Page 52 of Cruel Dominion

His eyes came back up.

What he just finished saying finally registered in my mind and my mood fell. “So, nothing. There wouldn’t be any pay.”

His nose wrinkled slightly as he scoffed. “If you think giving you what you want is nothing. But we can talk about a fee for helping on shoots for higher tier clients.”

I was almost afraid to ask but better to have everything hashed out now. “What would you be getting out of this arrangement?”

If he said anything other than a helping hand…

Jaden’s disgruntled expression morphed into a smile.

“A pretty photographer’s assistant who won’t hesitate to show me her appreciation from time to time.”

I dug my nails into the overpriced leather folio and set my jaw.

This motherfucker.

Jaden reached to tangle his fingers in my hair again. I ducked back.

Ugh.

Fire burned in my gut, the heat spreading up to my cheeks as I jumped to my feet.

Screw this guy.

I was going to tell Olivia exactly what kind of man he was so she never sent another girl up here to be mentored by this jackass.

“I’m out of here.”

“Let’s crack open that bottle you brought when you came,” he said, standing.

“You do that,” I said, gathering my pictures, trying to be gentle with them as I tucked them back into the portfolio book.

“I guess you aren’t as interested in photography as Olivia made me believe.”

I spun around.

“Funny, I thought you had me here because you shared that interest, guess we’re both disappointed, then.”

His brows went up, and he hacked a harsh laugh.

“I don’t gain anything by holding a spoiled rich girl’s hand as she tries to make it on her own,” he snarled, taking a step closer.

I wasn’t short, and I was in heels, but he still towered over me. His form was like the moon blocking out the sun during an eclipse, the shadow of him falling over my face.

It reminded me of someone else. Someone I never wanted to see again.

I fought the urge to cower.

“You’re right. I am a spoiled rich girl,” I spat back. “I expect crazy things like respect, decency, and minimum fucking wage.”

Jaden’s eyes darkened. “Is that all it costs for me to get you out of the dress? I imagined something in the two hundred dollar range by the look of that strip club.”

His hand flashed out to grab my shoulder, and all of a sudden I was back in my St. Louis apartment with Josh. His fist slamming against my ribs, tearing out chunks of my hair. Me trying to fight back, then being shoved to the ground. I ripped out of his grasp and slipped, knocking my head into the edge of the coffee table so hard I saw stars.

“You okay, baby?”

I muttered a curse, reaching up to touch the aching point at the base of my skull but when I peeled my eyes open, Jaden was there. Hovering over me. Almost on top of me.

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