Page 59 of Dirty Damage

“He hit her?” Mara is familiar enough with my sister’s ongoing tragedy that it’s not even a question. Paul abusing Syd is an inevitability at this point.

I sigh. “Last time we talked, she had black eyes and a bruised cheek.”

“I’m going to need more canning jars.” She clicks her tongue. “Please tell me she’s finally leaving him.”

If only my sister had the kind of confidence Mara does. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’d never let a man hit her.

Or buy her body.

Mara is a firecracker, but she knows how to stand up for herself. How to take action.

It’s why I wish I could tell her what was going on with Oleg—get her advice on what to do after the disaster that was last night.

She knows he offered me a private position, but I’m letting her think I’m his personal assistant.

That’s better than being his personal concubine.

“Not yet, but… I’m working on it.”

“What does that mean?”

I hear her blare her horn through the phone. She’s heading into work.

I wonder if Oleg is already there. If he’s thinking about what happened last night.

A message notification lights up my phone. I check it, hoping it’s him.

It is not.

DREW:You planning to take care of Syd when she’s in Dubai? Paul dragged her there for a week-long party. Say the word and we can crash it together.

My stomach drops through the floor. Of all the stupid, reckless things my sister could do…

“Sut? You still there?”

“Yeah. Yes. I’m— I’m working on it,” I repeat. “I have to go.”

“The Beast cracking that whip?”

I can hear her suggestive eyebrow wag through the phone.

Considering I now know what his literal whip looks like, I don’t find it especially funny.

“Bye, Mara.”

I end the call and stare at Drew’s message. My fingers hover over the keyboard, itching to tell him exactly where he can shove his rescue mission.

SUTTON:I’d rather chop off my own arm and eat it than go anywhere with you.

DREW:So you don’t give a shit about your sister? Good to know.

Bastard. He always knows exactly which buttons to push.

SUTTON:Using Sydney to get to me? That’s low, even for you.

DREW:This isn’t about us. It’s about Sydney. We need to help her.

SUTTON:Funny how you weren’t interested in helping when you were on Lipovsky’s payroll.

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