Page 43 of The Bargain

I’d somehow expected her to come and thank me, maybe give me another blowjob, I was craving her mouth again despite her ineptitude. But she’d never come. I hadn’t seen her at all. If it wasn’t for the occasional glimpses I got of her around the house, I’d think I was living alone.

“Want me to take care of her?”

I turned to Phil as he licked his lips in a way that almost gave me the chills. I forced a laugh. “We can’t afford a dead body, Phil.” I sighed. “She’s my nephew’s mother, no matter how much I want to deny it. Who knows, the kid might need an organ one day.”

“I’ve got to admit she is much more appealing than the other crackwhores I’ve seen in my life. I’d give her a tumble.”

I laughed at that, but I didn't like the nagging little feeling settling in the pit of my stomach over the idea of Phil and Opal together. “Too bad you’re married, right?”

Bringing his hand up, he ran his thumb back and forth over his bottom lip. “When has that stopped me?”

It didn’t. It never did, but at least he had the decency and the intelligence to stay away from the women in the office. His private life had never interested me before, but it did now. Fuck me, it did.

I was about to answer when my phone rang and Lea’s name flashed on the screen. This was the third time she called me since this morning.

I sighed. “Could you give me a moment?” I asked Phil, answering the phone.

He nodded and left, closing the door behind him. That was something else I liked about him; he did not question me.

“Lea,” I said once Phil closed the door.

“Deano.”

“What do you need?”

“Are you done avoiding me?” she asked with a sigh. “Dodging my calls is a very childish way of dealing with things, brother.”

“I’m not avoiding you; I'm working. You know that thing that brings money and pays bills?”

She snorted. “Sure. Then give me Opal’s number and I won’t bother you again. I forgot to ask her.”

I tightened my hold on my phone. “Why do you need her number?”

“Why is that any of your concern?”

I sighed. “Listen, Lea, I don't have time for whatever mind game you’re playing. If you need to know anything about the child, you can ask me or contact your best friend, Jeremy.”

“Ah, someone is still sour about me inviting him over, huh?” she asked with clear laughter in her voice.

“No, I genuinely don’t care.”Liar! “Listen, the child should be your only concern and I’ll tell you everything about him that you want to know.”

“What are you afraid of, Deano?”

Everything.I sighed. “Listen, Lea, I was in the middle of something important and I'm not keen on being disturbed for a pointless psychological debate. Just email me next time, okay?”

“Dean, I just -”

“Bye, Lea.” I hung up. That was probably the first time in my life that I’d hung up on my sister, but her constant meddling in my life these days was getting on my nerves.

“Phil?” I called loudly.

When the door didn’t open, I frowned. I went to open it; the corridor was empty.

Leaving the door open, I walked back to my desk and pulled up the security cameras, including the secret ones that no one knew about.

I frowned at the one showing Opal’s room. Double-clicking on it, I made it bigger and turned on the sound.

I’d looked at this camera more often than was necessary recently, telling myself I was trying to find the evidence I desperately needed to get rid of her, except…I wasn’t sure it was true anymore.

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