Page 13 of Papers Don't Lie

I shake my head, pleased to hear that. What I would have paid to see his face… Too bad I didn’t ask them to put a camera inside the dick so I could get a lot more satisfaction than I’m getting now.

My fingers unwrap the envelope, the smile still present on my lips, and I take the note first, not really caring about the money. I’m just curious about the message.

The accident caused more damage than I thought if it made you send me a nine-foot dick to my doorstep. Will visit when I get the chance. Use the money wisely this time, and don’t corrupt Kendrick again, troublemaker.

I burst out laughing,the image of his possible reaction roaming through my mind. I bet on this entire stack of money that he was shocked.

“Still a pussy,” I murmur, putting the envelope on the table. “How did you find me, by the way?” I ask Kendrick as he takes two steps further into the room.

“Pretty easily,” he admits, and I freeze.

If Kendrick found me pretty easily, there’s no doubt Carter could too. My question is, how come he hasn’t found me yet? I wasn’t smart about hiding either, and Carter has a security company, so how come he still hasn’t found me after six days?

Maybe he isn’t even trying, or maybe the only reason he hasn’t gotten close to me is because he somehow knows I have a bodyguard. But then, if I remember well, Carter would never let a man stand between us.

For ten years of my life, I’ve been Carter’s puppet. Whenever we walked in a room, my eyes were supposed to be either on the ground or on him, or he’d grab my arm until it bruised, saying through his gritted teeth that he wouldn’t walk with a whore on his arm. All that because I dared to look another way or because he thought I looked at another man.

Since the day I turned eight and I was promised to Carter, he was a nonstop presence in our house, already acting like I was his. Things degenerated when I was fourteen and he had this idea to show off his future wife at his arm in public, even if I was entirely too young and he was thirty-one. My parents had no problem accepting it for the right amount.

“You just have to accompany him to a few parties a week, darling,”I remember Mom telling me.

And if he had stopped there, maybe I wouldn’t loathe him as much as I do, but he always told my parents about my small outbursts, who made sure I’d be punished. Carter knew that very well and used it to his advantage. The worst part was that while I was locked in the basement because of him, he was the only one visiting me.

My mind’s a mess right now. I can’t decide if he doesn’t want to find me or he can’t, but the fact that Kendrick knew where I was is still not good news.

My skin covers itself in goosebumps, and involuntarily, I trace my palms over my arms, shaking at the thought of facing him again. What will he do if he finds me? Keep me locked in the house or with bodyguards around me to make sure I won’t run away again?

“Esmeray? Are you okay?” the man dressed in the same black suit I saw him the first time we met asks.

I give him a sour smile. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” My eyes swim over the apartment I’m staying in. “I just think I need to find another hotel to stay in.”

His lips twist. “Mr. Graves made it clear if you don’t need me, I won’t bother you anymore.”

The sincerity in his voice scares me because I know if I asked him to leave, he would. Unfortunately, having him do that would leave me completely alone, and even though he’s quiet most of the time and rarely laughs at my jokes, he’s a human. That helps me sleep at night.

“No, it’s not that.” I shake my head, looking out of the window. “It’s actually nice to have someone. It’s just…”

“Esmeray,” he interrupts me, his voice demanding. “I can’t help but wonder. Are you in any danger?”

Am I in any danger? At least not for now. No one wants to kill me, and no one is threatening me. The only danger is my life trying to catch up to me, and I’m afraid if that happens, I won’t be able to do anything to prevent it. Just like my mother told me, this is my fate.

“No.”

He sighs, tilting his head. “Are you sure? If I tell Mr. Graves, he won’t hesitate to—”

“No!” I interrupt him. “Don’t even think about it. I just don’t like this place. Do you know anywhere else I could go?”

“Esmeray.” He stops me when I get up, watching me closely.

“I promise everything is fine, Kendrick. And it’s not like you have any responsibility to care about my personal life. Your boss doesn’t pay you to do that.”

He nods his head, but it’s not one of his usual nods. This one is colder. “I’m sorry for overstepping. Pack your bags, and I’ll wait for you outside.”

Goddamn it. “Ken—”

Before I can withdraw my words, the door shuts closed behind him.

SEVEN

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