by Nikki Rose
“What does that mean...playing the trust-fund kid?” I whispered so I wouldn’t be heard.
“That means, you’re going to show me your place, then I’m going to make a scene and make you pack your stuff and move in with me right here and now.” He whispered into my hair, a gesture that would look as if he was being affectionate to the prying eye.
I stiffened and fumbled with the keys, nearly dropping them.
“Here let me.” He took the keys from me and easily unlocked the door.
Drew waited for me to enter and followed me in, shutting and locking the door behind us.
The studio apartment took minimalism to a whole new level. There was a bed with a blue threadbare blanket, a T.V. that belonged in a museum, an old desk and a chair that looked like it came out of the trash, and a couch to match. It was absolutely pathetic.
“This place is shit,” Drew said and winked at me. Were they listening to us? There was no way that that homeless man could hear us in there. He pulled out his phone and typed something out before holding it up to me.
They scanned for bugs before we came. There is a mic but no cam. I told them to leave it so they wouldn’t get suspicious. Well, that made more sense but it would have been nice if he'd thought to warn me.
I nodded and he put his phone away.
“It’s not that bad.”
“I’m afraid to even sit down in here. I might catch something.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, not all of us have daddy’s money to get by.” I spat out. It was easier to play this part than I’d imagined.
Drew pulled his hand back and came down toward me. Instinctually, I cried out and cringed hearing a loud crack but never feeling the sting. I looked up at him, bewildered. He’d slapped his forearm to make it sound like he’d slapped me.
Drew nodded and I began to sniffle as though I were fighting back tears but as I looked at him there was pain in his eyes. When I met his gaze, he shook his head and the pain was gone but it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“I’m not staying here and I don’t trust you not to run your mouth to someone about our little — arrangement. You’re going to stay with me. Pack a bag.”
“But Drew, the whole point of our arrangement was so that I wouldn’t get kicked out of my place,” I argued but I really was a bit confused. Our whole cover was that I was about to be evicted and couldn’t pay my rent. Others had loaned me money but now I was in serious debt with no way out.
“Well, the arrangement just changed. I’ll still help you pay off your debts but I’m not paying for you to live in this.” He said this like it was the most disgusting word to pass his lips. “Besides, I want you at my beck and call. Having you at my place means I have you whenever I want,” he said the words so easily I almost believed it myself.
I caught myself gawking at him. His acting skills both impressed and scared me how he could jump into a role like this so easily. I had to think like an actress. What would my character say to this? Drew widened his eyes and tilted his head as if to say ‘well?’
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Moving was not part of the deal. I’m not gonna be stuck with you twenty-four seven.”
He scoffed. “Fine. Good luck finding a way to pay off your debtors without me” He turned his back on me, reaching for the doorknob. “I’m sure the stand-up guys you borrowed from will be willing to work out payment plans.”
“No wait, please? Those guys...”
He turned back with a cocky smirk on his face. God, he was too good at this. “That’s what I thought.”
I rolled my eyes at him and caught his real smile for only a moment before he was back in character. “Now, be a good girl and pack up anything worth anything to you. I doubt it will take very long.”
I let out a huff but did as he said. I found a decent suitcase in the tiny closet and packed the clothes I’d never seen before that hung inside. I picked up my laptop and slipped it into the carrying case hanging on the old office chair.
“That everything?” He said from the door. He hadn’t moved to help me. “Let’s go.”
I struggled to lift the heavy suitcase but again, Drew did nothing to help me carry it as he opened the door and walked out without looking back.
I had to sit the suitcase on the ground while I locked up. Drew had always been a gentleman when I’d known him before. I couldn’t help the aggravation his lack of chivalry stirred, until I glanced to see that same homeless man, now sitting on the curve close to our window pretending to be asleep under the small awning. He’d heard everything. I knew I’d have to be careful to stay in character at all times. These guys were thorough, to say the least.
Drew climbed into the car and popped the trunk, leaving me to load my stuff alone. Once we hit the main road, he glanced over at me with a genuine smile.
“You did well.”
“Thanks.” I sighed and gazed out the window.
“You okay? I’m sorry about that back there —.”
“It’s just part of the act. Don’t worry about it.”
“So, you saw the guy, huh?”
“Yeah. Do those guys usually keep such a close eye on their people?”
“No. They’re suspicious of me already because of what went down with my last job.”
I turned to him with surprise. “They know about your last job?”
“They know a version of it.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’d been building a cover with these guys for a while but wasn’t getting far with a case against them. When the last gig came up the agency wanted to pull me. I convinced them to merge the two covers. Once things were about to go down with the cartels, we timed it around the time they were sending me up to Mexico for a drop.”
“So, it looked like blind luck that you weren’t caught.” I filled in the blanks and he nodded.
“When I came back here, I reconnected with Mikhail and his guys. They’re suspicious of everyone, more so when someone disappears only to reappear after cops take down the people they were working for.”
“Right. Makes sense.”
“If we can make this look real. Having you could really add depth to my cover.” We pulled up at his apartment and Drew parked in his reserved spot.
“How dangerous are these guys?”
He turned toward me, his mouth pulled down and his jaw tightened. “Very.”
My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. I knew this already but somehow hearing his confirmation made it all the more real.
Drew must have seen the look on my face because the grim expression turned to concern. His hand rose to cup my face and I flinched, not from fear of physical pain, but emotional pain in feeling his touch again. He lifted my face to look at him. “I will protect you. You’re with me, I will keep you safe.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice and hating how vulnerable I felt around him.
“Let’s get inside. They could still have eyes on us.”
We got out of the car and I went to the trunk to get my things but was stopped by the doorman who insisted on helping me. I thanked him and we entered the large, intricate apartment that still managed to take my breath.
“The second bedroom is made into an office and I can’t really go changing that in case the guys stop by so we’re going to have to share.”
“I can sleep on the couch or something,” I suggested.
Drew raised his brow. “It’s not like we haven’t slept in the same bed before. Besides, this place is checked for bugs, but it still has windows. If someone wanted to see in bad enough, they could find a way. I think it’s better we stay in the same room to keep up appearances.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“Careful doing that when we’re in public.”
“What?”
“Your famous sigh-eye-roll combo. Most of the men would backhand their girl for something like that.”
“Would you? To keep your cover?”
“Not if I could help it,
but if you make me look too bad around them, there’s a chance I’d have to do something to keep up appearances.”
“You’d hit me?” I gasped and gaped up at him.
“Like I said, not if I could help it —.”
“But if it meant keeping your cover, you’d hit me,” I said with exasperation, regretting ever agreeing to this. “I see where I fall in the line of what’s important.” I crossed my arms and turned to look out the window.
Drew snatched me by the arm and whirled me around to face him. I stepped back, hitting the window and he closed in, successfully pinning me between his body and the cool glass at my back.
“Don’t you dare pull that shit on me.” He was right in my face. “Don’t you understand, Hailey? These guys are dangerous beyond what you can imagine. If it comes down to me slapping you to keep our cover or blowing my cover and getting both of us killed you better believe I’m gonna do what I have to do.”
“You really think not slapping me would blow your cover? Really, Drew?” I spat the words.
“Maybe not, but it would definitely make them suspicious and if they didn’t suspect anything, it would make them respect me less —.”
“Respect? So that’s what this is all really about? You want those assholes to respect you?”
“Hailey, damn it.” He hit the windowsill by my head and made me jump. This was not the man I’d known all those years ago. “You don’t get it. Listen...” He hissed. “Respect is everything to these guys. Do you know what happens to the girls of guys they don’t respect? They take them for themselves. They share them among themselves. They disrespect them even more than the girls who belong to one of them because to them they are nothing. Don’t you get it? How the men regard you is a direct reflection of their respect for me. In their eyes, you are mine which means they respect what’s mine as long as they respect me.” His shoulders sagged as he let out a ragged breath. He jerked away from me and walked out of the room leaving me leaning against the window to reflect on what he’d said.
After several minutes, I realized Drew was right. I needed to make sure those men respected him to keep us both safe. If that meant acting like a meek little mouse... who was I kidding? I could never act like the meek little mouse but for this to work, I was going to have to try.
I walked into the kitchen to find Drew at the counter, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. “Isn’t it a little early for that?”
“Considering everything? I think it’s called for.” He drained the cup in one go. Grabbing up two plates, he dropped one unceremoniously on the island beside me. “Eat.”
“Getting into character a little early, aren’t you?” I couldn’t help the irritation in my tone.
“I think you could use some practice before tonight.”
“Practice?” I said around a bite of sandwich.
“You don’t seem to understand the role you are playing so let me make it clear to you.” This was a new tone for Drew. So matter-of-fact but with a cold undertone. “You got into debt with some scary guys who would do God knows what to you if you don’t pay them back. Now you belong to me while I pay your debts back. Trading one evil for another. I’m no longer the ex you left years ago. I own you. You do what I say, when I say, and how I say or suffer the consequences which could be some form of punishment from me, or having me handing you and your life over to those guys you owe. The choice is mine. As long as you make yourself useful to me, you’ll be safe.”
I stood there gaping at him, my half-eaten sandwich in my hand frozen mid-air. I couldn’t even speak.
“Good. It seems you are starting to grasp the situation a little better. Now, finish your sandwich. I’m going to take a nap before we have to start getting ready for tonight. You might want to do the same. It’s going to be a long night.”
Chapter 7
If Drew thought I’d be able to take a nap after everything he’d said to me, he was an idiot. After he’d retired to the bedroom, I took my sandwich to the couch and turned on the T.V. but nothing could overshadow the words he’d said running loops in my mind until time for us to get ready.
We rode in the back of a shiny black town car toward the club. I stared out the window silently with too much on my mind to put into words. I’d taken an hour picking out the right outfit and getting ready. Drew was quieter after his nap. It put me on edge and made me even more nervous about tonight. He’d said he wasn’t the same guy. Had he meant because of the role we were having to play or had time really changed him? Either way, he’s still the guy who cheated on you, shattered you into a million pieces and left you broken and bleeding all those years ago. Never forget that. My optimistic mind reminded me.
The car came to a stop and the driver got out. Drew turned to me, a heavy look on his face I couldn’t define. “You ready for this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He climbed out of the car and offered his hand to me but I got out on my own, not out of disrespect — I just couldn’t bear to touch him. He must have known, but he didn’t allow that to go on for long. The moment we walked into the club; he placed his firm hand on my exposed back. I’d chosen a simple black dress, high necked, but with a large oval hole that exposed most of my back. As the warmth of his hand burned my flesh, I regretted my choice.
We’d barely made it past the crowd at the door when two of Mikhail’s men found us. “Boss sent us to escort you to the balcony.” The larger of the two spoke fondly, but the demanding hint was not lost on me.
“We were just heading to the bar for a drink.” Drew definitely pushed past the men. He had a funny way of staying on their good side if you ask me.
The second man grabbed Drew’s arm and pulled him back. “Boss said now. You can order your drinks up there.”
A growl rumbled from Drew’s throat and his whole demeanor shifted. He yanked his arm free from the man’s grip. His already muscular shoulders and chest seemed to puff out more as he jumped into the man’s face. “Touch me again. I dare you.”
“You dare —? Bring it on, Pindos!” The smaller man jumped toward Drew who pushed me out of the way. I gasped and just as the man pulled back his fist, Drew’s made contact with his jaw, sending him stumbling back.
He regained his footing and charged at Drew just as Mikhail’s voice cut through the commotion causing everyone to freeze. “Enough. Andrew, let's go.”
The moment he spoke, everything stopped. Drew’s face was red as he let out a loud puff of air and followed Mikhail up the stairs where I’d gone once before. The larger of the men motioned for me to follow them and he took up the back.
By the time we made it to the balcony, the men acted as if nothing had happened. Mikhail seemed in full host mode as he sat on the couch and motioned for us to follow him.
Drew sat first, leaving a place on the end of the curved couch for me, placing himself between Mikhail and me. As I went to sit, Mikhail motioned between the two men. I looked at Drew and he nodded so I sat between them uncomfortably tense.
“It is a pleasure to see you again,” Mikhail spoke in his thick Russian accent, taking my hand and pressing it to his lips as he had the night we met. Before it was charming, now that I knew who he was, it made me sick.
“It’s nice to see you again.” I could barely get the words out around the lump in my throat.
“Ah, your tone has changed since last we met. I assume Drew taught you your place and what he expects?” The smirk he flashed Drew made me sick but I fought back any disrespectful retort and simply turned my gaze down.
Mikhail’s sudden laugh made me jump. I glanced up as he slapped Drew on the back. “Seems you do well, my boy. And not a noticeable mark on her.” He held my chin, turning my face to examine me as though I were a prized horse. “I might need you to teach me how you do that.” He chuckled and released my face. “Lacy, where are your manners? Come. We need drinks.”
I followed his gaze to a girl on the pole in the corner, noticing her for the first time since we’
d arrived. She was scantily dressed in white lace lingerie, matching stockings, and heels which added to her already leggy figure. She was beautiful with her long dark curls, tanned skin, and big brown eyes. The girl quickly lowered herself from the pole and hurried over to the minibar to prepare drinks for the men.
As the men talked, I watched Lacy. She clearly knew her way around the bar. I wondered if she was hired help for the club or if she was one of the girls here against her will. Like you’re supposed to be.
“Is your girl not staying at that shit hole apartment anymore?” Mikhail’s words caught my attention. They were talking about me. He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that they’d been watching us.
“Are you kidding me? I had to take a shower after just walking into that place. I’m not about to slum it like that.” Drew sounded so different than the man I knew.
“Having her in hand at all times would have its appeal.” Mikhail’s index finger drew slow circles just above my knee and his lascivious tone made my stomach turn.
Drew’s whole body tensed next to mine but he didn’t move to stop Mikhail from touching me. Instead, he kept his gaze on Mikhail while placing a possessive hand on my upper thigh. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
Lacy was a welcome interruption from the pissing match I was stuck in the middle of. She leaned in, sitting the tray of vodka shots and platter of finger foods on the table. Mikhail’s eyes instantly left Drew’s to stare at her generous cleavage even I couldn’t help but notice. It was then that I spotted the hint of bruising hidden beneath her makeup. Just around her left eye, were what I could tell to be fading yellow and blue bruises. My eyes moved to study her more closely and I noted the faint discoloration around her neck as well.