Page 23 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

He preached against that in church. He'd organized funds to stop human trafficking. But as they said, the devil was one of God's brightest angels. If he could fall, a mere man could do so too. She could hardly believe what she was hearing as she continued listening to them.

Trevor's plan was monstrous, but Pastor Rose seemed just as desperate to protect himself. How long would he hold out before finally giving in to what Trevor wanted? She couldn't trust either of them. The only person she could trust was Raz.Please hurry, Raz.

"We're doing things my way," Trevor yelled, sidestepping her dad to approach her. The look in Trevor's snake-like eyes let herknow that his mind was made up. He was going to traffick her and her friends.

"Please," she whispered, hating that fear was forcing her to beg a man she hated. "Don't do this."

"Shut the fuck up!" Trevor roared, glaring down at her. "You've caused enough trouble already!"

"Enough!" Pastor Rose shouted, shoving Trevor aside to step between him and Monique. "This ends now. We're not selling her, and we're not hurting her any further. Do you understand?"

She couldn't recall the last time her father had stood up for her or protected her. Though she despised him, his current actions were bringing tears to her eyes. It made her recall her childhood days, when he would walk hand in hand with her to the bus stop, carrying her lunch box for her.

She'd almost forgotten about that. Even now, it felt like someone else's life, not hers. Her father had changed drastically over the years, becoming the man he was today. But right now, she was seeing a glimmer of the man he was so many years ago. A man she'd forgotten all about due to her hatred for him that still burned within her.

Trevor glared at her father, his jaw set in defiance. Trevor's gaze shifted from her dad to Monique, then back to her dad. Yeah, her dad was older, but he was also bigger than Trevor. She could tell that Trevor was a bit intimidated. Eventually, Trevor sighed in resignation.

"Fine," he muttered. "But if this comes back to bite us, it's on you,Pastor."

As the tension in the room began to dissipate, Monique couldn't shake the feeling that the danger was far from over. She knew that even if Trevor agreed to let her go, this nightmare would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.

It would haunt her for as long as Trevor was alive. He was a threat to her safety and her sanity. For the first time in herlife, she wished death on someone. It was a horrible feeling. But she'd always choose herself if it came to her life or his.

"I'll let her go," Trevor said with a nod. "I'll even let her friends go. But don't stand here and pretend you're holier than thou. Don't think saving her will salvage your relationship with her. Tell her about the women," Trevor insisted. "Tell her why you need the money so badly. Tell her why you've always thought of me as your son. Tell her how you met me before I ever met her."

As the significance of Trevor's words hung in the air, Monique couldn't help but stare at Pastor Rose. Yeah, he'd been a shitty dad, but he'd always been known as a pillar of their community, a man dedicated to helping those who were struggling. But now, she saw something darker lurking beneath the surface as he glared at Trevor.

"It's time to be quiet now, son," Pastor Rose said, voice too calm given the situation.

"Tell her," Trevor urged. "Or just answer a few questions for me. Is it true what they say about you? That you force women at your shelter to sleep with you in exchange for aid?"

A gasp escaped her. Pastor Rose shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between Monique and Trevor.

"I don't know where you heard that," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "But I assure you, it's not true."

"Really?" Trevor's anger flared. "Because I've met some of those women, and they told me otherwise."

"Enough!" Her father barked.

"Tell her how you used me to silence those who threatened to go to the police," Trevor continued. "Tell her how you had an affair with my mother when I was in grade school. Then, when she got pregnant, you poisoned her and had me placed in agoodhome with someone you knew. You didn't think I knew that, did you? All this time, you probably thought I treated you like afather because you helped me when my mom died. But all along, I knew you were the one who killed her. Don't look so shocked. Blame your friend for telling me the truth. My foster father never failed to tell me why he was forced to raise me. It was because you had dirt on him. And since he couldn't beat you, he beat me. He beat me every day while cursing you out."

"Stop lying," Pastor Rose roared. "Monique would never believe this fairytale you've created."

But Monique did believe him. Little things Trevor had told her when they were dating and the inconsistencies about his past were starting to make sense. Trevor laughed, a harsh, cruel sound that sent fear threading through her veins.

"You give me too much credit, Pastor. I'm not imaginative enough to come up with that kind of story. Tell her about how years later, when I was in high school, and my foster family kicked me out, how I came to you for money, and you hired me to help you find women on the street to traffick. The money we made from selling women and children was how I paid for college. Tell her how you forced me to date her. And when I refused, you threatened to pin all your crimes on me. I knew the police wouldn't believe me over a pastor, so I did it. I flirted with her, even fucked her fat-ass to keep from going to prison. It made you so happy because you thought you had me under your thumb and that I'd never reveal what I knew about you since I was your fat-ass daughter's husband."

Monique recoiled, horrified by his callousness and the horrible things he and her father had done. The room seemed to close in around her, suffocating her with the knowledge that these two men held her fate in their hands.

And as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't escape the truth: they were both monsters. Monsters who'd used her for years. Monique's heart raced as she stared at the two men before her.

Trevor and Pastor Rose were both animals wearing human faces to deceive those around them – wolves in sheep's clothing. And she was pretty sure her mother knew of her father's deeds. Her mother's silence made her a monster, too. Monique clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.

"Enough of this," Pastor Rose said suddenly, his voice tinged with a hint of fear. "I'll take Monique and her friends home. We've caused enough damage here. Forget the money. I'm done."

"You're not done until I say you're done," Trevor yelled.

"Enough, Trevor. Haven't you had enough? Aren't you tired?"

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