Page 34 of Claimed By the Boss

Offended, I purse my lips. “I can be seductive.”

“I look forward to your efforts later.” The amusement fades from his face. “No changing the subject. Answer my question.”

I knew my past wouldn’t stay hidden forever, but I had allowed myself to hope. As long as I was locked up in this room, away from the real world, Gino was no longer a threat to my life.

It’s why I haven’t fought my confinement, why I so readily embraced doing everything online with my next job and returning to university.

Right now, Nolan sees me as a victim that he saved from Rich. Once he finds out that my presence by his side puts him in danger from Gino’s gang, what will he do?

What if Gino someday tries to use me to extort money from him? I could become a problem for his business.

At the realization that I could bring harm to Leo and his family, my eyes sting, and my nose burns. I take a shaky breath, trying to let Nolan’s pheromones calm me, but the tears spill over, anyway. I want nothing more than to crawl back into Nolan’s lap, but he pushed me away.

He wants to hear what I have to say without his interference, and he deserves that.

I wipe my cheeks with my sleeves. “I owe money to some bad people. They introduced me to Tony to make money and start paying them back, but the hours I had to work affected my ability to keep my grades up. I lost my scholarship and had to move out of the dorms. Tony helped me find my apartment. After that, everything just kept getting worse.”

His eyes narrow. “What did you need a loan for? Your family?”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “You could say that. My brother co-signed me as a guarantor and then left town with the money, leaving me to pay it back.”

Nolan shifts to sit sideways on the couch and rests his elbow on the back. “Were you aware he was using your name?”

“No.” I sniffle and wipe my cheeks again. “Foley is seven years older than I am. Our mom cut him off the first time he went to jail for car theft. I haven’t seen him since I was eight. I don’t know where he lived after he served his time, but I heard he immediately returned to stealing things to buy drugs. Then the rumors stopped, and part of me suspected he died.”

Shame fills me that I never looked into it more, but my brother represented everything I hated. “Sometimes, I forgot Foley even existed. I was going through my own issues at home, cycling in and out of foster care every time my mom landed in county lockup or was forced into rehab. She’d come back sober and promise to change, and then fall back down the bottle.”

I curl up on my cushion. “Between my mom and my brother, I never wanted to touch drugs or alcohol, which was easy to uphold when my life was heading in a good direction. But hitting rock bottom really put a new perspective on things.”

Understanding softens his features. “How did you get to the point of agreeing to move to the back rooms?”

“With the tips and hourly pay combined, I was just barely able to afford rent and the bi-weekly payments to the gang Foley borrowed money from.” I hug one of the throw pillows to have something to hold on to. “Some nights, it was a choice of whether to buy suppressants or food.”

“Why didn’t you go to the Omega Outreach Program in the beginning?” His brow knits. “They would have helped.”

“They require an address, and I don’t think the apartment I rent is legal for occupancy. I couldn’t risk losing that room. As ugly as it was, it was all that I could afford and better than the streets.” The reason sounds flimsy now, surrounded by luxury, but living on the street scared me more than not having suppressants.

“The day before my Heat started, my loan collector, Gino, made a surprise visit. He did it sometimes, to make sure I wasn’t spending unnecessary money that should go toward paying my debt.” Tears threaten again, and I dig my nails into my palm to stop them. “He took my suppressants and what I had saved for rent.”

Nolan’s hand curls into a fist. “Is that how you got the bruise on your face?”

“Yes.” My hand lifts to my cheek, but the tenderness has faded. “I had nothing left to buy new suppressants, but Phoenix, one of the strippers, was nice and gave me a couple of pills. They were only the six-hour ones, though, and wore off before the end of my shift.”

Rage flashes through Nolan’s eyes. “Making you susceptible when Rich attacked you.”

“Yes.” Nausea rises at the memory. “Rich brought a lot of money to the club, so losing him as a client would hurt Tony. And then I missed work for multiple days during my Heat without calling in.”

I rock on the cushion. “When I came back, Tony had already replaced me. Rent was coming due, and Gino was going to return expecting his regular payment. Tony offered to move me to the back rooms again, promising I’d make more in one night than I’d been making in an entire month.”

Sympathy and anger war on Nolan’s face. “And you were desperate.”

I look away from him. “I was facing eviction, and if I didn’t make my loan payment, Gino would force me into prostitution, or worse. At least at Velvet Oasis, the clients are vetted and there’s a daily limit on the number of customers serviced. I thought I’d do it once, make my payments, and start looking for a different job.”

I drop my head to my knees. “Tony didn’t even have me sign a new employment contract. He just sent me straight to the madam as soon as I agreed.” My pant legs muffle my laugh. “God, he could have refused to pay me. There was nothing in writing.”

My head lifts. “Was Rich charged?”

Nolan’s expression turns grim.

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