Page 60 of Heartless Sinner

Most women would jump at the chance and wouldn’t give it another thought. But Scarlett James isn’t like that. If she were, she would have accepted the offer the moment I uttered it.

Instead, her bright green eyes held the sheen of surprise I expected but also that spark of innocence and humanity that makes her different to any other woman I’ve ever met.

Regardless of her acceptance, I paid Anton last night. I hacked her phone and got the account details, then spoke with one of his lackeys to confirm payment had been received. Scarlett would have found out when she got home. I paid it as a gesture of goodwill so it would exist outside the contract.

“So, what are we doing when we hit New York?” Brahm asks, drinking a gulp of his coffee then setting the cup by the laptop. “Please tell me we’re not meeting with your father. I have some stuff I want to check out with the Nexxus group. Among other things.”

“I’m not seeing him until tomorrow. And you don’t have to be there.”

He raises his brows. “Is that for the wife meeting?”

“Yeah.”

“So, who’s the lucky woman?” He leans onto his elbows. “Did you pick someone from the list I sent you?”

I take in the amusement on his face. “No.”

“Okay, so who? Don’t keep me in suspense.”

I lean back on my chair and relax my shoulders. “Scarlett James, if she agrees.”

The smile falls off his face so quickly I expect to hear it shatter on the floor. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

I shake my head, and his eyes snap wide.

“Micah, what the fuck?”

“I know. Don’t ask me why.”

“I don’t need to ask you why. It’s clear you like her. You liked her well before you knew she was working with the Nexxus.”

“Brahm, don’t make it sound like she double-crossed me.”

“People can paint things however they want.”

“But she didn’t do that. You know what happened. Even you could see she was a pawn.”

He sighs and bites the inside of his lip, then he nods with reluctance, agreeing. “Okay, but what the hell are you planning?”

“One year of marriage. I paid her debt and I sweetened the deal with some more money.” Offers like that aren’t unheard of in our world.

“That’s like taking pussy as payment. I hope you know what you’re doing. Especially with her psycho ex. And I’m sure your father won’t be happy about that.”

“Brahm, I don’t give a fuck who’s happy about it. This is what I want. Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same.”

He opens his mouth to continue arguing but stops himself because he knows I’m right. He did the same thing several moons ago when he still had a taste of humanity left in him. His girlfriend at the time wanted to break up with him because she had a terminal illness and only had a year to live. He bound her and her family to him in a contract that made sure she was his until she took her last breath.

That’s a side of Brahm not many people get to see. I doubt anyone will ever see it again. That trace of humanity died with his family.

He clenches his jaw and gives me a steely stare. “Fine, I get it. I trust you know what you’re doing.”

“Right now, I do.”

“You seriously think she may turn you down? You made her one hell of an offer.”

“I don’t think she’ll turn me down, but I never assume anything. In any event, I’d rather she owes me than Anton Chekhov. I want to keep an eye on him.”

“I think that’s wise. From what I dug up, he only left the US because he had to, and the odds are looking good for him to return any day. We don’t need shit like that to worry about.”

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