I took the tray back down to the kitchen just as Tim walked in. “I smell the steaks from out there.” He looked around. “You didn’t make one for me?”

“You’re not supposed to be here.” I unloaded the dishes into the sink. “I can handle this.”

“Did you just have dinner with her?”

“Yes. We got along, and there was no hitting from either of us.” I opened the dishwasher. “Go back to the center and be where you’re needed. We can’t afford to pay people overtime.”

I felt his eyes on my back as I loaded the dishwasher. I hated that he watched me so closely. He knew me better than I knew myself, and I hated it. The roles were reversed and he was the big brother, but I was determined to take that role back.

“She didn’t give you any attitude?”

“None.” I shut the dishwasher and turned to wash my hands. “Everything’s under control, little brother.”

He tossed me the dish towel when I turned to him. “Okay. Her attitude is fine for now, but what happens when her ass stops hurting every time she sits? Without the constant reminder to be good, she’ll go back to her smart-ass ways. She’s too strong not to.”

I dried my hands and set the towel on the counter. “Everything will work out. Trust me.”

“You know I don’t like this case. We deal with addictions. Love is not an addiction.” He paced the floor.

“I’ve got it covered. There’s no reason to stress about it.”

He stopped and looked at me. “I am stressed, Brody. You’ve already bought a bottle over this girl. One nice dinner isn’t going to change anything. What happens the next time she mouths off? What happens if you kill her?”

“I’m not going to kill anyone. Jesus, Tim, you’ve got to be so fucking dramatic.”

“You can’t make someone fall out of love, and that’s what her dad wants or he’s going to kill you. How do you plan to accomplish that?”

“That’s easy. She’s going to have sex with me.”

He took a step backward and laughed. “Excuse me? Do you mind telling me how you’re going to accomplish that?” He looked at the dishwasher when it started the cycle. “Just because you had a nice dinner doesn’t mean she’s going to fall head over heels for you. She needs to go home.”

“No, you need to go home. I told you when I took this job that it was my responsibility.”

“Are we that desperate for money that you’re willing to put your life in danger for this job?”

I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. “You don’t get it. You don’t ever think past yourself.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I’m fucking thinking about you!”

“Who’s thinking about her?” I pointed upstairs. “You think some asshole he picked up off the street to take her away from Bryce would’ve been better for her? Say no just to keep myself safe and fuck the girl who really needs the help? Get real.”

He backed down, and his shoulders sagged. He knew I was right. Laney would’ve been in much worse shape, and a lot more would’ve happened to her than the horrible spanking I gave her if her father had hired someone else.

Tim took his keys out of his pocket and looked out the window. “I’ll leave you to do whatever it is you need to do, but call me before you lay another hand on her or make a trip to the liquor store.”

He was out the door before I could respond. He wasn’t a selfish kid, but he did have tunnel vision when it came to someone he loved. If I failed, Laney’s father was crazy enough to have me killed, but I wasn’t worried about that. The only thing I was focused on was making her fall into bed with me. I wasn’t sure how. I didn’t have any experience with seducing women. I just looked for the easiest hookups. The women I had sex with practically had their legs spread before I walked up to them.

I tilted my head back and looked up to the ceiling as I smiled. Maybe she wasn’t that different than those other women after all. After remembering her performance in the parking garage the morning I took her, I didn’t think I’d have any problem getting her mind on sex.

* * *

I opened the door and was surprised to see Laney sitting at the table. “You’re up early.”

“I figured breakfast would be coming soon.” She smiled at me, but it didn’t seem genuine. Dinner the night before was a good start, but I had more work to do.

“I made overnight oats. Have you had that before?” I set the tray on the table and slid the soda can off to the side. I was sure there was more to that can, but I wouldn’t push it yet. “It’s kind of like dessert for breakfast if you do it right.” I walked the sacks I’d brought up with me to her bed.

“I haven’t, but that sounds good. Dessert any time sounds good.” She took a bite and smiled. “You’re a really great cook.” She took another bite.

“Thank you. I wasn’t always, but I had to learn. Once I did, I enjoyed it.”

“Were you in the military?”

“I’d thought about it, but I was young and dumb and didn’t join.”

“Where did you learn to cook?”

The way she tore into her breakfast had me curious if she enjoyed it or was trying to get me out again. I wouldn’t feel I’d earn any trust with her until she ate at a normal pace. “I was away from home for a little while and learned to do a lot of things. What would you like to do today?”

She stopped with the spoon halfway to her mouth. “What are my options?”

“Whatever you’d like as long as it can be done in this room.”

“That’s what I thought.” She took her bite and sighed. “I suppose a television is out of the question.”

“I want something to keep you active. I can bring an occasional movie up, but I don’t want you to just sit around all day.”

She looked around the room. “My options are limited.”

I looked around the room. “I see a lot of potential in this room.”

I stood and took my shirt off. It didn’t get the reaction I hoped it would’ve. She put her spoon down, slid her chair away from the table, and waited for my next move. I narrowed my eyes at her until she put her hands up as if to keep me away.

“No, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to exercise.” I walked over to the bench at the foot of the bed and sat down. “There are a lot of things you can do in this room to keep active.”

I placed my palms down on the edge of the bench and gripped it before lowering my ass close to the floor and lifting myself up. I continued through ten reps.

She’d gotten up and walked over to me, but stayed a few feet away. “I can’t do that.” Her lips parted when she looked at my arms as each move had rippled through them. That was the reaction I wanted.

“I can teach you how to do this.” I finished the reps and sat back on the bench. “You can get the body you think you need this way instead of starving yourself.”

She looked at her arms and back to mine. “There is no way I’m going to be able to do that. I can barely carry a gallon of milk.” She laughed and seemed nervous.

I stood and stepped away from the bench as I motioned to it with my head. “Try it. Hang on to the edge of the bench, put your feet out in front of you, and go as low as you can. I think you’ll surprise yourself.”

“Okay.” She sat down and gripped the edge.

“Loosen your grip just a little. You want to hang on so you don’t slip, but you’re putting all of your energy into the grip. You won’t have anything left to follow through the exercise.”

She nodded and got into position to lower herself. “That’s it. Now just go as slow as you’d like and as low as you’d like. It’ll get easier the more you do it.”

Laney did a few reps before sitting back down. “Holy shit.” She held her arms. “That’s going to hurt.”

“No pain, no gain.” I pointed to the wall. “The next one won’t use your arms.”

I walked up, placed my back against the wall, and slid down to a squat. I pretended to pick lint off my pants, checked my watch, and raised my arms above my head to stretch as if it were no big deal. It was a move most hated in rehab. They didn’t like having their backs to the wall. The symbolism was too much, but they appreciated the fact they were gaining strength from it. By the end of their stay, it was their favorite thing to do.

I stood and motioned that it was her turn. I smiled when she rolled her eyes as she walked past me. She didn’t want to work out, but I’d show her it was instrumental to having a happy life. I walked to the bags I’d placed on her bed. There were a couple of surprises in there for her, but I wouldn’t show her those. She could look at them after I left.

I took the clock out of the bag and placed it on her dresser. She slid down the wall, and I glanced over to her before moving the dresser enough to plug the clock in.

“How long am I supposed to sit like this?”

“Until you can’t anymore.” I turned and pointed. “But really push yourself. Don’t give up because you don’t want to do it.”

She straightened her back. “I don’t give up.”

“We’ll see about that.” I moved the dresser back. “There. Now you can tell time. Every hour that you’re awake, I want you to do something active. The exercises I’m going to show you need to be done twice a day, but you can do whatever you want the other times.”

She lasted longer than I thought she would on the wall, but she got up and walked over to the clock. “Does that have a radio?”

“No.” I crossed my arms. “If you want rewards, you’ll have to earn them.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again and nodded. She walked back to the bench and began another set of reps on her arms. I smiled as I walked over to clear the table.

“I picked up an electric razor for you and some athletic clothes. You’ll be more comfortable exercising in proper clothing than jeans. Your range of motion will be better, and they won’t be as confining.”

“Thank you.” She sat on the bench and turned her head toward the bags on the bed.

“Thank me by working out.” I picked up the tray and left the soda can for her again. “I’ll be back later for lunch and another lesson.”

I walked out and ran down to the office to check her reaction to the rest of the surprises that I’d put in the bag for her. That clock was more for my benefit than hers. It gave me eyes and ears on her at all times. I should’ve thought to put it in her room before she got there, so I could adjust it and make sure I could see everything at once.

I set the tray on the side chair and woke up the computer. It was torture waiting for the program to boot up, but when it did, I smiled. Laney watched the bags as she was sitting through another wall squat. She seemed timid when she stood and walked over to the bags. I couldn’t blame her for being cautious. She had no idea what I’d put in there for her.

I could see that she took a deep breath and reached for the bag. “Let’s see what you brought this time.”

In one swift move, she took the corners of the first bag and dumped it onto the bed. When she was satisfied nothing would jump out at her, she looked through the different lotions I’d picked up. She smelled a few of them and nodded. She picked up the razor package and looked at it.

I couldn’t wait until she looked in the other bag. I was happy she chose the other bag first, but it was killing me to see how she’d react to her real surprise. She started to open the razor package and looked at the other bag.

“What else did you bring up?” She reached for it and grabbed the corners as she did before, dumping the contents onto the bed. The reaction to that bag was priceless.

Her eyes got wide, and her mouth opened as she stood straight. The pink in her cheeks from working out were turning a cherry red. She looked at the door and back to the contents on the bed before she rushed to get them all back into the bag. The lotions went in as well.

I sat forward and rested my elbows on the arms of the chair as she placed the blanket over the bag to keep it hidden. The woman having sex in the car the morning I’d taken her was replaced by a child who’d acted as if she’d never seen a sex toy or lube before.

We both knew she’d seen and used vibrators before. Her own vibrator sat in the corner, still in the bag she’d packed for her honeymoon if they eloped. It didn’t do her any good without batteries, but I knew it was a favorite if she was planning on taking it with her.

I sat back as she uncovered the bag. She didn’t dump it out again, but she did rifle through to find a few things. I smiled when the possibility of her using them grew.