy and me as if she caught us making out or something, “if you’ve finished socializing, we need to talk about Friday’s menu.”

“Bye, Bruno.” I stroke his back and smile at Quincy in greeting.

His eyes are hard as he directs them to the door where Magda waits with her hands on her hips, but I don’t give it further thought as I hurry inside.

---

It’s not until the following morning when Carly makes a ruckus at breakfast about her missing iPad that I remember leaving it outside.

Magda summons me to the dining room. At first, I’m in the dark when Carly points a finger at me and exclaims, “She took it. It was there last night, and now it’s gone.”

“Did you take Carly’s iPad?” Magda asks. “Don’t bother lying, because I’ll be going through your room myself.”

My insides freeze, remembering where I left it. They go even colder when I look at Gabriel. He’s regarding me with a frown. He believes I stole it? Hurt lances into my heart. Why does it matter what he thinks?

“Well?” Magda asks with a flick of her penciled eyebrow.

“I meant to bring it in last night, but I got distracted and forgot it on the wall.”

“Distracted with Quincy,” Magda says snidely.

A thunderous expression darkens Gabriel’s face. Of the three people in the room, right now, I’m most scared of him.

“I’ll go get it,” I offer quickly, but Carly’s already on her feet, heading for the door.

Magda folds her hands on the table and gives me a single instruction. “Stay.”

I stand quietly in the uncomfortable silence until Carly’s screaming filters through the backdoor. Everything inside of me tightens further.

“It’s ruined!” Carly shouts, running into the room with the iPad. It’s dripping with water.

Gabriel’s tone is flat. “On which wall did you leave it, Valentina?”

“The one by the pool!” Carly shoots daggers at me with her eyes.

“The sprinklers reach there at night,” Gabriel says almost distantly.

“This is your fault,” Carly continues in hysterics. “Do you realize how many photos I had on here? Not to mention my homework!”

“Carly.” Gabriel’s quiet but hard voice instantly shuts her up. “Let that be a lesson well learned for leaving your iPad outside. It’s not the first time. It was bound to happen.”

“Dad!”

He holds up a hand, giving her a dark look. “Let me finish. You can recover your homework and photos from iCloud.”

“I didn’t activate it!”

Gabriel’s tone is uncompromising. Not a flicker of sympathy warms his eyes. “Lesson number two, well learned. From now on, you’ll make a backup like I told you.” He turns to me, suddenly looking tired. “I’ll deal with you after breakfast.”

“You’ll replace Carly’s iPad,” Magda says. “It’ll teach you to be less forgetful in future.” She shakes her napkin out on her lap. “Now, I want to eat in peace. Quiet all of you.”

Carly flops down in her seat, her face red.

I’m shaky as I return to the kitchen, cursing myself for my negligence. I can’t afford to replace the iPad, not without making more debt.

It doesn’t take long for Gabriel to come find me. The words I dreaded most leave his lips. “Go to the gym after you’ve cleared the table.”

Going down to the basement is like a walk to the gallows. He’s already waiting inside, his tie removed and his shirtsleeves rolled back.

“Close the door,” he says quietly.

I push until I hear the click, but I don’t have the courage to turn and face him.

“Come here.”

I bite my nail as I gather enough strength to obey, one step at a time.

When I stop in front of him, he pulls my hand from my mouth. “Undress.”

My eyes lift to his. I don’t mean to beg, but it slips out anyway. “Please.”

He doesn’t bat an eye. There’s no compassion, no mercy. “Undress.”

As I pull off my shoes, dress, and underwear, he watches me like a hawk. By now, I’m used to his scrutinizing stare, and it’s less embarrassing than during those first few times, but not less frightening. Once I’m naked, he taps a finger on his lips, studying my face. Finally, he drops his arm, as if he’s made his decision, and points at the floor. “On your back.”

I swallow as I lie down on my back, watching him fetch a bar with a set of handcuffs secured on each end.

“What are you doing?” I ask as he locks my wrists on either end.

He gathers my panties and bundles them into my mouth. “Sorry, beautiful, but I’m not in the mood for dialogue right now.”

I mumble a protest when he locks my ankles to my wrists, spreading me open on the bar. He pushes the bar back until it touches the mat, raising my arms above my head and my legs with them. Flat on my back, my ass and pussy are exposed in the most vulnerable way. My hamstrings are on fire. I shift in an effort to relieve the uncomfortable stretch when he fetches an object from the torture shelf.

He returns with a wooden paddle. I shake my head, pleading with my eyes, but he grips the bar and lifts a few times, giving me brief reprieve from the position before he pushes down flat and starts paddling my ass. The first whack on my ass cheek comes as a shock. I scream behind the bundle of fabric in my mouth, even if the sting heats my skin without hurting. The second lash makes me jerk, but when I realize he’s caressing my skin rather than inflicting pain, I almost relax. He works his way from left to right on the fleshy part of my ass until my nerve endings are on fire and my clit is a pulsing nub of ache. My vagina feels swollen. The need for release is severe. When I’m no longer begging with my eyes for him to stop, I’m begging him to let me feel the paddle where I crave it most. Only after every inch of my skin is humming with electric sparks does he finally bring the paddle down right in the middle of my pussy, covering my opening and clit. With the tampon inside me, it feels full. And good. I grind up, desperate for more, but he changes to a slower and gentler rhythm, teasing me mercilessly with a few too-soft taps on my swollen parts.

Just when I think I can’t take more, he pulls the underwear from my mouth and says, “Beg.”

I don’t hesitate. “Please, Gabriel.”

“Please what?”

“Please, please fuck me.”

He goes still. There’s a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face, which is slowly replaced with satisfaction. Heat darkens his eyes. His jaw tightens as he looks down at my sex.

“Please.”

His chest is rising and falling rapidly, his breathing as harsh as mine. There’s only the sound of our pants in the room. Then he exhales with a long, shaky breath. He pushes the paddle down on my clit and starts massaging with circular movements. Everything clenches as I come violent with a spasm that shatters my respiration. I’m out of air by the time he frees the constraints and drags me to my knees. In his haste to undo his pants, his fingers fumble with the button. I grab the waistband and pull it down his hips to help, not bothering with the zip. His cock juts at me, the tip close to my lips. I devour him like a crazy, starving woman, sucking and licking until he grabs my hair for leverage. He clenches his ass with a primal roar and a curse as he empties himself in my mouth. I swallow as best as I can, trying to breathe through my nose. I don’t want him to pull out. I want him in me forever.

After a moment, he grips my face in the vice of his giant hands and eases out of my mouth. He uses my hair to wipe himself clean, an act I find strangely and savagely satisfying. Pulling me to my feet, he shoves his tongue between my lips, tasting himself on my mouth. He nips and sucks, bites and laves. I’m aware of nothing but the heated skin of my ass and the wetness of his mouth as he steals my reason. His taste is addictive. I don’t know for how long he kisses me before he pushes me away with a gentle shove.

“Get dressed,” he says in a hoarse voice. “And leave.”

Confused by the change in his behavior, I obey wordlessly, empty and dissatisfied despite the orgasm I just had. At the door, his words make me pause.

He grits out every syllable like he has to push it from his throat. “Put on a pretty dress, tonight. You’re going on a date.”

---

When I asked her to beg, I expected her to beg for release. Instead, she begged me to fuck her.

She’s ready.

I both rejoice and shiver in dread, because the first time won’t be with me. No matter how much I want to take her virginity, I made a promise to myself, and I never break my promises. This time I may be pushed to my limits to keep this promise, but I already have a plan.

Magda waits in my study when I get back from the gym. I grit my teeth as I stroll past her.

“Did you do it?”

I know what she means, but I ask anyway, “Do what?”

“Punish her.”

“Yes.” I sit down and open my laptop.

“How?”

“Appropriately.”

Carly learned a valuable lesson. There was nothing to punish Valentina for. I’m a sick bastard for using the situation to feed my own lust.

Magda doesn’t budge. “How?”

I shoot her an incredulous look. “You want the juicy details?”

“What is it about her that’s got you thinking with your dick instead of your head?”

“Don’t insult me, and your reference to my dick is highly inappropriate.”

Her eyes, the same watery blue as mine, turn dark with anger. She slaps her palms on my desk, bringing us at eye level. “You’re just like your goddamn father.”

Keeping my voice calm and my gaze indifferent, I say, “If you can’t speak without repeating yourself, and you have nothing new to say, please get out of my office so I can focus on the business of running your business.”

Her nostrils flare. The thick layer of foundation around her nose cracks with thin lines. The pores are big with white hairs standing erect in each follicle. Every minute detail of her age catches my attention.

“You won’t live forever, Magda.”

She straightens and adjusts her jacket. “Neither will you.” A superior smile curves her lips. “Who knows? You may die before me.” She turns, making it clear she’s leaving my office on her terms.

There’s no love lost between my mother and I, and no amount of introspection to figure out where it went wrong will change that. We are who we are.

I pick up the phone and set out to do what I’ve been meaning to when I walked through the door.

Quincy answers with a bright, “Yes, boss?”

“Come to my study.”

I take a deep breath, and steel myself. A short while later, he enters. I want to break his face, but it’s not his fault he’s fallen for Valentina. As little as it’s hers. She’s a gorgeous woman with a courageous heart and a soft spot for animals. How could he not be under her spell?

“Sit.” I point at the chair facing my desk.

He takes the seat, his posture at ease.

“I have a mission for you tonight.”

He waits quietly for me to continue.

“You’re going to fuck Valentina.”