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“What if I sold you my house? That would cover it and more,” I offer, but he immediately shakes his head. Disappointment and resentment mingle in my veins, and my lip twitches in aggravation. “Then you don’t actually want any money from me.”
“As I said, I want you to work for me,” Jack responds, and I tense up as he reaches for my chin. Despite his work-hardened fingers, his touch is startlingly gentle. My heart is racing as I hold my breath and he leans in close to my face. I can see the gold specks in his eyes as well as each individual eyelash. “I want your innocent face... your calm demeanor... your normal… normalcy. Everything I know about you from being in this house is completely at odds with what I know on paper. I have plenty of jobs that can use a face like yours, Heather. Make no mistake... it’s not going to be easy, but really, anything worthwhile is difficult.”
“J— jobs?” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“Jobs... jobs only a face like yours could do and get away cleanly from. Enemies of mine that can sniff out the stink of a hard woman but wouldn’t look twice at your pretty, round face.” Each word that escapes his lips exudes confidence and something that snares me; his sentences wrap around me like an invisible wire.
“Y— you want me to kill people?” I stammer, my throat burning as a fierce prickling envelopes my eyes.What the fuck! What the fuck?“I— I can’t do that. I’ve never been in a fight, let alone—”
“Don’t lie to me, or I’ll rip out your teeth one by one, and then what would become of your only use?” Jack growls lowly, and the hairs on the back of my neck bristle wildly. His eyes shine with a warning glare. “You went to the roughest school in New York City and grew up living in the worst section of low-income housing. Don’t tell me you don’t have it in you because you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t defend yourself.”
“My mom… she taught me,” I admit; a growing sense of defeat engulfing my entire being.
“What did she teach you?” He presses mercilessly, and the need for air causes my chest to burn. “I’ll assume you know the whole ‘key between the fingers’ technique,” Jack continues, leaning away from me. His grip on my face eases, and I take a shuddering, weak breath.
“I— I can use a gun.” I breathe.
Gently, he caresses where his fingertips had dug into my skin. “Heather, that's a good starting point. I was expecting less. You surprise me. We're off to an excellent start. Get up. Go ahead and get your phone.”
I just stare at Jack for a long, heavy moment, and he nods encouragingly. I set my feet on the floor sluggishly, my gaze fixed on him. He doesn't move, so I scoot across the sofa to get to my feet and immediately think of a way to try to run away. But Jack seems to quickly understand my idea. He is faster than me, and quickly grabs my wrists the moment I straighten up. I stiffen and hold my breath as he releases my free arm and securely wraps his hand around my waist.
“Do you know, Heather,” he breathes hotly in my ear, and my eyelids flutter shut tightly. My skin crawls, his breath rolling down my neck and under my shirt. “The only reason I’m giving you an option is because I think you’re cute. I also think you’re worth more if you submit to me than my forcing you.”
“But I have my limits,” Jack takes my hand in his and pauses his hoarse whispers to lift my phone, and unlocks it by forcing my thumb down on the biometric lock. He navigates my contacts and adds a number without saying anything. It seems like an eternity, and I feel dizzy when he takes the phone off my palm and tosses it on the sofa. I shiver as Jack tangles his fingers in my hair at the base of my neck and kisses my cheek with feathery softness, flattening his palm against my abdomen. His touch gave me goosebumps. “Don’t make me kill you,m'eudail. And about before, being off the market, as you said, just remember that blonds have more fun.”
When I return a sharp look, Jack smirks broadly, his eyes twinkling with mirth. When he lets go, he palms my hip heavily, and the tingling under my shirt intensifies. His smirk broadens as he secretly raises his finger to his lips. Walking past me, he raises a hand in a leisurely wave, rendering me speechless.
“Pick up when I call,m'eudail,” He looks back at me, and goosebumps cover my body as he scans me with narrowed eyes. “My address is on there, too, if you ever want to... renegotiate.” Jack licks his lips, his intent clear as day, and I cross my arms tightly over myself. He turns around, chuckling, and walks out of my house without a word.
CHAPTERTHREE
Heather
A shrill, high-pitched squeal rings in my ears as I stare at the archway through which Jack had just vanished. Fear has a vice-like grip on me, weaving its way up my spine — it's difficult to move or even breathe. Even as his phantom wraps around me, I can't take my gaze away from the spot.
Fucking Hell, I'm in big trouble. I'm screwed. My heart beats erratically in my chest as my mind tries to process what I just experienced.
Pick up when I call... My eyelids squeak shut, and I shiver as goosebumps cover my entire body. Jack Murphy. I look back at my phone, wrapping my arms around myself. My voice is rough, and I wince. As I reach for the cheek where Jack kissed me, a lump forms in my throat.
I croak a weak, uneasy laugh and palm my throat. I inhale a shuddering, shallow breath that stings my nostrils, gulping harshly. When I blink, I see Jack Murphy standing in the living room's entryway. I can feel his eyes judging me, but not in a contemptuous way.
“This is bad,” I sigh deeply. I shuffle forward to grab my phone, but I pause before unlocking it. My hands tremble, and my thumb tingles wildly. I close my eyes, duck my head, and place the phone back on the sofa. “What am I gonna do?”
A hardthunkreverberates up from the floors, and I stiffen, rushing for the stairs.
Liam! Fuck! My muscles tense as I sprint down to the kitchen, and stop short in shock. Liam writhes on the floor, attempting to tip the chair with his feet. His ankles and wrists are bound behind his back with duct tape, his body arching unnaturally in a strange, DIY hogtie.
“Oh, fuck, Liam!” When I shout, his head snaps up, and I walk over to him to peel the tape from around his mouth. His face flushed, he attempts to speak only to cough harshly. “Hold on— hold on, I’ll get some scissors.”
“Heather!” Liam croaks, his voice hoarse with fear. Standing up, I ignore him for the moment to look around. It doesn’t seem like anything was touched; relief slithers through my veins like a thick sludge. Pulling open a drawer, I grab a pair of shears before walking back to Liam. “What the fuck! What the fuck!”
“Shh,” I soothe, grabbing the long strips of tape that bind his hands and ankles together. Cutting the middle, I wince when his legs land flat on the floor, his face pressing against the wood. “Just breathe. That stupid ass— tying you like this! You could’ve suffocated!”
“Did you know them? They asked for you, knocked me out, and tied me up!” Liam wails, and I grab his biceps to help him sit up. He rubs his wrists and glares at me angrily. “Did you know them?”
“No, of course not! But,” I pause, gulping hard as I cut the tape around Liam's ankles. I sit back and let the shears clatter to the floor as his hot breathing stops. I shake my head and look up at him, palming my eye. “They knew me. They knew my dad. I— I don’t know what this was. A warning? But my dad’s dead; been dead for almost two years now... so I don’t know why they’re coming to me now, or for what.”
“Your dad? ” Liam asks sharply, his back against the heavy table leg. My eyes widen as I remember my and Jack's conversation for a few moments. The silence is deafening, and I pull my knee up to prop up my elbow while running my hand through my hair.
