Page 10 of Maid For The Mafia Informant

I walk over to my phone, expecting maybe a call from my dad, it’s been a while.

“Sophie? Partridge. Uh… What in the name of hell do you think you’re doing?” he asks angrily, making me cover my chest with my robe.

As if he can see me right now, even read my thoughts.

Does he know about what happened with Ben?

“Uh, what are you talking about?” I ask him, surprised at how annoyed I sound too, remembering that apart from not collecting my check, the room had no linen or towels either.

“I’m talking about you leaving the job without my say so. I figured you would’ve been there for a couple of hours at least, not just fifteen minutes,” he says, trying to regain his composure.

Fifteen minutes? It felt like a lifetime.

I clear my throat. “Well, Mr. Partridge. There are no linens to make the bed, no towels to refresh the bathroom, and no real instructions as to when I was supposed to leave anyway. The place is like a… like a-” I start to say.

“Like a what? Sophie? Say it,” he challenges me.

“It’s like a prison, but I’m sure even in prison they give you fresh sheets and a towel!” I snap, hearing the emotion in my voice, realizing it’s all for Ben.

Partridge sighs heavily. “Alright, alright. I messed up, Sophie. I’ll admit to that, but it’s your safety I’m worried about, to be honest. I shouldn’t have left either, but I was called away on other business. It’s not just my job to babysit Ben- Never mind,” he murmurs, stopping himself from saying what’s really on his mind.

“My safety?” I ask, suddenly feeling concerned again.

“I can’t go into the details with you, but people are protected in buildings like that one for a good reason. Lots of bad people want to hurt them, and it’s our job to keep them safe.”

I remember what Ben said about me going through his things, about the security in that place. He doesn’t even get any news from the outside world.

“Well,” I start to say, sounding indignant again. “I can only do my job with proper linens and towels, real cleaning supplies… and what are you feeding that poor man? Some real food is what he needs,” I add cuttingly.

Partridge sucks some air between his teeth. “I’ll get the linens sorted, the cleaning supplies you need… but remember what I said, Sophie? About asking questions or telling anybody anything? Your job is to clean, not to ask, or even talk to the man in that room about anything. Understand?”

I feel my head nodding, but I don’t answer.

“Good girl,” he says and tells me to be ready in ten minutes.

“I’ll send the car back over to collect you.”

I feel my eyes widen and my mouth go dry. “Now!” I exclaim, nowhere near ready for the idea of being so close to Ben Slade again.

I mean, what will I wear?

I should’ve washed my hair, at least.

“Ten minutes,” he says again. “We can talk on the way, go over the rules one more time.”

The line goes dead and I feel both panic and excitement, aroused and terrified, all at the same time.

Stifling a squeal, I rush to get ready, not for cleaning. Not for the check, I might get after all.

But for Ben Slade.

The man I know now that I want to claim me for his own.

The man I know I want to give myself to. No matter what.

It’s ten minutes alright, like Partridge and his men run on cogs or something.

Same driver, different car, but I know now not to ask questions.

I settle into the back seat, where it’s just Partridge this time. He looks relieved to see me but puzzled.

“Little dolled up for cleaning ain’t ya?” he asks. “But thanks for coming back,” he says holding out my check. “This is yours. I’m sorry for any confusion on our part, it won’t happen again.”

I take it without looking, I know I should be relieved my life has a few extra zeros on the end for at least another few days anyway, but all I can think about is Ben.

“The uh, client you’re doing the maid service for,” he starts to say, looking out the window next to me, arranging his thoughts.

“He’s a man who, well? Let’s just say he’s a man with a lot of enemies, and we don’t want those people to become your enemies either, understand, Sophie?”

I nod, but I know I’ll ask all my questions to the only man I trust in all this now, Ben.Chapter SixBenIt takes some doing, but I finally get the guard to get me, Partridge, on the phone, demanding he bring Sophie back here, accusing him of negligence for not having anything to keep this place sanitary.

Partridge sighs. “I’ve got more on my plate than babysitting you, Slade,” he tells me, I can almost see his face twitching with satisfaction, knowing he’s winning somehow by keeping me here like this.

---