Page 28 of Bought

And I hate the thought of crossing him.

A sudden wave of self-hatred hits me. I was so confident, walking into his apartment that first night. Simple plan?

I’m not only a terrible person, but I’m naïve, too.

Breathe, Erin.

I want to come clean, tell him everything, beg him for help.

He’ll be furious. He’ll send me away. He’ll never want to see me again.

Rightfully so.

And then where will my family be?

Vulnerable. Unprotected.

I can’t afford to make another enemy.

Especially one as dangerous as the Morettis.

Rumors are spreading around the city about what happened to the last person who crossed them. I’ve heard his cut-off fingers are arriving one at a time at different houses.

The image I’ve spent too much time and not enough therapy on resurfaces. My beloved sister, broken on the kitchen floor, blood staining the tiles beneath her as well as her hair, her face, and her baby.

“Ryan.” His name is on my lips like a prayer. “Sweet Ryan.”

I’ll go back in, and do my job, so I can completely cut ties with these dangerous men.

All of these dangerous men.

Even the one who makes me feel like my heart is beating for the first time.

Deep breath. Steady nerves. Chin high. Smile.

I breeze through the door.

He’s waiting on the other side.

The moment he steps toward me, the atmosphere in the room shifts. Thick, charged, like I could reach out and touch a current. It’s that powerful force that exists between us, with its own breath and heartbeat.

He traces along the strap of my bra, right where it peeks out from my neckline, and the shiver that runs through me is impossible to hide.

“You’re nervous,” he says, gesturing for me to turn. “Let me help you with your coat.”

I raise my chin higher, slipping my arms out of the sleeves as he lifts. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows what to look for.” Standing behind me, he leans in, and his lips are pressed to my earlobe.

“Like you said,” I mutter, hoping sarcasm hides the pounding of my heart. “I’m not a professional.”

He brushes my hair back away from my neck, letting it fall over my right shoulder.

A second, even more delicious shiver runs through me. He’s kissing the curve at the base of my neck, and my eyes close, an involuntary moan passing my lips as he nips my tender flesh with his teeth.

His mouth is gone, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. He’s disappeared. Blinking, I turn around and watch him walk back to the bar. He folds my coat over the same stool as before.

Standing behind the bar, he refills my glass with water. Looking into my eyes, he says, “Join me.”