Page 19 of Theirs to Corrupt

“It’s nothing.” He waves a hand dismissively, and something glints in his free hand.

My keys.

He sets them near me with a soft clink. “Thought you might want these back.”

“Thank you.” A wave of relief washes over me, followed quickly by a renewed sense of guilt. He’d thought to take care of that, even though he was hurt—because they wanted to protect me.

But why?

I’m nobody to them—a cocktail waitress. I shouldn’t matter.

But then Marge’s words echo in my mind, fragments of conversations we’ve had over the past weeks.

Pax isn’t just a bodyguard. Though I’ve searched, I haven’t learned anything about him since that first night. That leaves most of his past shrouded in mystery and danger.

I play with my keys, and both men fix their gazes on me.

“It’s time for the truth, Tessa” Pax says, his voice low and firm, cutting through the silence.

His shocking green eyes unnerve me. Pax isn’t looking at me. He’s seeing through my constructed walls and half-truths.

My mouth dries, and I struggle against the urge to fidget under their scrutiny.

He leans forward. His voice is cold when he lashes out with, “All of it.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Tessa

I clutch my keys tightly, the metal biting into my palm. The pain grounds me, reminding me that this is real. I’m with two men who might have saved me tonight but are scary beyond words. The way Pax dealt with all of those men…

“Thanks for everything you’ve done.” I bring up my chin. “But I need to go.”

Link’s eyebrow arches. “Go where, exactly?”

“Home.”

Pax crosses his muscled arms. “It’s not safe. Those guys were able to find you at work. No doubt they know where you live.”

A chill runs down my spine. He’s right, of course. The realization makes my knees wobble.

Reality closes in on me.

For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do.

“Start talking,” Pax says.

I swallow hard. Part of me wants to lie, to protect myself in the only way I know.

But they risked their lives for me.

“As you’ve already figured out, my name’s Tessa.” I pause to pick up my water. Stalling. Slowly I take a tiny sip. “My brother…” I stop. Then I tip my chin. I’ve done nothing wrong, and I have nothing to be ashamed of. “He is selling me to settle his debts.”

Link’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t show any other sign of surprise.

“To the highest bidder. Who apparently is a man named Emiliano Sartori.” I shudder involuntarily at the thought of him and his leering gaze…the way he looks at me as if he owns me and wants to break me.

What I don’t tell them is that I’m still innocent. That particular detail is too personal to share.

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