Page 29 of The Devil's Heir

Liliana

I wait at the dining room table for Jarek to arrive.

Jackson informed me that our boss insisted that I have dinner with him.

If I'm being honest, I'm not quite sure what he wants from me.

It's obvious that he doesn't want a woman and that I'm here to give him an Heir, so why must we put on these pretenses of being anything more than employer and employee?

A yawn escapes me just as he walks into the room.

"You need to take better care of yourself, pauper. I need you healthy, and if you're not getting enough sleep then we're going to have to fix that."

"I'm getting plenty of sleep, Sir. I've been sitting here, bored out of my mind, waiting on you for over ten minutes." I don't care if I sound flippant. He should respect my time if he wants the same in return.

His smirk is irritating when he turns it on me.

When he stops behind my chair and leans in, my breath hitches as his masculine scent instantly hits me. He smells way too good.

"I love your boldness, Liliana, but be careful; I'm not one to dole out forgiveness. My specialty is punishment and that mouth of yours is going to get you in hot water really fast," he says with a strange note to his voice.

Very gently, he runs his hand down my head and through my hair before finally moving to his own chair. The kitchen staff begins carrying out platters of food the moment he sits.

I remain quiet, watching as platter after platter is set down. When the covers are removed, my eyes widen at the astronomical amount of food on each platter.

"Who eats all this, Sir?"

Jarek looks around at the platters and then shrugs. "Nobody. The leftovers get tossed."

My heart batters my chest with the thought of all this delicious food going to waste. So many people go hungry, especially those living on the streets. I know all too well what those hunger pains feel like.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to take the leftovers to Sunset. I know a few—"

"No." Jarek cuts me off with no explanation.

"Pardon me, Sir?"

His dark eyes meet mine, and one of his brows raises. "If you start feeding them, then they will expect it all the time, pauper."

"But you have so much food! I would think that as someone who takes pride in calling this town his, you'd want to help those in need.

I understand where you're coming from, but had you let me finish my sentence, you'd know I wasn't talking about everyone.

I have two friends who helped me when I became homeless.

All I want to do is ensure they are being cared for. It's just food, Sir."

His dark stare burns into me, and I can't tell whether my outburst was for naught. My hands twist the napkin I had placed on my lap, nervous about what he will say. I won't back down from things I'm passionate about, but that doesn't mean I won't be scared of what the aftermath will be.

Seeing Sasha in that cage and hearing what she has to endure should have made me keep quiet, but throwing all this food away enrages me. Instead of keeping my mouth shut and letting it be, I keep going.

"Do you know what it feels like to be hungry, Jarek?" I ask, and he jerks his head in my direction at the mention of his name. "Have you ever felt the pangs of being hungry after days of not eating? Do you know what that does to a body?"

"That's enough, pauper."

"Did you know that I almost died within the first year of being on the streets? All I had were scraps from the nearby dumpsters because I didn't dare venture further and be seen."

Although I see him blanch slightly, he states, "Then you shouldn't have run from me. "

"It wasn't just you…" I let my words trail off when I realize my mistake. I don't want him to know about Heath. That's none of his business.

His fork is halfway to his mouth when he stops in mid-motion and looks at me. "Go on. Who else were you running from?"

"Nobody—I didn't mean it that way."

"Then explain how you meant it because if there is someone else looking for you, it's my business to know this. You may be carrying my child as we speak, and I cannot have you in any kind of danger."

"No, I just meant…" I scramble to find something to say, but nothing comes to me.

Just when Jarek's about to say something, another voice rings out.

"Oh, how wonderful. We're going to have a nice family meal together." Carmen claps her hands and takes the chair across from me, on Jarek's right side.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jarek asks his aunt and I can't help my surprise at the way he just talked to her.

"I'm about to have dinner with my nephew and his wh—friend," Carmen smirks after her little fake blunder.

"You weren't invited." Jarek clenches his jaw and grips his knife in his hand as he addresses her.

"Oh, nonsense! I live here. I don't need an invite to eat dinner at my own table in my own house."

"You do if I'm here eating. I don't want to look at you; I'll lose my appetite."

"Jarek!" I gasp.

He turns my way. "That's the second time that you have forgotten your manners when addressing me, Liliana. I suggest you don't do it again."

Somehow, we start a staring match with each other, neither of us wanting to be the first to turn away. However, when Carmen snickers, Jarek snaps his attention back to her. It's almost as if he doesn't trust her. I wonder why he seems to hate his aunt so much.

"Either you leave, or I will have Jackson come and personally remove you. I have things to talk to Liliana about that are none of your fucking business."

As if he was standing just outside the door, which he probably was, Jackson appears in the doorway. Standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, his hand crosses over the other, and he waits.

Carmen narrows her eyes at Jarek. "You haven't fulfilled the terms as of yet, dear boy. You will do well to remember that. You are not in charge of everything until your little plaything over here gives you a brat."

I take offense at her nickname for me, but I remain silent. This is one conversation that I don't want to be involved in. Besides, I like standing on the sidelines and watching all the emotions that dance across Jarek's face. This woman genuinely bothers him, and I want to know why.

"Jackson, please see to it that my aunt gets comfortable in the sitting room, and I'll have the staff deliver her dinner." Jarek never looks away from his aunt as he instructs Jackson.

"Yes, Sir."

Jackson comes forward, and when he goes to take Carmen by her arm, she jerks away. "Don't fucking touch me! Never touch me again."

Carmen stands abruptly and walks out of the room. Jackson hurries to follow, ensuring that she doesn't bother us again. I'm unsure what to say, so I pick up my fork and eat. Thanks to Carmen's arrival, Jarek has forgotten all about our prior conversation, and he begins to eat, too.

I sit back in my chair when my stomach is full, hoping Jarek will excuse me. Unfortunately, he takes a few more bites himself, wipes his mouth with the white linen napkin, and leans back in his chair. He picks up his glass of untouched wine and swirls it around in the glass.

"I have something to give you, and I don't want any fuss over it." Jarek takes a sip of the red liquid and then sets it down.

"Okay, Sir."

I don't care if he wants to give me things. I won't fight him on it because it's no use. If he wants to spend his money on me, so be it.

"What, no questions?"

"Will it make a difference if I asked questions, Sir? "

The corner of his mouth tilts up, and a shadow of a smile appears. "No, it won't."

"Well then, I have no questions, Sir."

Jarek reaches into the inside of his suit jacket and pulls out a white bottle. From the sounds of it, it's full of pills. An uneasy feeling sweeps through me as I eye the bottle warily.

"What are those?"

Jarek sets the bottle on the table and slowly slides it over to me. "This will ensure you conceive in the next couple of months."

"Wait! What? I'm not taking any pills! That was not in the contract."

"Maybe not, but you agreed to the pregnancy, and taking these will help it along."

"I don't even know what they are! They could be harmful—"

"They're not!" Jarek's anger is visible. "Do you think I would do anything to endanger you or my Heir? You only need to take them until we have a positive test. It's to help with your fertility."

"So, what? There's a possibility that I could have multiple births?" I ask incredulously.

"No. Doc ensured me that it won't increase the chance of having multiple births, just that you ovulate on time and for an extra day or two."

I pick the bottle up and turn it around, reading the instructions. Take one pill daily for the desired effect. I can't even read the name of the drug.

"Can I use your phone, Sir?"

Jarek cocks his brow, asking, "What for?"

"I would like to look up this drug before I put it inside my body, if you don't mind, Sir," I reply a bit rudely.

Rolling his eyes, he hands me his phone, and I type the drug name into the search bar and wait. It pops up instantly, but I don't like the results.

"What's the matter?" Jarek inquires.

"Um, it says here that it's not FDA-approved."

"So."

"So?" I question. "I'm not putting an unknown or unapproved drug into my system." I insist angrily.

He studies me momentarily, and then—it happens. The fucker bribes me. With a smug grin, Jarek says, "I'll let Jackson take you over to Sunset with the leftovers if you're a good girl and take one of those pills. "

I open my mouth and then close it, too stunned to form any words. I can't believe he would use feeding my friends against me like this! Wait—yes, I can. This is Jarek Falcon we're talking about. I slam the bottle down and glower at him.

"What is it that I have done to make you want to torture me the way that you do?"

Jarek shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not torturing you, pauper. I've taken you off the street, given you a roof over your head and food in your stomach. In return, I ask that you give me your submission and have my child."

"You're making me take drugs now!" I can't keep my voice low any longer.

However, I've pushed too far; I see it immediately by the way his eyes widen, then narrow. Jarek stands up and removes his suit jacket, laying it over the arm of his chair.

"Get up and bend over the table."

"What?"

"I will not repeat myself, Liliana."

There's ice to his tone, and instead of pissing him off more, I stand slowly and lower my upper body until it's flat against the table. No sooner am I bent over than he's tearing down my leggings and panties and spanking my ass.

"I'm sorry, Sir!"

"No, you're not, but you will be. I've let you get away with way too many things. It's time you understand your true place here." His hand comes down repeatedly; I've lost count as to how many I've received.

Tears drip from my face onto the table, and once he's done, I remain where I am. He leans over me, his chest brushing my back and his hardness grazing my burning, bare ass. His breath hits my ear as he says, "Now be a good girl, and take the fucking pill."