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CHAPTER21
RUSLAN
Five women are paraded in front of me as if they are show pigs. I don’t know what Rostam thought that this was, but this is an interview, not a pageant. Smiling, I give them a nod and turn to Rostam.
“I’d like to speak with them one at a time,” I say.
Rostam presses his lips together, giving me a curt nod, then stands and turns around. I watch as he walks out of the room. Edmon is standing just outside of the door as guard today. I do not ask Brigadiers to guard anything, but since Azar, since the women, since Rostam. All of it requires something a little higher in rank than just aByki.
One single girl is left in the room. I do not speak until after the office door is closed. Focusing my attention on her, I tilt my head to the side, then lift my hand and silently motion for her to sit down in the chair across from me.
“Tell me, why do you want to be a prostitute? Because no matter how you dress it up, that’s exactly what this is.”
Her eyes widen and she shifts her gaze to the floor, then lifts it to meet mine slowly. “I’ve never wanted to do that,” she states.
“And yet you’re here. Are you telling me that this isn’t of your own free will?” I ask.
I’ll fucking kill Rostam if this is the shit he pulls. I’ve already caught him pulling some bullshit and I refuse to allow any more. And yet, here it is, sitting right in front of my goddamn face. Lifting my brows in surprise, I wait for her to answer.
“I was in love with someone. He did not love me, in fact, he used me. When you’re used in our world, you are not available for marriage any longer. You must remain a virgin for your husband. I am no longer that. So, while I’ve never wanted to do this, I also know that this is the only way for me to have a sense of freedom.”
“What happens to you if I deny your employment?” I ask.
She crosses her legs, her short skirt hiking up slowly and showing off the thigh highs that she’s wearing. They’re sexy as hell and I have to wonder who picked the outfits, because she looks like a dream right about now. Sexy and confident, plus thigh highs, I don’t think you could really go wrong here.
“Then I’ll be sent as some kind of maid or cook to a family. I’ll watch them have children, raise them, and I’ll help care for them, but I’ll never be able to have them myself.”
“And when you work here, do you get to do that?” I ask.
She stands, her skirt a touch too short, her top a bit too tight. She closes the short distance between the chair and my desk, then places her palms flat on my desk and bends over slightly. She’s pretty, big green eyes, black hair, naturally tanned skin. Her lips are full and painted a deep-pink color.
“I work for you. I’m no longer controlled by them. Rostam has promised my freedom.”
“So what’s in it for him?” I ask.
She lifts a brow. “I don’t know his personal business. I just know that the papers are drawn up. I work for you, I am free.”
“Nobody is free,” I rasp. “We all, every one of us, answers to someone. So how does this go?”
“I will answer to you, but I also will answer to myself.”
My lips curve up into a small smile. “Okay then,” I say. “You’re hired. Polina will come out when I’ve finished with the other four girls, and she will give you instructions.”
She straightens, making her way toward the door, then stops and turns her head, looking back over her shoulder at me. “Where will I live?” she asks.
“Live?”
She turns completely around to face me, giving me a nod. “Live,” she states. “Where will I live? I don’t have any money yet. I don’t have any credit. I have nothing. I’ll need a place to live, even if it’s just a closet.”
Shaking my head once, I clear my throat. “There’s no need for that. Polina will ensure that you will all have a bedroom. We have a few houses where the girls live until they’re ready to move out. You’ll be charged a nominal rent and she has rules.”
She lifts her lips into a smile. “Okay, sounds good.”
“Oh wait,” I call out as she tugs the door open. She stops before turning to face me again, the door halfway open.
“How old are you?”
Her lips curve up into a smile, her gaze flicking down to the floor, then lifting back up to meet mine. “If I said twenty-one?”
