Page 93 of The CEO's Revenge

“You don’t have anywhere to stay tonight?” I ask calmly, even though I’m furious on her behalf. I want to punch her step-dad and shake her brainless mother.

“Nope,” she whispers. “But since the bar is open pretty late, I’m hoping to hang around here until the very moment it closes. And then it won’t be that long to wait until daylight comes. I can hopefully find somewhere then.”

I know I should walk away. This is the right moment to stuff some cash in her and walk away forever.

Amelia isn’t my problem. I have enough of those. But there is something about her that I can’t walk away from. I don’t know what is it, but I tell myself it is because, her tough talking doesn’t hide the vulnerability in her eyes. or the fact that I can see she’s actually terrified of her situation.

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” she lies.

I frown.

“Well, I’ll be eighteen in a month.”

I sigh. I’m probably going to regret this, but what the hell. “How are you at cleaning?”

She frowns. “Cleaning?”

“You know. Vacuuming. Polishing.”

“That kind of shit, I can do with my eyes closed,” she replies quickly, as if she has come into territory she recognizes and is comfortable with.

“Good. How would you like to join my team of maids? You’d be cleaning my private quarters and maybe one or two of my offices. Fifteen dollars an hour plus accommodation.”

“Why would you do that?” she asks, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Why indeed? I shrug. “Because you look like you could use a break.” I glance at my watch. “I have to be elsewhere soon, do you want the job, or do you want to go back in there and keep working for Larry?”

“I want the job,” she says quickly, flashing a big smile at me.

“Right. Go on in and get your stuff. I’ll be right here if Larry gives you any trouble.”

She nods then turns and walks back into the bar, her head held high. I can’t help but watch the way her ass sways in the tight little skirt Larry has her wearing.

As the door closes, I turn away, frowning.

Deliberately, I put her out of my head and turn to the very real problem I have to solve: Alexei’s ‘business’ that I have unwillingly inherited is basically a loan shark enterprise enforced by brute criminals. I came to this bar to observe first-hand the operation he runs and I’m not impressed at all. At the very least, I should get rid of Igor and his goons. And I will, when Marcus, my operations manager comes back from vacation.

Right now, I’m a man down, but I’m not going to put up with this psychopathic bullshit for another week. I’ll have to get Larry to go up to my offices to work out something reasonable with one of my guys, and put a very tight leash on Igor until Marcus’s return.

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