Page 156 of Devil's Bargain

TWENTY-SIX

April.

I blink my eyes open and stretch like a cat next to a cozy fire. The morning sun warms my naked skin, and the sheet lies tangled below my waist. I look to my right. Rick’s side is empty, but it’s still warm, so he can’t have been gone long.

As memories of the night before flash through my mind, my face breaks out in a smile. “God!” I whisper, reaching for his pillow and clutching it to my chest.

In need of a shower, I sit up and grab Rick’s discarded t-shirt off the floor. I put it on and bury my nose in the fabric. It smells of him, just like his bed and my skin.

I tiptoe over to the door and peek outside. There’s no one in the hallway, the coast is clear, so I step out and close the bedroom door, then pause. Rick’s voice filters up from downstairs. He’s talking to his mom.

They must have arrived home last night.

I hurry down the hallway to the bathroom. I’m just about to open the door when it swings open, forcing me back a step. I freeze, my eyes widening in horror. It’s too late to run. Besides, I’m rooted to the spot. I couldn’t move if I tried.

Salt and Pepper adjusts his tie but pauses when he spots me trembling like a rabbit about to bolt. He doesn’t look surprised to see me. “There you are, April!”

There’s movement in my periphery, but I keep my eyes glued on the predator in front of me. One wrong move, and it’s game over.

He beams. “Son, you didn’t tell me you had company.”

Rick’s heavy footsteps come to a stop next to me. He puts his arm around my shoulder. “This is April.”

I feel sick.

“April, this is my dad, Baron, and my mom, Victoria.”

“Baron.” I try it out. It feels weird on my tongue.

Salt and Pepper’s lips curve in a smirk like he’s amused. He holds his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, April.”

I’m not in charge of my body anymore. That must be why I shake his hand?

“Breakfast is served. You should join us,” Rick’s mom says.

I somehow smile and let Rick guide me downstairs. I’m still in his t-shirt and nothing more. This situation should be embarrassing and awkward, but the only thing I can focus on is the monster behind me.

“I trust you slept well?” he asks in a voice laced with honey. I’m in for a severe beating later.

I fist my hands by my sides and peer over my shoulder. “Fantastic, sir. Your son’s bed is of the highest quality.”

Rick covers up a laugh with a cough.

Salt and Pepper—Baron—sweeps his gaze down my bare legs. “It’s a luxury hybrid mattress. Only the best money can buy for my son.”

The way he emphasizes money makes my skin crawl.

“Do you like tobuythings, Baron?” I drag out his name and get a small sense of satisfaction when his jaw ticks. There are emotions underneath that steel mask of his, after all.

“As a matter of fact, I do. Money is a powerful thing, April. It can buy you anything you want.”

“Not everything.”

We reach the kitchen. Rick gives me a weird look as he sits next to me at the big table stacked with everything from pancakes to sandwiches. “Is everything okay?”

It turns out that I’ve been fucking your dad.“Yeah, everything is fine.”

“So, April,” Baron says, picking up a buttered slice of toast. “How long have you been seeing my son?” He takes a bite.

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