The move was sweet and unexpected. He pressed his palm to her cheek then stepped in front of her and slipped the key into the lock. It opened easily and he pushed the door open.
No lights came on so Killian reached inside, groping along the wall until he found a light switch. The Jack took this retro thing to the extreme.
Crossing the threshold, he stepped into a small room. “All clear,” he said after exploring the tiny space.
The room had a miniature bathroom, with a tiny shower and a tinier sink. The furniture fit the room. Small dresser, small table and chairs. Only the bed wasn’t tiny.
Dizzie stepped into the room behind him and closed the door. Suddenly the room felt even smaller. “Cozy.”
That was one word for it. At least three rooms this size would fit into his master bedroom.
“Three?”
“What?”
Dizzie slipped by him and sat on the edge of the bed. She kicked off her stiletto heels and sighed with relief. “Your bedroom is the size of three of these rooms?”
Shit, had he said that out loud? “Yeah.”
“How many of these beds can you fit in yours?”
Killian pictured Dizzie in his bed and it took him a moment to parse her question correctly. “What?”
She gave him a cheeky grin. A grin that gave him all sorts of ideas.
Then she got quiet. “My room’s about this size. A little less grim,” she said. “Better lighting, too, but about the same size. Definitely better décor. It wasn’t much, but it was home and I miss it.”
“You have an apartment?” he asked.
Dizzie shook her head. “No. Well, kind of. I live in Tremaine headquarters. They have dorms for people like me. I have a room.”
Killian sat on the edge of the bed, careful to leave space between them. “But you could leave if you wanted to?”
“Sure.” She looked at him, her expression serious. “It doesn’t make sense, though. Why pay rent when that money could go toward paying off my contract.”
“Contract? What contract?” He was missing a key factor of this conversation. That feeling was reinforced when she stared at him.
“You really don’t know?”
“No,” he said.
She shifted until she sat facing him, her knees curled sideways on the bed. “I don’t work for the company, Killian. I belong to them.”
He flinched. “What do you mean, youbelongto them?”
“They raised me. Clothed me. Fed and sheltered me. Put me to work once I was old enough. And if I ever want to be free of them, I have to pay all of it back.”
His stomach churned. Killian struggled to process her words.
“Some people don’t worry about it. They do the work and live their lives and are perfectly content. The first time Tremaine put me on a motorcycle, I felt free. I loved it.” Her eyes drifted closed and a smile played over her lips. “I loved it and wanted more. And that was when I was determined that I would be free.”
Her blue eyes pinned him in place, her expression serious. Sad. “I take extra shifts whenever I can. That’s what I was doing the night of the gala. There was a big bonus attached to that delivery if it was completed by midnight. So that’s what I did.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “That’s all it was supposed to be. Some extra credits so I could pay off my contract.”
Mind racing, Killian didn’t know how to react. He’d already decided that she was a victim too. To discover the tragedy was so much deeper horrified him and strengthened his resolve to find the person responsible for the bomb.
When he didn’t respond, Dizzie sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse. I just… I just wanted you to know.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and started to slide off.
Killian placed a hand on her shoulder. “No, don’t go. It’s a lot to take in. How little I know about the people who worked for the Tremaine Corporation and the other companies my family hold stock in.” He held her gaze. “I don’t blame you.”
