She changed the plansby coming home early from work. Donovan and I planned it where we were supposed to have her bedroom cleared out before she got home, so all we had to do was get her when the time came.
I had contacted her uncle and extended his credit by ten thousand. Ten thousand well spent, though. He’d end up losing it back to the blackjack or poker tables, anyway.
The only person we were concerned about showing up was the cousin, but if she showed up, we could handle it with a little Rohypnol so she wouldn’t remember anything about us being here.
“Why?” Zoey flared up at me. Her eyes burned with fury as her face flushed.
I didn’t expect she would believe me if I told her that her uncle was planning to sell her virginity in one of Botello’s flesh auctions. Who the fuck knew where she would end up or in whose bed? I wasn’t about to let that happen. So, until I could present her with the proof of what her uncle was planning, I had to let her believe the worst.
“Your uncle owes me a lot of money, and you will make sure I get to collect. Cooperate and I won’t hurt you.
She gave a humorless laugh, “Every TV show I’ve watched and book I’ve read would contradict what you just said.”
I ignored her as I guided her into the bedroom. She kept it simply decorated and clean. She didn’t have any frills or knickknacks, mostly just books.
Donovan already had her luggage on the bed, and he threw most of the clothes into it.
“Why are you home from work?” I asked her as I turned her to let her sit on the edge of the bed. She didn’t respond, she just glared at me. I found it humorous that this young scrap of a woman would glare at me. Few people would dare to do that.
“She doesn’t seem to want to talk, Boss.” Donovan grinned, noticing the glare she was shooting at me.
I shrugged. “That’s okay. I like my women silent and willing anyway,” I joked and lied to see her reaction, and Zoey did not disappoint.
“I’m not your woman, and I will not be silently willing to do anything with you!” She shot up like she was going to run for the door, but I easily stopped her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her hard against my body.
I wanted her the first time I had seen her up close and personal in that restaurant, and I knew she had been reacting to my presence, too. Otherwise, she never would have given her table away for no reason.
“Easy, Zoey. Lighten up. It was a joke. I’m trying to show you we really don’t want to hurt you. We just want you to cooperate until this is all over.”
“Until what is all over?”
“Until I’ve dealt with your uncle, for starters.” I pushed her back toward the bed and she sat down. She watched on as we finished emptying her drawers and closet of everything she owned.
“Your cell phone stays here.”
“I have school. People will notice when I’m not there.”
“You’re sick and doing online for the last two weeks.”
“I have work!” She was lying. She came home early for a reason. I wasn’t sure what it was, but she was lying when she said she had work.
“Not anymore, you don’t.” I shrugged.
She gasped. “I just quit. How did you know already?”
I grinned. “Perfect timing.”
She realized her mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. “I’m supposed to be going somewhere with my best friend tomorrow. We have been planning this for six months. She will know something is wrong when I don’t show up.”
This time, she was telling the truth. Wherever she was supposed to go tomorrow with her best friend was important to them both. One gift I got from living at the group home and my stint in juvie was learning quick how to read people. It was also how I made a lot of money playing poker and taking money from assholes like Michaelson.
“Sorry, Zoey. Whatever your plans were, they have just changed.”
Fear and resignation crossed her face, and I hated to see it. I’d rather see the sparks in her eyes and the anger while she was glaring at me. “You never told me why you were doing this.”
“You’ll understand soon enough, but right now, we need to get moving before your cousin comes home.” I turned to look over at Donovan. “Go pull our car out of the garage and get the bags loaded into the trunk.”
He took off to do as I said. “Is there anything else you will need? Anything else important to you, Zoey? This isn’t the time to be stubborn. If it’s important, we need to take it now, because I don’t know when you will be back here.”
