Page 17 of House Rules
“I don’t want them mixed up in anything involving cartels, the mafia, or any other type of organized crime. Report anything that involves firearms, theft of items worth over ten million dollars, and bloodshed more significant than a bar brawl.”
My eyes widen as he speaks. I always knew the Titans were wild and maybe a little dangerous, but this is beyond my imaginings. Maybe what I heard in the bathroom the other day had some merit to it, after all.
One point two million dollars. My mouth goes dry. I think it’s worth the trade-off.
As the thought crosses my mind, my stomach growls. Masterson lifts a single eyebrow.
“Not only will the room be covered, but all of your meals and expenses for the duration of the contract,as well,” he adds. The look in his eyes says he has me, and he knows it.
I hate that look. Every time I see it, it’s there because someone knows they have something that they can hold over me. Whether it is my affection for them, a familial bond, my freedom—and now my hunger.
My survival.
Still, though, my pride won’t let me surrender too easily. If I know Con, he’ll be looking for ways to make my life hell for the duration of the assignment. He’s passing me off as a good ‘minder’ candidate, but I’m under no delusions—this is about payback.
The question is how much of my pride and dignity I’m willing to surrender to satisfy his need for revenge.
“I still have to consider it,” I say with a tight smile. “I understand you are offering substantial pay, but it sounds like the job would mean I’m going to earn every penny of it.”
“That is true,” he says, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. “I can give you forty-eighthours. After that, I have to look at other candidates.”
I nod and stand, seeing it for the dismissal it is. I keep my back ramrod straight all the way out of his office, past his assistant, and into the hallway.
I keep my chin up, just like my mama taught me. Never let them see you shake until the door clicks shut.
Only then do I allow myself to collapse against the wall, my legs rubbery beneath me. I take several deep breaths and will my heart rate to slow down.
One point two million.
But, I won’t be paid a cent till the end of the year.
Maybe I can get the mob to agree to a higher, three-hundred-thousand dollar payday if they’re willing to wait a year. And surely, if I am living with the Titans, I would be out of their immediate reach, anyway.
“Hey, girly,” Sarah says, passing me with her maid cart as she works on emptying the garbage cans from the executive floor rooms. She stops in front of me, looks around, and then leans in and whispers.
“So, what was all that about?”
“Nothing,” I tell her with a tight smile. I may not have signed an NDA yet, but I will not let this deal become gossip all over the resort. Every single maid in this hotel will try to snatch the job away without a second thought. If I didn’t know the Titans, if Con hadn’t done those things to me that he did yesterday—and if I hadn’t liked it so damn much—I would be jumping at the opportunity.
“Oh, come on,” she says. “The big boss never pulls any of us into his office. You can tell me what it was; I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”
“Sarah, you know I don’t gossip. If you don’t mind, I’ve got rooms to clean.” I push past her. Her expression curdles like spoiled milk, but I don’t stop. I can’t afford to. I have to get back to work while I try to figure out if I’m willing to give up an entire year of my life.
If I do this, I’ll never be the same again. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe the girl I was doesn’t get to exist anymore.
6
Maverick
When Con toldus his plan, I figured he’d finally snapped his last thread. But now? The more I think about it, the more I think this is going to befun.
It’ll definitely give us something to focus on instead of our recent university scandal.
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. If only my mother could find something equally entertaining. My gaze slides to the closed door of her office, across the hall from where I’m standing. I left her curled up on the sofa in her conversation area, the pills she’d popped earlier taking their effect and sending her to lala land in the middle of ourdiscussion.
She was not happy with me. All of my screwing up my life—her words, not mine—were going to put me behind bars one day…and when that day came, it might just be the best day of her life. What on earth had we been thinking, getting ourselves expelled for an entire year?—
In my defense, I didn’t think they would kick us out for an entire year. I thought the board would be satisfied with a hefty donation and being rid of us for the summer. I guess they’re taking it a bit more seriously than any of us expected, though.
