Page 17 of Papers Don't Lie

I can’t help but crack a laugh. “Why would a stranger help me? I might be young, but I’m not stupid. Now please leave.”

Kai Graves tries to reach me with his hand, but I step backward. His lips twitch. “Esmeray, I’m sorry for what I’ve done, but you have to believe me when I say I had good intentions.”

He wasn’t down to help me during the time I kept changing hotels with his money, not once stopping by to see if there was a reason behind my decision to change locations. Why would he do it now? It’s not like this is the first time I’ve done it since I’ve been under his “protection.” This has been going on for weeks.

Kai Graves doesn’t move from my doorway, carrying a selfish aura around him. As much as it looksacceptableon him, I want him as far away as possible. I don’t need to be someone’s charity case.

“I don’t need your pity, so use that for some people that really need it, Mr. Kai Graves.”

Again, I try to close the door, but he insists on pissing me off. “If that’s what you want, I donate every time you accept my help.”

I sigh, banging my head on the edge of the door. “Okay.”

“Okay?" he asks, surprised.

My lips succeed in giving him a sincere smile. “Yes, you already gave me money twice, so make two donations, and we’re even.”

His mouth parts open, showing off a pair of perfect white teeth. I bet he spends more on his dental care than he spends on helping other people who can’t even afford one meal a day.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” I say and this time shut the door, locking it right after.

The balls this guy has to show up after knowing where I was for weeks and not giving a shit about my condition—which he caused—and suddenly acting interested—no, actually worried—about my personal life. Despite the accident and me ending up here, the choice of running away even with the consequences was mine.

Carter is my problem, and no one should ever get involved. I can’t have someone fight for me when I know full well that at some point, I’ll go back to the prison I escaped from. It’s just a matter of time until he finds me, but I’ll make sure to make my freedom counts until that moment comes.

With a sigh, I open the bathroom door to throw some water on my face before starting to pack. Unfortunately, there’s a surprise waiting for me, and not the way you expect it. The surprise is my appearance. My hair is all fluffed, big circles under my eyes, and my black pajamas aren’t saving the day either.

I thought I looked like shit when he hit me that night, but nothing could ever top the way I look now.

At least I was a tough bitch, wasn’t I?

A sigh falls past my lips, and I support myself with my hands on the edge of the sink, watching a person in the mirror I don’t recognize. As much as I want to be confident about what’s happening, I’m only lying to myself.

I’m not free. Not in the real sense of the word, anyway. I’m stuck in a different suite every day, not being able to do anything else but pray this false freedom I’m living won’t come to an end sooner than I’m expecting.

It’s something that could end tomorrow, and I’m afraid I can’t do anything to prevent that from happening.

NINE

KAI

“That was quick,” Kendrick tells me when I get in the car after I was just stepped on by an eighteen-year-old girl.

I scratch the back of my head, tilting it to the side with a shrug. “It was.”

He turns the engine to life and drives away from the hotel, not one to push for information I don’t want to give. Kendrick respects my boundaries, and he’s not even aware of how much I appreciate him not pushing my limits when it’s not the time.

“Hire a security team to watch her twenty-four-seven without making their presence known. Check her mail and keep an eye on her in case she needs us to intervene, but that’s all we’re going to do.”

“Yes, sir," he murmurs, looking at the road in front of him.

I catch my chin between my fingers. What happened to her that she won’t trust that someone wants to help her when she’s clearly in danger? I understand after the accident that she doesn’t have the best impression of me—I could say the same after her gift—but I did my best to take care of her and her needs.

“I take it she refused your help?”

I rearrange my coat. “Yes. She’s stubborn, and until she helps herself first, she won’t let us get any closer.”

Kendrick doesn’t utter another word as he activates the GPS with the destination of Graves Company to avoid traffic.

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