Page 35 of Secured By the Buyer

Liam’s warm voice brushes against my ear, sending a tingle through me. “Is there anything you want, Milo?”

Confused, my eyes drop to the tray of half-eaten snacks on the coffee table. “Like, for dinner?”

He chuckles. “That, too, but I meant more in general. You don’t have any belongings, and we can’t go to your home for your stuff, but I can buy you new things to replace what you lost.”

I think back to the lumpy mattress in my tiny bedroom and the secondhand dresser I hauled in from the side of the road. The unread paperback books I grabbed from a library close-out sale, gathering dust because I never had the time or energy to open them.

There’s nothing I want to go back for. My dad pawned all our valuables a long time ago. There aren’t even pictures of my mom to miss. He burned them all.

“Um, I’m not sure what I should ask for,” I admit, out of my depth.

Liam rubs his chin against the side of my head. “I’ll buy you anything you want, but we can startwith clothes. Would you prefer to shop online? Or would you like me to bring in a stylist?”

“That sounds expensive,” I mutter. “Only rich people hire others to dress them.”

“Money’s not a concern,” he reassures me, proving my point. “Just tell me what you want.”

“Fine, I want a stylist.” If I’m going to embrace my captivity, I might as well make the most of it. “Someone to do my nails, too, because your skills are lacking.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “That can be arranged.”

His easy acceptance both surprises me and doesn’t. I was only half joking, pushing Liam to test his limits. The Alpha claims he’ll treat me right, but I have no idea what the promise means to him or where his generosity ends.

“How about an entire spa day?” Liam suggests when I stay quiet. “Have you ever had a facial?”

I peek at him. “Should I assume you don’t mean the sex kind?”

The amusement fades from Liam’s voice, and his head turns as he studies me. “Have you had the sex kind?”

“I’m poor,” I remind him. “Hookups are my only form of free entertainment.”

“Well, not anymore,” he growls possessively. “I’ll bring in a team and set up a day of relaxation and pampering in one of the banquet halls.”

“Banquet halls?” Incredulous, I twist around. “What the hell is a banquet hall? Are we in some sort of palace?”

He nuzzles my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “Not quite, but I’ll give you a tour of the estate later.”

Before I can ask what he means by ‘estate,’ a knock sounds on the door.

Without waiting for a response, it opens, and the twins saunter in.

The one on the left stops in his tracks when he spots us snuggled up together, his face morphing with disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me! He stabs you with a fork, so you hand him a knife? Do you haveanysense of self-preservation?”

“Fuck off, Damien.” Liam doesn’t miss a beat, continuing to smooth out my nails. “It’s a file, and I’m holding it, not him.”

Caleb snorts, unimpressed by the distinction. “Did you win him over with the power of your dick? Because it couldn’t have been your charm.”

Damien nods in agreement. “This is proof Momsaved all the brain cells for us. No other explanation for Liam treating our murder kitten like a doll.”

Anger flushes my cheeks. “No, he apologized for buying me like livestock and promised to give me a house with a private beach so I can run around like a pretty little pony.”

Damien gapes at me. “Are you serious?”

“Use that one brain cell and look at my complexion.” I pull my hand from Liam’s to gesture at my face. “I’ll burst into flames if I step foot on sand.”

Breath held, I wait for the backlash for mouth running off. Snark like that would have gotten me a smack, or worse, from my father.

Liam strokes my arms, his touch warm against my skin. “Don’t worry, princess, I’ll rub sunscreen on your back.”

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