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Time to Pay
“Wehavetomakea quick stop. Leandro is meeting us at Bitches Brew.” Talon scours over his phone as Esteban drives the both of us. We sit in the backseat, treating him like a chauffeur with me ignoring his existence. For one, there was no way I was sitting next to him upfront. And two, Talon doesn’t want even a foot between us. I can’t help but wonder what’s going through his mind. We managed to pull it off to where Daddy doesn’t know he came to me and helped me. If he were to find out, Talon would also face some horrible consequences, considering I had been shunned.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Maybe you should let him go and cut your losses. He’s not one of us. I don’t know why you’d expect some nobody asshole with a temper to protect Stacia. I might be willing to take over for the right price and the same benefits.” Esteban speaks up for the first time from behind the wheel.
“Shut the fuck up, Knave. You’re not getting anywhere near Stacia again. I don’t trust you. I don’t trust that you won’t team up with Christos to make things worse. I know men like you. Stuck up, entitled, pieces of shit bastards who only know a life of privilege. You don’t even know what it takes to make it in the real world. Unlike you, I was chosen and initiated. I wasn’t born and just expected to do as your ancestors.” Talon sits up straighter in the seat beside me. “Now, turn right and head to the end of the block. Bitches Brew is down the alley on the left. You will stay in the car.”
And like that, Talon ends the conversation. I’m glad for it. Esteban’s insinuation annoys me. He’ll probably always see me as easy. I didn’t know that Leandro was to be my new bodyguard. No one told me. No one ever tells me anything. It’s none of his business if I feel like fucking a stranger. He can go fuck himself. I’m so sick of it. It’s always do as Daddy says, behave, be obedient, tease but don’t fuck, and don’t get in trouble.
Maybe this lifestyle just isn’t meant for me. I’ve always wanted to lead and take initiative regarding my family’s business empire but maybe I should just give up my ambitions. I could learn not to care. I could just be the perfect little doll and let the Society of Secrets control me as much as it controls the world.
Except I can’t. If I do as much, Daddy will throw me to the wolves of the world. I’d probably end up on my knees in front of Christos. It’s the place many misogynist members think women belong.
Fuck that.
Esteban parks the car at the curb but doesn’t shut off the engine, leaving it idling. Talon tips his head to the side, silently motioning for me to follow him out. He peers around the empty alleyway and to the back entrance of the coffee house. He slides on sunglasses and offers his hand to me as if he needs to ensure I won’t run. His actions don’t feel protective in this moment. It feels dominating and controlling, like he wants Esteban to know he can’t have me, but also something else. Something darker. Authoritative. I don’t know exactly what Daddy said to him during their short conversation, but it was enough to turn him rigid and cold. Closed off, even.
Talon smacks the roof of Esteban’s Jaguar. “Keep a lookout. Call us if you notice something suspicious.”
I stroll next to Talon, clinging onto his hand even though I know he won’t let go of me. We head to the back door of Bitches Brew, and he knocks lightly in quick successions, creating an unfamiliar melody.
It takes a couple of minutes until I hear the locks whine open and then spot Leandro standing on the other side of the door. The barista rushes around the small room behind him, looking like they’re not used to this sort of interruption.
Leandro’s eyes meet mine, and he gives me a once-over as if he can’t help himself. I shift under the intensity of his gaze, wondering if we would’ve fucked all night long if we hadn’t been drugged. He looks like he has that sort of stamina. I know I do.
I shiver at just a thought, feeling warmth build between my legs. I can’t believe he’s going to be my bodyguard. I kind of wish that I could have someone else just so I could pursue something with this incredibly sexy man who is now completely invested in my life. Whether or not he wants to be is the question.
Leandro turns his gaze away and pulls an envelope from his jacket. He hands it to Talon. “These are the test results. I won’t get anything from the DNA swabs for a few more days.” Because even though I washed my hands and took a shower, Leandro was still able to scrape a tiny bit of blood from under my long and manicured nails. It made Talon swear, because he thought that I’d gotten everything until Leandro suggested running it in case.
“You’re a good man.” Talon offers Leandro a handshake. “We’ll be in touch in a couple of hours. I have some business to take care of, and I’ll be taking Stacia with me. I’d like you to keep an ear out at the hotel and with the local PD. I’m sure word will get out soon. Be ready to get out of here. I want you to pack Stacia a bag as well.”
I jerk my attention to Talon. “What?”
“Would you prefer to get picked up and detained? You’ll be considered the prime suspect. They’ll arrest you first before even considering other options.” Talon tightens his fingers around mine.
I hate that he’s right, but the thought makes me uneasy. I’ll be a fugitive. What if we can’t find out the truth and I face even worse consequences? My heart flutters in panic. SOS will go to great lengths to protect their own, but can I live my life like that? I’m innocent...I think.
“Consider it a vacation. You could use the time away from the spotlight. Settle your wild ass down.” Talon squeezes my shoulder. “This is a good thing. Promise.”
“I’ll kick you in the dick if you’re lying, birdie. I won’t kiss it after either.” I narrow my eyes at him, remaining straight-faced when all I want to do is laugh and cry at once.
“Jesus. She really is something, isn’t she?” Leandro comments, keeping his voice low.
I glower at him, getting him to step back.
Talon bellows a laugh and whacks Leandro upside the head with the envelope. “Which is why you’re the man for the job. She’ll eat anyone else alive.”
Heat warms my chest, crawling up my throat to settle in my cheeks. Nothing about this situation is amusing, but somehow, Talon still manages to find the light in the darkness of my collapsing world.
Talon doesn’t give me long to think about things. He shakes Leandro’s hand again and guides me back to the car. Before we rejoin Esteban, Talon rips open the envelope and looks over everything. He doesn’t say anything as he reads, keeping it just out of view from me. His stern expression deepens, his forehead wrinkling with his rising anger. It’s palatable enough for me to feel, and I inch away from him. It’s not directed at me, but even just this close vicinity makes me uncomfortable. He’s usually composed, so whatever he just learned must be bad. Really fucking bad.
“So what is it?” I ask, shifting on my feet.
Talon doesn’t look at me, turning toward Esteban’s Jaguar. “It’s nothing to concern yourself over, Stacia. It’s what I expected, and I will handle it from here.”
He’s gotta be shitting me. He can’t just expect me to drop it. I was the one who was fucking drugged. It’s my life on the line. Not his. He has no right to withhold information from me.
“Talon,” I snap, trying to grab the papers from him.
