“Don’t act disgusted,” he said. “I’m still fucking you tonight.”
I looked away. “When are we done here?”
“Why? You want it that badly?”
“Yes,” I said. “Maybe it’ll remind me I’m not losing my mind and that I am, in fact, trapped inside your world.”
A smirk pulled on his lips, amusement settling in at the edges. His hand moved to my lower back and rested where it had no business resting.
“Trapped is the wrong word.” His voice dropped. “If I wanted you to feel trapped, I’d be keeping you in a basement, tied up, fucking you whichever way I wanted until you learned never to lie about having a husband again.”
The goosebumps moved across my skin.
“But as much as I want that,” his lips grazed my ear, “I still want you out here. Troubling men.”
I swallowed. “When will you let me go?”
He chuckled against my ear. “I haven’t decided yet. I get bored easily, though, so who knows.”
He just confirmed that he would discard me, so I knew I needed to act before that happened.
After the viewing on the seventh floor, the guests filtered down to the basement, where the auction was taking place. My part was done, and Dmitri sent me back to the penthouse. It was fine by me because I had no interest in watching people outbid each other.
Cole was living his best life.
By the time I got there, he had already eaten and somehow managed to acquire a stack of books. He was completely at home in a penthouse that cost more per night than our monthly rent.
I spent the time doing something more useful.
The penthouse was exactly like everything else in Dmitri’s life. The view made problems feel distant, then brought them back when you looked away.
I needed to understand who this man actually was. Was his wealth inherited? Was it his father’s empire handed down, or did he build it himself? How old was he, and how did he have the power to make older men step back when he walked toward them? Why did people fear him the way they did? It wasn’t just respect, but fear. So I began looking around.
I needed information. But I also knew a man like him wouldn’t leave information lying around for someone like me to find.
The study was quieter than the rest of the penthouse. There were a few files on the desk, sitting there in a neat stack. I moved closer and pulled one open, but the door opened before I read a single word.
I turned, my heart skipping. Cole stood in the doorway, looking at me.
“Dammit, Cole. There is a thing called knocking.”
“You looked startled.” He said. “Are you stealing?”
I closed the file and walked toward him. “I am not a thief.” He gave me a look that said I was wrong. “What? You think your sister is a thief?”
He turned and led the way out of the room. “I’m nine, not stupid. I know you took Dmitri’s briefcase.”
“Hey,” I caught his hand and turned him to face me. “I didn’t steal anything. I took money from a man who stole my job first. There’s a difference.”
“That’s stealing.”
I crossed my arms. “Go to bed.”
He smiled. “I came to tell you I was going to sleep, anyway. It’s midnight. Do you want to hear what I learned today?”
“Forget it, I—”
I paused when I saw Dmitri standing in the corridor behind Cole, watching us. I didn’t know when he arrived or how he moved through the penthouse without making a sound. He stood there in the same suit, eyes on me.
