Page 33 of Captivated By Danger

When I scanned the next page, my eyes grew wide. There was a Columbia school ID taped to the page along with a schedule for two classes. My mouth was on my chest. The picture used for the ID was the photo that I’d posted on my Instagram on Sunday.

“A bachelor’s in education,” I read the top of the schedule.

I literally felt like I was about to lose my breath. Immediately, I picked up my phone and called Elle.

She answered the phone after a few rings. “Girllll, I got an early appointment and you waking me up out my sleep. You either gonna open the book or not.”

I’d been texting her all day about how Diesel’s crazy ass assistants showed up to my job, which meant that man probably already done three or four different types of background checks. She told me that if she didn’t have a busy day, she’d come here and open it for me. I already wasn’t supposed to be telling her about it, so I definitely didn’t want her seeing it.

“I know. I know. But listennn… let me send you a picture of this right quick.”

I took a quick snapshot of the ID and sent it over to her.

“Let me see… bitch! Is that your picture on a Columbia school ID? Oh my fucking… Grey, you remember how you said that was a dream school of yours. That’s what was in the book? He’s putting you back in school?”

“From the looks of it, but it wasn’t the only thing in here. There are more things in here, but I’m just still sitting here gagged at the thought of stepping on a college campus at my very big age. I will be thirty soon. They will laugh me out of that building. Wait, I need to ask him how he got my transcript. This fucking man. Elle, how did he do this? Should this make me terrified of him? I think it should.”

She chuckled. “Grey, you are going to overthink yourself out of good dick and an opportunity of a lifetime. You can ask him all these questions when you go to meet him this weekend. Can we continue this discussion tomorrow because I cannot hold my eyes open no more?”

I stayed silent while I flipped to the next page.Daily Dutieswas at the top of that schedule. In the mornings, I had to work out for at least an hour and journal for fifteen to thirty minutes. A driver would drive me to and from class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A chef would come cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for me.

Was I going to be living alone?

Was he only going to see me when he wanted to have sex?

If that was the case, how would he know if I didn’t journal or workout? The Daily Duties schedule wasn’t bad, but then I flipped the page andSex Schedulewas at the top, prompting me to slam the manual closed. I would not be his damn robot.

“Girl, what was that?” Elle asked sleepily. “Scared the shit out of me.”

“My bad, girl. Let me let you go. Text me when you wake up. You know I’m off tomorrow. Let’s grab some lunch tomorrow.”

“Bitch!” It came out high-pitched and raspy.

“What?”

“You’re going to make me cry. You know how long I been waiting for you to sound like yourself. I can’t even remember how long it’s been since you suggested we do something together. I already like this man.”

I grinned. “What, girl? He probably got all these rules and regulations because he’s overcompensating.”

“You can say whatever you want to say to try and make yourself feel better, but you and I both know that man got a big ass dick. I’m hanging up, bye.”

Before I could protest, she’d hung up in my face, making me laugh. Immediately, I went to Instagram to see what type of stuff he posted since he was checking for me. I typed his name in the search bar and the first thing that popped up was@DHQDieseland the second one [email protected]@DHQDiesel,there wasn’t anything but professional pictures on it and business-related stuff. He was so fucking fine in his suits. The last picture he’d posted was him in a black tailored suit, matching black tie, and a white button-down, standing by some spring decorations captionedEaster at Danger Headquarters.Men like him should not be that fine. Clicking out of his professional Instagram, I went into his personal one. The last picture he’d posted was him cradling Quinci’s daughter with the captionthis uncle shit just got twice as hard.The picture had thousands and thousands of comments. The women were in there auctioning off their wombs to that man, not even knowing what kind of father he would be. If I was thirsty and didn’t know that he was an arrogant asshole, I’d probably be the same way. After I’d finished lurking, I got back in the bed. That man was nothing but trouble, but why was I so fucking captivated?

It was Friday afternoon, and I was sitting in Elle’s chair about to get a shampoo and a deep condition. I’d decided to take the day off. All last night, I’d fought with myself on whether I was going to attend the appointments that he’d set up for me. I kept thinking what was the worst that could happen, and the worst indeed happened. At my OB/GYN appointment, they drew my blood and I nearly passed out because I hate needles, but I got through it. Getting my physical, Ididpass out because I had to do a stress test. The doctors told me nothing although they were taking notes, I’m assuming to give Diesel. When I was done with both of those tumultuous appointments, I sent him a text letting him know that he was a weirdo, expecting to get a call but it never came, pissing me off. He had me going through all this shit and he wasn’t even talking to me.

“Girl, how you passed out!?” Elle laughed.

“I don’t fucking know! They had me pedaling fast as hell on a stationary bike with all this shit stuck to me like I was an experiment. At least I know if I’m ever chased by zombies on a bike, I could get a lil’ ways from them before my heart gave out.”

She laughed so hard. “Oh you mad mad because you cursing.”

“It’s not funny, Elle. And then when I asked him what the purpose was, he gonna tell me to test my heart. And I was like, I’m not an idiot, I know that. Why did the man who requested the testing need to test my heart? The nerve of that bald head ass man to tell me that I needed to take that up with him. Girl, I could have cursed him silly, but he did catch me as I was falling off the bike.”

“Girlll!” Elle screamed while laughing. “I really can’t. I really can’t with you. How do you want your…”

She paused when her TV went off and her outside cameras popped on.

“I know you mothafuckin…”

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