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He’s the only family I’ve ever had. He called me a dick when I was being a dick, and he chapped my ass when I shaved my balls.
It seems like a lifetime ago when I completed my training and the Society handed me over to Folsom, who was to be my mentor.
“Oh, they are going to love you,” he’d said when he first saw me, that smile of his gradually creeping up.
Best man I know.
He was the one who told me the sooner I learned to focus on the task at hand, the quicker I’d get through appointments, because they wouldn’t all be glamorous or fun. And he was right. Sometimes the women are vile, cruel, mean creatures. Sometimes they are kind and thoughtful. But no matter how awful or wonderful they are, it is our job to make them feel valued and important.
The only person who ever made me question my job before now was a woman who paid me to do it. After we had sex, she lay on her back staring up at the ceiling and said—“It must be awful for you. Having to fake feelings so many times a day. Pretending that you like this when you’re forced to do it.”
Her words shocked me. I’d never considered that I didn’t like my job. The jet, the clothes, the alcohol, and the luxury—it was given the same way sweets are given to quiet a child. Manipulation masked as generosity. The first of us to question our captivity was Folsom and now he is gone. Gwen woke him up, love woke him up. And now here I am falling for Phoenix. It is truly terrifying, my world thrown off its axis.
I don’t go to Phoenix’s that night. Selfish bringing up my disappearances has me unsteady, and the way I’m careening out of control over a woman has me hugging the whiskey. I wake up with a hangover and feeling extra bitter. I miss Phoenix. That thought sends me back to the punching bag. I’m an asshole at my next appointments and when I get back to the compound, Selfish is waiting.
“I’ve gotten two complaints about you—one from yesterday and one from your last romp. What’s going on with you?”
“I need a vacation,” I tell her.
“Your whole life is a vacation. The End Men don’t get time off.”
“Exactly. Fix that and I’ll fix my attitude.”
The Governor’s Mansion is lit up when Yvonne drops me off at the front steps. Every room in the house glows yellow in the early evening light. I arrive at seven on the dot and my car door is opened by none other than Sean himself.
“I like a man who’s prompt,” he says, shaking my hand.
We ascend the stairs to the front door in an uncomfortable silence, and right before we get there, the door opens. Phoenix stands in the doorway and I can tell she’s upset. So much for our not being seen together. My steps falter and Sean grips my arm, gently guiding me inside. Despite the nervousness that grips her features, Phoenix is glowing. Her skin is dewy, and she’s wearing her hair long, curled over her right shoulder. Her dress is a transparent gold that hugs every curve. I can see the faint outline of her nipples through the material and my mouth goes dry. Fuck my life.
“Hello, little thief,” I say quietly. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
“Evening,” Phoenix says formally, and then she hisses a horrified “No!” at me.
She smiles at Sean and I stiffen. I look around for the alcohol, so I don’t make any mistakes, such as ripping the governor’s face off.
“Come on back, everyone is on the patio.”
We file toward the back door as Sean leads the way, and I give Phoenix a pointed look. She lifts an eyebrow and steps in front of me, cutting off any further communication. I follow her ass out, watching the way it sways hypnotically. She stops suddenly and I bump into her.
“What?”
“Quit staring at me,” she whispers, pointing at the mirror on the wall across from us.
“Quit wearing dresses like that.”
Sean turns around and I plaster a smile on my face.
“Coming?” he asks.
“At least three times a day,” I say.
Sean is clearly amused, while Phoenix looks annoyed.
“Touché,” he says. “Drink?”
“Our End Man has arrived,” he yells out the door and I hear applause.
“I thought this was a small gathering,” I say under my breath.
