I was a paranoid mess by morning, after a night of fitful sleep. Following the experience from yesterday, I had felt so insecure and frightened that I double- and triple-checked to make sure all the doors and windows were completely and firmly locked. I even had the sofa up against the front door, as an extra precaution. Then I buried myself under a mountain of blankets, hiding in my bedroom. The majority of the time, before I had fallen into sporadic sleep, I kept thinking about William, and sometimes about Dad and Marie and wondering if I should text or call them to tell them about the men who were following me. I wanted to ask Dad for advice as to what I should do in such a weird and frightening situation. Should I have called the police? Or was I being too paranoid?

Then again, Dad being Dad, he’d probably just brush everything off and tell me that it was just my imagination or that it was nothing of significance.

Now, I yawned and rubbed my eyes, wondering if I should just sleep in because it was a Sunday. And since it was broad daylight, those men weren’t likely to do anything stupid when people were around.

Nodding my head at that, I buried myself under the blankets again and dozed off into a wonderful, satisfied slumber.

When next I woke, a few hours later, I felt a whole lot better. After having some leftover pie for brunch and a cup of dark, very bitter coffee, which I didn’t much like, I got myself ready. Burying myself under a thick jacket, scarf, woolly hat, and even gloves, I headed out the door, determined to go into town and window shop today. Men in black stalking me, be damned!

I was just putting on my earphones, intending to listen to some music, which I’d decided to do to ease my paranoia, when I noticed an elderly man getting out of a sleek, black car that was parked just around the corner of the apartment complex.

Once outside, he inspected his surroundings with curiosity. Then he shifted his gaze to me, as if sensing me watching him. Suddenly, he did something that I didn’t expect—he gave me the most genuine smile I had ever seen. It was as if he was extremely happy to see me, which, oddly enough, affected me in a strange way. I felt drawn to him somehow, almost like a paternal sort of thing that pulled me to him.

Without hesitation, he started heading my way. I responded by halting in my tracks, my eyes examining his person with interest.

The man was tall, slim built, and had silvery-gray hair, dark brown eyes, and a straight nose. I didn’t miss the fact that he was wearing a very immaculate suit, either.

I waited tentatively, wondering what the man wanted. Unless, of course, he was lost and needed help with directions. This didn’t surprise me. After all, men who wore expensive suits, like him, just didn’t live around here, which was one of the poorest parts of the city.

When he got close, his smile widened. To me, there was that sense of wisdom and a sort of nurturing within him that oozed out in abundance, which was odd, because the nurturing part was usually associated with women, not a man who wore expensive black suits.

The moment he was in front of me, he asked, “Are you Miss White, by any chance? Savanah White?”

I blinked. How? How did he know my name?

I licked my lips and nodded my head hesitantly, “Yes? Can I help you with something?”

The man bowed, which surprised me. Sweet Jesus! Why was he bowing at me?

Feeling more than a little confused at encountering such a weird situation, I looked around in concern, as if to confirm for myself that I wasn’t in some strange place.

“My name is Joseph,” he said. “Mr. Bosworth’s butler.”

Mr. Bosworth’s butler? I frowned, wondering why the name Bosworth sounded familiar to me. Then it dawned on me.

William!

So, William had a butler? Of course, this shouldn’t have surprised me, because I had surmised that William was rich, after all. And every wealthy individual living in Las Vegas had either a butler or a housekeeper, didn’t they? To take care of all their needs.

But then, why was Joseph here at my home asking for me?

There was only one reason as to why. William hadn’t returned home yet.

More than a little worried for the man I had helped the other night, I asked in a hurry, “Is William all right? Isn’t he home yet? Is that why you’re here? Because you can’t find him? Do you think one of the gangs has gotten him? Do we need to call the police?”

I knew I was rambling on, asking questions like an idiot, but I couldn’t help myself. The thought of him in the hands of one of the gangs and being tortured made me feel sick with concern.

Joseph chuckled with amusement, which confused me. Shouldn’t he be worried that his employer was missing?

The man shook his head in the negative and said, “No. No. Mr. Bosworth is fine, thanks to you, for which I’m very grateful, Miss White.”

He bowed his head at me again, as if I was some sort of respectable being, which I wasn’t.

I blushed with embarrassment. I wasn’t used to this sort of treatment. People usually dismissed me as if I didn’t exist, or treated me like I was a useless little thing.

I sighed in relief after hearing the butler’s answer.

“That’s good, then,” I said, nodding my head. “Is he doing okay? I mean, the injuries and stuff.”

Joseph seemed to avoid answering my questions and asked me instead, “Are you going out somewhere?”

I nodded “I was just about to go out for a walk and then take the bus into town.”

At this point, I scanned around the area for the familiar black car and two bulky men whom I had seen stalking me yesterday. Luckily, they were nowhere to be found, and I sighed in relief.

Maybe I was being overly apprehensive and paranoid, after all.

“I see.” Joseph nodded his head, eyeing my backpack. He must be wondering why I had such a thing with me, since most girls my age who intended to go into town didn’t. They usually had one of those small bags that could barely hold anything, let alone a wallet. Me, on the other hand, I was still a student, and besides, I wanted to sign some books out from the public library after my window shopping expedition.

Feeling the need to explain myself, I said, “It’s handy for big stuff, like books.”

“Ah, I see,” he said. “You like reading?”

I grinned and nodded my head. “Yes, I do. In fact, I was thinking of dropping by the library to sign some books out, too.”

He chuckled and his eyes brightened with delight. “Mr. Bosworth has a grand library, with many books. In fact, most new releases in certain genres get delivered to him on a monthly basis.”

I widened my eyes at the news, excited. “Really? Wow! What a lucky man.” I chuckled. “I personally wouldn’t mind having my own library. In fact, I’d be the happiest person alive.”

Joseph nodded in agreement and then said, “In that case, would you mind at all if I interrupt your day for a little help?” He came closer and said, “It’s about Mr. Bosworth, you see.”

I thought it was odd that one second we were talking about books and the library, and the next, Joseph was asking me for help in regard to William.

I raised my brows in surprise and asked, “Is he okay? What can I do?”

Joseph chuckled again. “No. No. He’s fine. It’s just that…he needs a little help.”

A little help?

I gave him my confused look, and in which case, he nodded and said, “Yes. Would you mind at all?”

I was about to answer him when I halted myself in time. In my mind, I wondered if I should really trust this man. Was he really William’s butler? What if he wasn’t and pretended to be one? What if he was one of those men’s accomplices? The ones who had been stalking me?

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

I tugged my hair behind my ear and said, “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” He half-asked, half-repeated after me.

I cleared my throat and said, “I don’t know if you really are who you said you are.”

He stared at me for a moment and then laughed as if he found me amusing. Considering my circumstance, I thought I was being cautious and serious.

Once he managed to calm down, he said, “How lax of me not to introduce myself properly.” He took his wallet from his back pocket and then handed me his ID. It was his driver’s license, and there it said clearly Joseph Samuel Hill.

I blushed as I returned his ID and said, “I don’t usually have people I don’t know come looking for me, and who also happen to know my name, you see.”

Joseph chuckled. “No. No. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have barged in like this. I do apologize, Miss White.”

“Please, call me Savanah.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Miss White just sounds so weird.”

He chuckled and agreed with me by nodding his head. “You’re right. Miss White does sound a tad bit odd to the tongue.”

“So, what’s wrong with William?” I asked, steering the subject away from my name. “Why do you need my help?”

“As to that, Savanah, you’ll have to be there to see what I mean,” Joseph explained. “So, would you mind coming along?”

I thought about it for a moment, my heart leaping with excitement in my chest. Did I want to see William again? Oh, God, yes! I wanted to see him again, despite the fact that I vowed to myself I wouldn’t even say hello to him if I happened to chance upon him in the street.

I said, “No, I don’t mind at all.”

“That’s wonderful news,” Joseph said. “Thank you very much, my dear.”

I smiled brightly at him. “No problem.”

“This way then,” he said, directing me toward the car. “We’ll be going to Mr. Bosworth’s penthouse.”

A few seconds later, I found myself sitting in the front seat beside Joseph, who was driving the sleek, black car. The journey into town was quicker than I expected, as I was pretty much occupied the whole time by Joseph’s friendly chatter and the various questions he directed at me. He asked me how my home and school life were going. Of course, I told him just the bare basics, in that school was all right and that I was hoping to go to college once I graduated high school. I steered far away from the home life conversation, however, which was something I wasn’t proud of. Honestly, who’d be excited to talk about their deeply depressed, drunken father and their abusive, alcoholic stepmother? Not to mention the constant arguments and fights between them.

When Joseph said, “We’re here,” I couldn’t help but gaze in awe at the sight before me.

To say the place was magnificent was an understatement. This was a five-star hotel, resort, and casino all in one. For sure, it was probably one of the top ten in Vegas.

As Joseph drove the car right to the front of the entrance, I suddenly felt more than a little panicky. I felt in my gut that I just didn’t belong here. This certainly wasn’t my type of place. Everything here was just different, so majestic and overwhelming. And all I could do was sit there and observe my surroundings in both awe and apprehension.

Joseph got out of the car, came around to my side, and opened the door for me, urging me to come out.

I licked my lips nervously and then hesitantly and reluctantly obeyed, my eyes fixed on the streams of wealthy guests strutting in and out of the hotel.

God, I had never felt so out of place in my life. I self-consciously glanced down at my drab clothing, wondering if I’d get kicked out even before I could step past the threshold of the foyer.

The fact that everything was overwhelmingly new to me and that it was making me nervous didn’t seemed to go unnoticed by Joseph. He stepped closer to me and gave me a gentle smile. Then he said, “Don’t worry. Mr. Bosworth has taken a liking to you. He won’t eat you up like a crazed wolf, which he does to many other people. Of course, you’re an exception. Relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

Was his comment supposed to put me at ease? Because I certainly didn’t feel that way. And what did he mean by William has taking a liking to me? And that he won’t eat me up like a crazed wolf? Did this mean there was another side to William I had yet to see?

Crazed wolf? Sweet Jesus! Was he one of those arrogant, pompous, filthy rich bad boys many of the girls talked about at school? The one, who treated people like shit?

The thought didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want to see William in that sort of light, that he was some rich bastard who treated people like they were worthless.

A valet came around, and Joseph reminded him to be careful with the car. The valet nodded, promising that he wouldn’t damage it. A moment later, he drove the vehicle away.

Joseph said in explanation, “The black gets scratched so easily, and Mr. Bosworth likes his property in excellent form.”

I nodded my head in understanding. After all, rich people liked to keep their toys, especially an expensive luxury car, in pristine condition.

“Come along, then,” Joseph said as he led me toward the entrance.

Once again, my stomach started flipping in both anticipation and apprehension. The thought that I’d get to see William again in a couple of minutes only made me more nervous. Then I wondered why he had decided to invite me to his home. I had thought he no longer wanted anything to do with me.

As we passed the foyer, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight I beheld. There were people everywhere, going about their business and enjoying themselves, no doubt spending an enormous amount of money—money that I personally didn’t have.

Once we were in the lift, Joseph pressed the top floor button. The fact that there were a number of other people inside the small space and that there were regular stops on almost every third floor didn’t help with my nerves. Every time the door dinged open, I jolted, expecting Joseph to tell me that this was our stop, even though I knew it wasn’t.

When, finally, the elevator arrived at the top floor, I managed to steel my nerves before meeting William again.

“This way,” Joseph said, directing me toward the door before us.

A moment later, he swiped a key card on the security lock, input the password, and then turned the handle.

“Come on in,” he said, pushing the door to one side as he ushered me into the penthouse.

All the while, my heart was racing furiously in my chest. And as we headed into the living area, beside me, Joseph called out, “Mr. Bosworth, I’m back.”

A loud, irritated voice came our way. “Where the hell have you been, Joseph? You’ve already fucked up my day.”

God, William sounded so pissed. Yet why did I have the feeling that his tone wasn’t meant to offend Joseph in any way? That this was probably their usual manner to one another?

And why on earth did I have the sudden feeling that William didn’t know I was coming to see him?

As I turned the corner of the hallway, went through another door, and entered what I assumed was the living area, my eyes immediately came to rest on William.

My steps faltered at the sight of him. I halted in my tracks and simply stared at the man half slouching on that leather couch.

He was in the exact same posture I had seen him back in my apartment, stretched out as if he were lifeless. The only difference was this time he had the back of his hand resting on his forehead, as if he was shading his eyes against the glare of the sunlight or something.

I licked my lips as I turned to look at Joseph, my eyes questioning the elderly butler as to what I should do next.

Joseph chuckled and signaled his head in William’s direction. Was he telling me to get closer to William and announce my presence?

“What the hell is so amusing, Joseph? And hurry up and prepare my lunch. I’m starving. And if you must know, I’m in a shit load of pain.”

Joseph cleared his throat, still nodding at me to get closer to William.

Having witnessed how pissed William was, even though it had nothing to do with me, I refused to move an inch from my spot there in the middle of the room.

Joseph said, “That’s your own fault, sir, for refusing to take your prescribed painkillers. You’re so stubborn, as per usual.”

“Shut up, Joseph,” William snapped in irritation. “Your bitching is giving me a headache.”

Joseph chuckled with amusement, and instead of backing out, he continued, “If you must know, sir, you have a guest. I’ve brought her along to help clean your wound, since you stubbornly refused to go to the hospital. Or let me change the dressing for you.”

William snorted in exasperation. “Fuck! Joseph. I’m not going to die just because I’m not cleaning some small, insignificant wounds.”

“You haven’t been cleaning the wounds on your back as suggested by the nurse, and personally, I’m concerned you might get an infection.”

William muttered darkly, “I can do them myself when I shower.”

Joseph chuckled. “Of course, you can, sir. But you wouldn’t be able to clean it properly, and that’s why, as I stated before, I’ve brought Savanah here to help.”

Was it just me or did Joseph really have a triumphant sort of look on his face when he finished with his proclamation?

The moment Joseph was done speaking, William flung himself upright and his gaze immediately flew to me.

He stared at me long and hard, as if he couldn’t believe I was actually there, standing before him in his penthouse.

“Fuck!” He swore loudly, which made me more than a little nervous.

I licked my lower lip and tugged my long hair behind my ear. I said timidly, “Hello, William.”