Destroyed

Silently, I passed her the fountain pen and held my breath as she signed with a pretty flourish. I felt like a full-blown ass**le. I’d made her submit for money. What sort of bastard did that? It couldn’t be helped that she really had no concept of survival. Selling herself to a stranger for a month? What woman did that? We were both as bad as each other.

The thought had a strange appeal.

Keeping my face completely neutral, I took the signed contract from her, keeping my fingers well away from hers, and placed it into the top drawer and locked it.

A smidgen of relief filled me. She was mine for exactly thirty days. It was time we got acquainted.

Her eyes swept upward, connecting with mine only briefly before dropping to the scar. Her pouty lips thinned while thoughts swirled in her green eyes.

The scar had been a punishment—a reminder of just how deep I’d fallen. It’d been retribution for not obeying.

I couldn’t even think about that night without breaking into a cold sweat.

“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.” Checking the time on my phone, I added, “What time do you normally go to bed?”

She paused, surprise written on her face. “Same as everybody else I guess. About midnight, get up at about six or whenever Cla—”

She snapped her lips together, avoiding my eyes.

“Don’t do that—cut yourself off mid-sentence. Whatever you were going to say, I want to know.” I hated her keeping things from me. Even though I had full intention of keeping everything from her.

She pulled her shoulders back, fighting me with her gaze. “I was going to say when Clue gets up for work. She has a range of jobs, and some days she’s up very early.”

The lie rained from her lips like the truth, but I knew different. The decibels of her voice were odd.

Shaking my head softly, I whispered, “I know you just lied, but after what I did, I won’t push it. But next time…it better be the truth.”

She held her ground even as a flash of apprehension filled her gaze.

I cocked my head, drinking her in. “Where are you from originally?” I guessed Europe—Spain perhaps. I’d become quite an expert on guessing nationalities. Another hazard of my previous employment.

She shrugged, eyeing me warily. “I don’t need to lie about that. I only knew my father. Or at least, I think he was my father. He looked after me until he just disappeared one day. I think I was five when he left. I vaguely remember him speaking another language, so it’s entirely possible I’m from overseas and not Australian originally.”

I didn’t have a retort to that. Seemed we had yet another thing in common. Missing lineage. Missing pieces from our past.

She glanced at the phone in my hands.

“I want that phone call. I need to arrange something.”

Shit, I’d forgotten about that. I didn’t want her talking to anyone—spilling the details of what we’d agreed to. It wouldn’t paint either of us in a good light.

Reluctantly, I dropped the phone into her waiting palm. “I’m not giving you privacy, so don’t bother asking.”

She huffed, but didn’t argue. Pressing a sequence of numbers, she paced toward the graffiti artwork, chewing her bottom lip.

“Come on. Please, pick up,” she whispered.

It seemed an age before she slouched and sighed heavily. “I thought you weren’t there. Did you get home alright?”

The concern in her voice sent a sharp bolt of jealousy through me. I didn’t like that she cared so deeply for another. Someone had the privilege of living with her, learning her secrets.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve got it under control.” Zel frowned, listening to whoever existed on the other end of the phone. “No. I’m good. Listen, I have to do something you’re not going to understand, but don’t freak out, okay?”

She nodded, twirling a piece of hair around her pinkie. “I know. I feel awful to do this to you and…well you know, but I won’t be home for a while.”

She threw a glance my way. My hackles rose, unable to determine why I suddenly felt on edge.

“I’ll be away for a month,” she finally said.

I gritted my teeth. She hadn’t lied, but she hadn’t been entirely truthful either. I narrowed my eyes. If she thought she could leave, she had a surprise coming. She didn’t know what I had in store for her. It wouldn’t be simple matter of walking out the front door.

A screech came from the phone and I wished I knew what the other person said.

“I have my reasons. It’ll mean a lot to us financially if I stay. Don’t get upset. I’ll explain it better soon.” Her eyes dashed to mine again before she cupped the mouth piece. “Clue, don’t. I can’t tell you. Not yet.”

My body clenched. She refused to speak honestly in front of me. How could I trust her with anything she might say in the future?

“No. Don’t put her on!” Zel whisper-yelled, then her shoulders rolled and she went to the corner of the room, trying to get as far away from me as possible. “Hey, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart? Fuck, did she have a lover? What the hell?

“No, I’m okay. Do you think you can be good? Take care of Clue for me?” Her na**d shoulder blades hunched as she curled around the phone, almost embracing it. “I miss you, too. But I’ll be home before you know it. Just be safe and don’t get too tired, okay?”

She nodded a few times before whispering so low I almost missed it, “I love you so much. It’s going to be agony not holding you.”

My heart exploded inside my chest. Fuck. What did you expect? That she wouldn’t have anyone at home? Not only was she selling herself to me, she was cheating on someone who undoubtedly loved her.

My hands curled and the rage I’d tried so hard to keep away came back with a vengeance.

She sniffed and hung up. She stayed facing the wall for a moment, before spinning around and stalking toward me. Holding out the phone, her eyes mixed with regret and sadness. Doubt flickered in her gaze before she swallowed, forcing residual emotion from the phone call away.

If I was less of a bastard I could’ve just given her the money and sent her home to whoever she loved. But I wasn’t. So I didn’t.

The thought of her arms around someone else made my stomach roll in anger. “I hope you’re not planning on breaking our agreement so soon. It won’t be that easy to revoke your signature.” My eyes flickered to my desk, already using the contract to bind her to me.