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Yet the more I tried to put Bianca out of my mind, the harder she resurfaced, her plaintive pleas filling my ears, tugging at my heartstrings.
That bastard is an animal,I growled, pacing through my office, pausing again to stare into the night. Jesse’s harem of virgins was no secret, but his collection had to be up in the dozens by now. He didn’t need any more women, and the idea of Doe Eyes being mauled by his sweaty, disgusting paws sent shudders of revulsion through me.
That still didn’t change the fact that I was incapable of storming into Forny and claiming her for myself.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t offer Bianca a way out, one that she could take for herself. Slowly, a plan began to formulate in the back of my mind. I might not be able to touch the girl, but she could fend for herself if I gave her the proper tools.
Would she be smart enough to utilize the gift if I offered it to her?
Whirling around, I punched at the intercom speaker on my desk, and Sage appeared immediately.
“You rang?”
“Send for Geoff. Have him deliver a message within Jesse’s compound,” I told her.
Sage’s ever-stoic face displayed a glimmer of dismay.
“To whom?” she asked warily, though I knew she already suspected the answer.
“The girl,” I replied.
“Is that wise?”
Scoffing, I folded my arms over my chest, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Aren’t you the one who gave me shit for not doing anything when she was here?”
“I wouldn’t put it in those terms, Atlas, but the circumstances were different when she was here. I shouldn’t need to tell you what will happen if you pursue the young lady, and she belongs to Jesse.”
As I flopped into my office chair, I grunted, letting my arms fall to my sides.
“I’m pursuing no one,” I retorted, inadvertently lowering my gaze as the words fell from my mouth. “I’m offering her a job.”
Sage’s thin lips parted in shock.
“Come again?”
“A job. You know about those, Sage. You’ve had one at my side for five centuries, haven’t you?”
“I’m not sure I’m following.”
“I could use an… assistant,” I replied, now purposely averting my eyes.
“You’re firing me?” she asked with a raised brow.
I laughed genuinely, but with some nervousness.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I settled back in the chair and finally met her eyes. “Think of it as giving you a bit of a much-needed reprieve. You’re juggling a lot around here, and we could use the extra help.”
Sage’s face relaxed—only slightly.
“You’re creating a position for her.”
“So what if I am?” I barked back defensively. “It enables Bianca to make money—rather than steal it—and she may find a solution to her problem with Jesse.”
For a long moment, Sage merely stared at me, the wheels of her mind turning as if weighing the pros and cons of what I was suggesting. There was a reason I’d gone through her first and not directly to Geoff. Sage was the best devil’s advocate that ever was.
“What if she refuses?”
