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I shrugged. “Because it didn’t interest me.”
“Call them back and tell them you’ve reconsidered,” he commanded. “This internship could open doors for your career.”
“No.” I was already quaking internally, but when he turned those hard eyes on me, I had to stiffen my spine to keep from showing it externally. I was scared of him, plain and simple, but I despised my fear.
“What did you say?”
I lifted my brows, giving the full appearance of the sassy little bitch I attempted to be whenever I had to deal with him. “I didn’t stutter, Malcolm. I said no. I don’t want the internship. I don’t want to go into pharmaceuticals. It bores me.”
“It bores you.” He turned his eyes to Mother, who stared back at him dispassionately. “It bores her, Suzanne.”
“I heard her, dear.”
“Why do you care if I take the internship or not?” I challenged. “You’ve never cared before when I turned the others down.”
“Because I need inside eyes on one of their new drugs,” he seethed. “One of my own companies is doing a test study right now, and I need to know how advanced theirs is.”
“Ah, so you want me to commit some corporate espionage. Yeah, no thanks.” I stood, dusting off my jeans like my mother’s sofa had dirtied my clothes. “If that’s all, I’ll just head home now.”
As I started to walk past Malcolm, he shot out his hand. Vise-like fingers wrapped around my wrist and squeezed so hard I couldn’t hold back my whimper of pain. Tendons and bones protested, making my entire arm ache as he jerked me around to face him. “You will take the internship, or I will cut everything off.” He lowered his head so his menacing tone could have more effect. “There will be no more visits to daddy dearest to see your snot-nosed little brothers. No little black credit cards. No apartment. No car. No phone. No school.”
Despite the pain I was in, I shrugged like it wasn’t anything to me. Because it wasn’t. I didn’t want any of it. It was tainted and dirty anyway because it all came from this sonofabitch. I was done letting him rule my life and done being terrified of stepping one foot out of line because he would force me to come back to this hellhole.
“Go ahead,” I dared him with a smirk. “I don’t care, Malcolm. I’ll get a job. I’ll fend for myself. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do anyway. Anything to get away from you and the ice queen over there.” I tilted my chin up. “Do whatever the fuck you want. Because I’m not scared of you.”
He tightened his hand, making me wince in pain, and I saw the satisfaction in his eyes. He was a head case. Loved to inflict pain on those weaker than him. It made him feel stronger, more powerful. Not even all his money could give him the pleasure physically hurting someone could. “Try it, little girl. No one in this country would dare hire you by the time I get done.”
I snorted. “You don’t control everything. I’ll find a job just fine.” I jerked my wrist free, and even though it throbbed to the beat of my heart, I refused to rub it in front of him. “See you never, you fucking bastard.”
“How are you going to get home?” he sneered. “The car belongs to me, Amara. That’ll be staying here.”
I pulled my keys from my pocket and tossed them on the floor. “I’ll walk.” Taking out my phone, I dropped it beside the keys and then stepped on the screen. When the screen cracked, I sniggered. “Later, motherfucker.”
It wasn’t until I was outside in the rain again that I could actually breathe normally. And once I sucked in my first breath, it felt like the world was finally right for once in my life. The weight of the world, and the fear of what Malcolm could possibly do to me, lifted from my shoulders, and I found myself humming to myself as I happily walked away from the nightmare mansion behind me.
--
What Malcolm didn’t know was I had some money saved that not even he could touch. Over the years, I’d been putting a little away every week so he wouldn’t notice. I had plenty to get me by even if I didn’t find a job right away. It would cover the cost of my rent and the few bills I had for at least a year. But I didn’t want to have to use it. I wanted a job.
The next morning, after stopping to get myself a new phone with a new number, I set out on the hunt for one. But Malcolm had already been busy. No sooner did someone hear my name than I got disconnected. Everything from landscaping to fast food to the jobs I qualified for at some of his rival companies. No one dared even to consider hiring me for fear of upsetting the great Malcolm McIntire.
Refusing to feel discouraged, I sent a text to Cash, letting him know I had a new number and to ask how his flight home the night before had been. The message went unread, so I headed back to the apartment. Riley was just getting ready to go to work as I dropped my apartment key and purse on the entrance table. Her mom owned her a boutique on Rodeo Drive with her own clothing line. Riley had been working for her mother since she was fourteen, and once she had her business degree, her mother was going to give her half the store for her own designs.
“No luck?” she asked as she fixed her hair in the mirror beside the table, making sure it was perfect.
“Nothing. No one wants to touch me because of Malcolm. Not even the deli on the corner.” I rubbed at the headache that was starting to form behind my eyes.
“I could ask my mom if she would consider hiring another assistant. I know you don’t like fashion, but she would do anything for you.”
I was already shaking my head. “I don’t want to drag your mom into this mess, Riles. I know she would weather the storm that comes with this shit, but I just couldn’t do that to her or you.” I kissed her cheek and then went into the living room to flop face first onto the couch. “Hey, did Cash happen to text or call you?”
“Nope, sorry. The only person I’ve talked to this morning is Emmie Armstrong, who wanted to check in and see if we made it home okay.” She frowned as she turned to face me. “She seemed concerned about you.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I remembered the way she’d looked at me outside IHOP. I’d been so ashamed of what she might have seen that, at first, I’d missed the understanding in her eyes. It didn’t make sense to me. How would someone as kick-ass as Emmie understand anything about what I might ever go through?
“She asked me to remind you, that if you ever needed anything, you just have to stop by her office.”
I pushed the thoughts away. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Standing, I pulled my phone from my back pocket to check to see if Cash had read my message yet or not. Seeing that he hadn’t, I walked into the kitchen. “I’m going to make some lunch then take a nap.”
