“You love her?” he asked. “It doesn’t matter what they say. They want to be spoiled rotten and feel adored, and that takes a lot of money. If you don’t make it happen, she’ll find another sucker who will. It’s just the circle of life, kid.”
“It’s not like that between us.”
“And what do you think it’s like?”
My head was spinning. He knew how to drive a point home.
Isla isn’t like that, right?
I knew nothing about women and even less about her.
Inhaling a deep, reassuring breath, I changed the subject. “For how long?”
He negotiated. “As long as we’re both making money and happy, I don’t see a reason to put a deadline on it.” Abruptly, he stood, gesturing to the doors. “Why don’t you think about it? You let me know when you’re ready to do some real business.”
I followed his lead, standing. “Alright, I’ll head out to the club?—”
“No,” he snapped. “That won’t be necessary. You can head back home. It gives you more time to decide on our future together.”
“Oh,” I strained. “So I either work for you full-time or I don’t work for you at all? Is that how this is going to go?”
He extended his hand for me to shake. “I’m just a businessman after all, Julius.”
In the blink of an eye, I lost, surrendering.
I had no choice.
“Fine.” I bargained, “But only until I’m eighteen.” I shook his hand, declaring, “Deal?”
“It works for now,” he noted, shaking my hand back.
Feeling as if I just made a deal with the devil, I got the hell out of there. On my way to the door, I turned back around, and without second-guessing myself, I demanded, “If you do see my mother, tell her to stay dead.”
I meant every last word.
Isla
I listened to Kraven play the piano for hours, feeling in my heart that he was playing just for me. Fully aware of how much their musicmeant to me. There was no hiding it from them or anyone, for that matter.
The power it held over me was apparent, and I wanted them to see it. Being able to control a person’s emotions through music was a special gift. Every time I got lost in their indescribable talents, everything else faded away.
My problems.
My worries.
My shame.
Showing my vulnerability to Kraven was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, and the fact that I shared the same sentiment with his brother the night before made me feel like shit.
I broke down by myself, there in Julius’s bedroom, as his brother sought out my soul through the keys of a piano.
My chest was locking up.
My eyes were blurring with fresh tears.
My lungs were caving in, suffocating in my own misery.
I lay there on Julius’s bed with my hand on the wall, trying to hold on to the melody that gave me peace through the horrible memories, through the future I may never have, through the fear and doubt that never left me.
