Page 49 of Shai

“Trouble?” Miranda sounded confused. “You didn’t mention anything

about trouble in your note.”

“My note?”

“The one you sent with the money. Thank you so much for that, Elijah.

We were looking at being evicted if I couldn’t scrape enough together by the end of the month. It was such a relief. That’ll be enough to keep the bastards at bay for at least another six months.”

How much money had Shai sent? Had I demanded a specific sum from

him in the conversation I couldn’t even remember having?

“When can we see you? You won’t believe how much David has grown.

He constantly asks about you and I never know what to say.”

“You can’t.” Shai’s head turned my way, his gaze fastening on me like a

heat seeking missile. “I mean… I’m really busy. Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know. If things go well, I might be able to send you some more soon.”

“I see.” There was disappointment in Miranda’s voice. “I was hoping

you might be coming home.”

Not now. Not ever. I fought back a wave of sadness. What was I

supposed to say to her? The only option if I wanted to protect her was to keep the lies coming. If Shai had sent her money, that meant I’d spilled Miranda’s address, leaving her vulnerable. Christ! I must have been really fucking wasted. “I can’t come home yet. I’ve got a big deal coming up. One that should prove quite lucrative.”

“Oh!” Miranda let out a sigh. “I understand. Is this your new number?” Fuck! How was I supposed to get around that one? Of course, she was

going to expect to have a way of contacting me. I thought fast. “No, this is… I borrowed this phone from a friend. I’m between numbers at the moment. I’ll let you know when I’ve got a new one, send you the number.”

“What about an address where I can contact you? Where are you

staying?”

She was getting too pushy. If the conversation carried on for much longer, there was no way she wasn’t going to get suspicious. She might even go to the police again, and that wouldn’t please Shai at all. “I’ve got to go, Miranda. I’m late for an important meeting. Give my love to David.”

“Elijah…?”

I hung up. There was five seconds of silence, and then the phone started ringing, Miranda’s phone number flashing up on the screen. I shoved it in Shai’s direction, Shai taking it off me and pressing a few buttons. I assumed he was blocking the number from being able to call again. Talking to my sister should have made me feel better. It didn’t. It had only served to remind me that outside these four walls, there was a whole world of people going about their daily business, people who weren’t addicted to drugs or held prisoner by the same man who leaned across to trail his fingers down my neck. “You did good. I feel like I should give you some sort of reward.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“No?” Shai sounded surprised.

I forced a smile. “You gave my sister money and you let me speak to her. I’ve already had my reward.”

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the residual soreness in my ass making me question how many times we’d fucked. Three times. Four? I’d certainly become quite the expert at anal in a short period of time.

Shai’s hand landed on my ass cheek to deliver a stinging slap. “You’re getting cum on the bed.”

Like I gave a fuck. The sheets got changed daily, as if by magic. I still hadn’t worked out who did it. I couldn’t imagine any of Shai’s men lowering themselves to acting like chambermaids. Shai’s mother? I doubted it. Perhaps it was another string to Gustav’s bow. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Shai’s gaze burned into me as I headed in the direction of the en suite. “So, you wouldn’t be interested in me taking you out to dinner?”

I spun around, focusing on the one word in that sentence that stood out. “Out? As in dinner somewhere other than in this building?”