Page 53 of Bound in Debt

They get you. They know your habits. You essentially become the same person split into two bodies.

“Victoria,” Ellie warns, lowering her voice. “I know something’s up. Time to spill.”

“I just told you?—”

“Ladies!” calls a bombastic voice that could only belong to life-of-the-party, wheeler-and-dealer Chase Gladden.

Any scrap of plausible deniability just flew out the window.

Ellie lifts a brow and crosses her arms, letting me know she has no plans to go anywhere. She’s caught me and she plans on getting the truth out of me one way or another.

“Victoria…” Chase trills my name in a sing-song tone as he crosses the length of the hall to join us. “Have to say, I was surprised to hear from you.”

“Why’s that?” I want to finish this transaction quickly. And I hope to God I can make him understand how critical it is that he keeps our business to himself when we’re done.

“Because you’re not part of the bad girl crowd.” He puts air quotes around that last bit and I bite back a grimace. “I thought you liked to follow the rules, do things by the book.”

“I got a fake ID, didn’t I?”

“That’s juvie shit,” he returns with a smirk. “Everyone has one. But your text message was intriguing, to say the least.”

“What’s so intriguing about a customer reaching out?” Ellie interrupts.

I ignore her. I can’t let her scare him off and ruin my shot at self-determination. “I appreciate you meeting me so soon, Chase. I need you to do this quick and stay quiet.”

Ellie leans into me and murmurs my name under her breath. “What kind of problem are we having?”

Chase glances at her with a worried expression, clearly not digging her questions or presence. My text warned him I had a big ask and he’s savvy enough to have figured out whatever I need is majorly illegal.

“I need a full set of papers. They have to be believable,” I tell him, reaching down to squeeze Ellie’s hand and silently begging her to shut up. “I’m talking a legit social security card and a passport that will get me out of the country.”

Chase jerks his attention back to me, his wide green eyes seeming to take up half his face. “Whoa, whoa…you need what now?”

I squeeze Ellie’s fingers as tight as I can, stopping whatever she was about to blurt out. I struggle to stay calm, to act like I know what the hell I’m doing. “Do you need me to write it down? I’m not interested in playing games.”

Chase’s brow lowers and his jaw clenches. “You’re serious?”

“Very.” I pull out my cell phone and unlock it. “How much?”

“It’s gonna be pricey, Victoria,” he tells me, sounding nervous. “This…this is some high-level shit. A fake driver’s license for bar-hopping is one thing—that’s easy—but a new identity with all the trimmings…” His voice trails off and he swallows hard. I gather every bit of bravado I can as I quirk a brow at him. If Chase has doubts about his ability to deliver on what I need, I’m going to have to find someone else. And I don’t have a clue how to do that.

“Can you do it? I’m not trying to be a bitch here, but I’m on a very tight timeline.”

Chase steals a glance at Ellie, clearly hoping she can bring me back to reality, but she tilts her chin and levels him with a look. It seems I can count on her support for now, but I know the moment we’re alone she’s going to demand answers.

“Does Liam know about this?”

“It’s none of his business,” I snap coldly. “Are you my guy or not?”

“I can get it done,” he finally says.

“You’re sure?”

He gives me a brief nod. “What’s the deadline?”

“Yesterday.”

“Is this going to come back on me? Because I actually like it here, walking free?—”