Page 9 of Hayes
I raise an eyebrow but don’t say anything. I’m not afraid of him.
He’s a large man in his mid-fifties with peppered short hair and stubble on his full face. He’s more bulk than muscle per se, but the muscles he does have would be more than enough to overpower me. He could do whatever he wanted to me.
But he won’t. I’m not afraid of him.
He stands to make a lot more money with me alive than abused, raped, or dead.
“Have a seat, Lilith.”
I take a seat in a leather chair, staring out the window to the garden below his window. I know he’s married, and he has two daughters himself. Does one of them garden? Or is it just for looks like everything else in this house?
Peter gathers some papers off the desk, and then to my surprise, he pulls his chair around to my side of the desk. He sits in it, coming face to face with me.
I stare down at the papers, my heart pounding.
“I’m going to start this the same way I start all of my conversations—you don’t have to do this. I need you to think long and hard about this before you sign. Because once you sign, that’s it. You can’t back out. Your life will forever be changed.”
I cock my head. “I doubt you have this conversation with everyone, only the women who look terrified when they walk in.”
“No, I have this conversation with everyone. If you recall when you initiated, I had this conversation with you then. I do the same with every new initiate, with every person that comes to me for help. I can help, but it always comes with a cost.”
I stare into his deep brown eyes and realize he’s serious. His tired eyes look like they’ve seen well beyond his fifty years. He’s been doing this job for a long time. I’ve spoken to him once before when I initiated, but I barely remember that conversation. I remember being terrified then, but I’m not now.
“You’re mistaking my anxiety for fear. I’m not afraid of signing those papers. I’m excited. I’m ready. I know this is the right decision.”
His eyes bore into me once again, and I swear in this moment, he can see every truth of my life. He can read me like an open book.
Peter nods once, accepting my truth.
“Then read the contract carefully; it can’t be changed once you sign it. If you had a lawyer, then I’d suggest they read it too. But you’re doing this for money, so I know you don’t have one. All I can say is that you can trust me on this. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I always have the best interests of my clients in mind.”
I snort at that, but Peter doesn’t respond to my outburst.
I start reading every line of the contract carefully. It feels like a bad dream. This can’t be my reality. How has my life resorted to this?
Tears well in my eyes, and I’m afraid I’m going to start shaking.
No.
I swallow hard and blink once—forcing the tears back.
I’m not doing this just because I have to. I’m doing this for me. I’m doing this because I’m a Retribution King, and this is what we do—get retribution. And this is the only way I’ll get it.
“Pen.”
Peter hands me the pen from his desk.
I take it and then lean over his desk, signing my name in one fluid motion on the last line.
“It’s done,” Peter says, taking the papers from me.
“What’s next?”
Peter looks at me curiously, like he sees something in me, but then gently shakes it off.
Weird.
“The bidding starts Friday. I’ll arrange everything. All you have to do is show up.”
