"Next morning, a stack of cash on the nightstand and a note. Good service. The extra's your tip." She repeated the words like she was tasting something rotten. "Now you're telling me you thought that was my setup?"
I didn't answer.
She took a sharp breath, stepped back, and grabbed her bag.
"Listen," she said. "That night was an accident. I thought you needed help, so I stayed, and then we—" She stopped. "Never mind. Doesn't matter. What matters is I regret it now. I really regret it. I regret not letting you burn to death in that room."
She turned toward the door.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Her skin was cold, her wrist so thin I could circle it with one hand. The moment I touched her, that tightness hit my lower abdomen again.
Fuck. What the hell is this?
"Let go," she said, and didn't look back.
"You owe me."
She spun around, looked at me like I was insane. "What the fuck do I owe you?"
"An engagement. An explanation. A child." I pulled her back. She stumbled, turned to face me. Close enough now that I could see the curve of her lashes, the dry cracks in her lips, that flicker of vulnerability she hadn't had time to hide.
"Here's the deal," I said, dropping my voice. "We make a trade."
She looked at me, confused. "What?"
"You owe Vito Castro one hundred fifty-three thousand," I said. "His people are watching your sister, right? School, apartment, where you work. How long do you think before he makes a move?"
Her pupils contracted.
"Those debts," I continued, "you owe Castro one hundred fifty-three grand, plus interest. Two hundred thirty thousand total. I bought all your debt."
She went rigid.
"You—what?"
"From today on, you don't owe Vito. You owe me," I said, pulled a document from the drawer, and slid it across to her. "Debt transfer agreement. Legal and binding."
She stared at it, face getting whiter.
"You're a real son of a bitch," she said, voice shaking. "Complete bastard."
"Maybe." I shrugged. "Castro, I can make him disappear from your life forever. Your sister, Sophie, right? Seventeen, excellent grades, wants to be a doctor. You think she can afford college on what you're making?"
Her lips started to tremble.
"I'll set up an education fund for her," I said. "Whatever school she wants, she goes. Whatever she wants to study, she studies. No working. No loans. No worrying about getting cornered in an alley."
"What do you want?" Her voice was hoarse.
"Marry me. Have the baby."
She stared like I'd just spoken an alien language.
"Marry you?"
"Contract marriage," I said. "You have the baby. I provide everything you and your sister need. After birth, you get a settlement and get your freedom back. Kid stays with me, but you can visit whenever. Fair."
