Page 5 of On a Fault Line

“Yes,” the lawyer complies. “Of course. How about I return in an hour? Is that sufficient time?”

I nod. “Thank you.”

Leonard exits the office space.

“You have an awful lot of monitors in here for someone whose main job is to be a bodyguard.”

Collins eyes me suspiciously. “I never thought I’d see the day where my bulldog of a lawyer gets intimidated by my soon-to-be”—a sparkle hits his eyes—“cum slut.”

“Eww”—I playfully stick out my tongue—“don’t call me that.”

Clearly he is joking, which I’m still getting used to. “I am just using the title you once told me.”

“Maybe I was horned up and hungry…”

“Maybe…”

“Or was I under the influence of fun and fruity drinks from Limit-X?”

“Probably. Those two things definitely help you lose all inhibition.”

I shrug. “Being your little cum slut does have a nice ring to it though.”

Collins’s eyes darken. “Keep it up with the innocent flirting, and you won’t need a contract to protect you from me.”

I wave the document into the air. “I’m going to need space from you to read this monstrosity of a contract. Why you need twenty-six pages to tell me to obey and me to tell you to fuck me will always be a great mystery.”

“I’d rather you be fully prepared for my expectations.”

“You said you had three rules.”

“I do.”

“How about I exchange your three rules for my three holes?”

Ignoring my question, Collins sighs. “There are some things that need to be described in detail.”

“Sounds boring.”

He narrows his eyes at me and then when he realizes I’m joking, he shakes his head.

“I’m going to give you time alone to read at your pace. Feel free to make notes of anywhere you have questions, and we can discuss it.”

“Okay,” I say, watching as Collins leaves his office, gently shutting the door.

As soon as I’m alone, I take up shop on the leather sofa that rests along the side of his office, propping up my feet onto the cushions and getting myself comfortable.

I can already tell by the size of this contract that this is going to be intense, and it’s best I understand every detail.

This document holds more than just rules. It is basically a window into Collins’s psyche.

And understanding that man more is an amazing perk to this entire operation.

So I absorb myself into reading—every written word.

* * *

If there is a singular moment in time where I’m faced with a choice that can change my entire life, it is now. I thought it was when I had put my trust in my abuser, Mark Tanner, but I was wrong.

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