“Understood.” She nods, not looking up. Her long brown hair covering her face like a curtain, and I’m guessing that’s by design.
“Get dressed. We have to go see Maddox.”
She scurries off the bed, and I avert my gaze. If I look at her naked body right now, we won’t leave this room any time soon.
When we leave, I grab hold of her upper arm and walk her down the hall. As we enter the bar area, I tighten my grip on her, pulling her along rougher than necessary. She whimpers but doesn’t complain.
It’s early, and there are only a few people in the bar for a morning beer, but I don’t want anyone to know what Penny is to me. I walk her straight through the bar to the staircase leading up to Maddox’s office.
I don’t let go of Penny until we’re in front of his door. She rubs her arm where I held onto her, and the unwanted pang of guilt hits me.
Knocking on the door, I wait for Maddox to call us in.
“Come in…”
Pushing the door open, I step in and take a seat opposite him at his desk. Penny walks in after me timidly. She closes the door, and I motion for her to sit down next to me.
Keeping her head down, like she is avoiding eye contact with Maddox, she takes the seat.
“We still can’t find him,” he growls. “But since she is here, I have a job for her.”
Maddox opens a drawer behind his desk and gets out a stack of papers, putting them on the table in front of Penny.
“I need you to go through these and check all the numbers from the last few years.”
“Okay,” she says so quietly, it’s almost inaudible. She clears her throat and when she talks again, it’s loud and clear. “But I want something in return.”
Fuck.
I grind my teeth together in anger. She is going to ask for her debt to be forgiven, I fucking know it. Without debt, I have no real reason to keep her here.
Maddox leans back in his office chair. “Is that so? I don’t think you are in a position to make demands, but out of curiosity, what is it you want?”
“I want a laptop and internet access,” she explains.
“I’ll get you a fucking laptop,” I growl. “Now, run the damn numbers.” I don’t know who is more surprised by my outburst, Maddox, Penny, or myself.
Her shaking hand reaches for the papers, and she looks through them.
“I’ll need some time for these,” she whispers.
“You can take them to Ryder’s room, but they are not leaving the compound–”
Maddox hasn’t finished speaking when I’m on my feet. Gathering the papers, I shove them under my arm and grab Penny to pull her from her seat.
“Anything else?” I growl.
“Come back later, I need to talk to you in private,” he says dismissively.
“Fine.” I nod and drag Penny out of the office and through the bar the same way we came.
Slamming the door shut, I lock us back in my room and throw the stack of papers on the bed.
“What the fuck was that?” I yell at her, making her go pale. Guilt is written all over her face, but not even that is calming me down right now.
“I-I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I just need to fill out some applications–”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I don’t let her finish. “You don’t demand things from Maddox. You don’t demand things from anyone here.”
