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Somehow, her gray gaze was even more piercing than Olivia’s. Colin could tell this was the ‘older sister’ gaze. He raised an eyebrow, never having had one, so it didn’t bother him.
Olivia’s sister rounded the table fast as shit and got in Colin's face. Lowering his chopsticks, he placed the carton of sweet and sour chicken down, amused by Vanessa’s flash of temper. He cleared his throat and folded his arms as he leaned his hips against the sink, biting back a grin.
“Explain yourself this instant! What the fuck is she talking about? That’s way too much money. Are you crazy?! What the fuck is GOING ON?” Vanessa bit out, her eyes flashing dangerously at him. He saw Olivia appear in the hallway timidly, looking at her sister as if she was superwoman. Olivia inched closer, wringing her hands.
He smiled, thinking they were both adorable, and no match for him.
“For what!?” Vanessa hissed, drawing his attention back to her. She narrowed her eyes even further at him as she poked her finger into his chest. “What the fuck did she promise you for that money? That’s more than most people see in a lifetime!” she whispered angrily, trying to not be overheard by Allison.
Vanessa squeaked as he moved suddenly, picking her up and placing her on a chair.
Colin ignored her surprised expression and pressed an unopened box of chicken kung pao in her hands firmly along with some chop sticks. He turned his head and threw Olivia his brightest smile in repentance for touching her sister, however innocent.
“There’s not really too much to explain. Olivia and I came to a mutually beneficial understanding. She agreed to give me two and a half years of her time in exchange for money for Allison’s treatments, finishing architect school, letting me help build her business and giving me a three percent profit from said future architect business. Along with some other bonuses. Simple. So simple.”
Colin curiously watched Vanessa's face slowly turn redder with each word and wondered how long that could go on before her head popped off. He continued.
“She couldn’t give me a numerical value on Allison’s treatment and her contribution to this household. So I took it upon myself to estimate two million should suffice for a while unless something major happens. And in that event, I expect you to call me,” he met Vanessa's stare just as directly as she gave it. Waiting patiently, silently letting her know that she didn’t intimidate him. "Was I wrong, would three million be better?" he studiously ignored Olivia's gasp of suprise, keeping his eyes on her sister.
"Five?" he kept going. "Ten? Fifteen? Tell me what I'm working with," Vanessa's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her face. She turned her head to look at Olivia, who pulled out the other chair and was sitting down, looking weary.
"God is your pussy lined with gold or something? What the hell?" Vanessa breathed so quietly, if it weren't for Colin's military background he wouldn't have been able to hear it.
"Vanessa!" Olivia's jaw dropped in shock and embarrassment, and she turned her head away from the two of them so hard her neck audibly cracked.
She's shy...timid about sex. Interesting, it's going to be so fun breaking her in, Colin thought, pleased. He refocused his attention back on Vanessa, who was talking again.
“She-she said something about a binding agreement…two and a half years?” Vanessa turned and threw Olivia a filthy look, getting up and pacing the small kitchen back and forth. “Well, she gets to finish architect school...Gramps would like that,” she mused to herself quietly, tapping a fingernail against her tooth. “But, ok…what if you guys don’t like each other? What if something happens, and she wants to break the agreement? Well?” Vanessa asked, turning on both with incredulous eyes.
Colin waited for Olivia to tell her, putting his dark chocolate eyes on her green, still shell-shocked ones. When no explanation was forthcoming, he had pity on her, answering her sister himself.
“Oh she’ll be stuck paying me back every cent, every day, for the rest of her life. Even if she leaves a day early,” his voice came out rough, his eyes still on Olivia’s wary ones. His own crinkled as he felt that illicit thread pull tighter between them.
Christ, he thought, getting lost in her eyes. He hadn’t even touched her properly yet, and he felt like a simpering mess. He didn’t know what was going to happen when he finally got inside of her.
Maybe we'll burn each other up with our passion and neither one of us would have to owe anyone anything, he thought rather wistfully.
Vanessa’s head cranked to the side as she looked at her sister in sympathy.
“Oh Ollie! I knew you were getting into something you shouldn’t have,” Vanessa put her head in her hands, taking a deep breath. “The way you consistently brought in all that money every month for four years. Damn you girl,” she looked sadly at her.
Leaning forward, Vanessa placed her forehead against Olivia’s momentarily, giving her a soft kiss on her cheek and pulling back.
Colin studied this interaction closely. Olivia’s relationship with Allison and Vanessa would be one he would have to protect. His eyes flickered back to Olivia.
“I’ve been telling you! I wasn’t sleeping with anyone to get that money!” Olivia flashed annoyed eyes at her sister before pulling open her own carton of food.
Colin watched, enamored, as she poured an interesting amount of sweet and sour sauce and soy sauce on her food, before mixing it with a completely different beef dish. His nose crinkled in surprise, and he frowned.
Gross, he thought with some amusement.
“What else brings in that kind of money?” Vanessa shot at her sister, and he could hear a smidgen of anger in her voice. She cocked her head at Olivia.
“Drugs? You’re in with the cartel?” Vanessa asked.
Olivia rolled her eyes, chewing and swallowing her food with a long suffering sigh.
“Stealing?” Vanessa pushed. Olivia shook her head no, starting to dissociate and get annoyed, putting some more food in her mouth. Colin noticed she ate a lot neater than her sister, who dropped her food onto the table with a horrified expression on her face.
