“It’s fine.Maya, please.”I hate that it sounds like I’m begging, but I won’t have her sleeping here tonight.Why won’t she just listen?“I have a place, it’s empty.I just can’t go home knowing you’re going to be sleeping here.”
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Do you really need to ask me that?”I scoff.
“Why do you have an empty apartment?”
Questions, questions.Always more questions.
“It’s a ...rental property and I’m looking for a tenant.”
“You rich people, buying up all prime real estate and squeezing the little people out of renting,” she says bitterly.
“That’s what we do.”
“Of course you do.It’s the reason so many people can’t buy or rent because landlords like you…” She stops herself.
“Please,” I say, exasperation creeping in, edged with worry.“I’d sleep better, and I’m sure you would too, if you’d stay there.I’m not asking you to stay with me ...”
“How much is the rent?I can pay daily, if that’s okay—”
“You can pay hourly, if it makes you feel better,” I snap, then relent immediately.“I’m sorry.It’s late.We can’t spend all night discussing this.”
A soft cough interrupts us.I turn to see a security guard glancing at us, then pointedly at Katherine’s sofa.“Everything okay here?”he asks.“I’ll need to note that someone was in Ms.Pott’s office out of hours.”
Maya’s shoulders tense, and fear flashes across her eyes.
“That won’t be necessary,” I say smoothly, stepping forward without thinking.“She was working late on my instructions.I’ll handle it.”
The guard hesitates, looking unconvinced, then nods.“I’ll make a note you were both here.”His curious gaze lingers, before he leaves.
The damage is done.Maya exhales shakily, looking at me like she’s run out of options.
“You can’t stay here now,” I say quietly.“Not tonight.”
She swallows, then nods, then after a pause asks, “Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay at your empty apartment?”
“Do you trust me?”Our gazes hold.
It’s the same question I asked her years ago, when I told her to meet me at the boathouse in the early hours of the morning, when the estate was still asleep, so that we could catch the sunrise.She was scared, didn’t want my father to catch us.Didn’t want to cause any trouble for her mom.
“Y-yes.”She hesitates, and I can tell she has more questions, but she’s trusting me, and I won’t let her down.She gets up and gathers her belongings.Then she asks if she can go to the washroom quickly.I nod.Minutes later, we’re outside.I hold the door to my Porsche open for her.Thankfully she’s too tired to tell me that I don’t need to do this.
As she climbs in, I tell her I need to fix a few things, so she sits waiting for me, while I pace outside making a few important last-minute calls.
Chapter 18
MAYA
I get into Zach’s car feeling like I dodged one bullet, but now I’m heading towards a different type of danger.
It feels like I’m about to jump headfirst off a cliff.Cross another line.I’m wound too tightly, my nerves tangled up with adrenaline and caution as I watch Zach outside pacing the street.
I feel even worse for burdening him.He’s got so much to deal with, so much to prove to his twisted family.I’m just giving him more work and stress he doesn’t need.
A few moments later he gets into the car, and gives me a reassuring smile.“Ready?”
Ready for what?But I nod, because there’s no use in asking questions.I don’t have any other option, so I give in and try to go with the flow.
