Page 54 of Take Me (Dark Odyssey 5)

I married a monster who destroyed my life and my only escape from his cruel thumb was his death. Now I live in a shit hole with the daily threat that I could be attacked by a group of men who want to rape me while my child watches.

That’s the fear.

It’s trouble that I worry about but… that’s not what he means. He’s talking about the money. The money I stand to make from being here. He’s covertly asking me that question again of what I’m doing here.What happened to me. All questions I don’t want to answer.

I don’t want my life outside the walls of the club to bleed into this one. That means Rosie too.

I had to tell Mimi and Louise about her when they asked in my interview if I had kids. But I don’t want to look even worse than I already do by looking like a bad mother.

“I’m coming out of trouble. I left it, so I’m not in trouble now.” It’s half a lie, but partly a truth. If he could just give me back the job, I applied for everything will be okay. In a manner of speaking.

“The money isn’t for a debt?”

“No. It’s not for a debt.”

“You have no debts?” he asks pointedly giving me that stare like he can see straight through me. “You have no debts at all?”

“I have a little debt,” I answer.

“Little? You don’t dance at the fucking Dark Odyssey and sign your body away to do anything for a little debt. Lilly, I fucking swear if you make me check you out, you won’t like it.”

I tense, and my heart stills. He’s serious. He actually wants to check me out.

“Why do you want to know?”

“How much is thelittledebt?”

“Ten grand,” I answer feeling foolish for calling it little.

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. The ten grand will be in your account within the hour.”

My mouth drops and I gaze back at him in shock.

“What?” I rasp, my voice quivering.

“You heard me.”

“You’re giving me ten grand?”

“Yes, and don’t even try to refuse it. There’s no point. I won’t allow you to.”

“I …” I stare back at him thinking about what this could mean. I can pay Lev and his assholes can leave me alone. I can be free of them and at least the worry of them bothering me will be gone.

“Tell me about the rest of the money. That’s just ten grand ticked off the list.”

“I just need the money.”

“By my estimate you were probably looking at making a minimum of a hundred and twenty grand over the next two months. The idea of making that kind of money is great. If you didn’t need it, you wouldn’t have come to me last night. If there’s more trouble let me take care of it for you.”

My lips part and I stare back at him in disbelief unable to process what he’s saying.

“There isn’t any more trouble.”

“But you need the money,” he points out. “Why do you need so much if you aren’t in trouble.”

“Because it can change my life, and I have people who depend on me.” It’s best I put it that way. “Having that kind of money would change my life and I would be able to go back to dancing. I applied to dance with the Aurora Dance Company. That’s months away. If I get it, it will mean I can get back to who I’m supposed to be. That’s why I need this job.”

He stares back at me, runs his hand over his chin, and sighs.

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