Page 27 of Bought

“I really do love it. Thank you.” She spins on her heel and hurries toward the door, answering her phone with a breathless, “Hello?” Something on the other end of that phone instantly stops her.

She stands there, her hand frozen on the doorknob, but she doesn't open the door yet.

She’s hiding something. And the person on that phone?

They terrify her.

CHAPTER NINE

Erin

It's freezing out here. The city lights are dim as I listen to the commanding voice echoing through my phone. A chill runs through me, but it’s not from the weather.

The fur lining of this coat is so thick that I don’t even need to hold it tighter around myself to stay warm.

I do it anyway, like a self-soothing hug, but I don’t feel better.

I’m terrified. I feel like I’ve walked into yet another storm that I can’t outrun. I clutch my phone, now on silent, in my sweaty palm.

Clearing the fear from my throat, I hiss, “I’m here now. Right now. Check my location if you want.”

“You were there before. Last night. And you brought us nothing.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Good,” he says. “We already have a head start on our end of the deal."

Spiders crawl across the back of my neck. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve located Caleb for you.”

“That’s good…”

Isn’t it?

But something still doesn’t seem quite right. These men aren’t exactly known for their altruism, and I haven’t done anything for them yet.

I hold back my applause. “Is he still in England?”

“Not your concern. But know, we’re keeping tabs on him.”

My stomach feels like it's in my throat. I’m bracing for the gut punch that's definitely coming.

My reply is a whisper. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Miss Croft.” He pauses, and I wait for the punch to land.

Three…Two…One…

“And if you don’t deliver what we need, well, it’d be a shame to let your current address slip to Caleb.” My stomach churns as he asks, “Wouldn’t it?”

“Like I said,” my mouth is as dry as sandpaper, and I try to swallow, resulting in a choked sound. “I’m here now. I’m taking care of it.”

The line goes dead.

“Hello?”

I slip my phone into the pocket of my coat, the one he bought me to keep me warm. Sending a driver with a luxury car, buying me this coat. He’s taking care of me, and I can’t deny I love the feeling.