“For God’s sake,” Ray mutters, already losing patience.
He steps in beside me, close enough that I catch the faint scent of his aftershave—something dark, expensive,and distracting.
My breath hitches.
He reaches past me, grabbing a bag of coffee from the cupboard above my head. His arm brushes mine as he scoops the grounds into the machine, his movements quick and efficient, but not easy for me to follow.
The lid snaps shut and he presses a button. The machine hums to life, gurgling as it starts to brew.
He places a cup beneath the spout, then moves away, taking a seat at the island again.
“We need to go over some rules,” he says, his voice clipped.
I blink, dragging myself back to reality. “Rules?” I repeat.
“Yes,” he says coolly. “The kind you follow if you want to keep your job.”
The coffee machine clicks off behind me. I take the cup over and sit across from him at the island.
“Okay.”
“No lies,” he says firmly. “I hate liars, and I won’t tolerate them. Not even the small ones.”
I nod.
“No men . . . or women, staying over.”
Another nod.
“Anika may act like she’s in charge,” he continues, his tone turning colder, “but I pay your wage. That makesmeyour boss. If you break my rules, she won’t be able to save you.”
“Okay,” I say again, quieter this time.
“You’ll have Mondays and Tuesdays off. On those days, an agency carer will cover you. Nurses come in throughout the day to handle her medication, so your priority is companionship and basic care. Catherine will train you on everything.”
He pauses briefly before continuing.
“You may need to administer additional pain relief if required. It’s all documented.”
I nod, trying to keep up.
“Catherine would prefer you start on Monday, even though it’s technically your day off. The sooner you’re trained, the sooner she can retire.”
He slides a folder across the counter.
“Your employment package is in there. If there’s anything you’re unhappy with, tell me and I’ll see what can be done.”
There’s a brief pause, then his gaze locks onto mine. “Anika is very important to me,” he says, his voice dropping slightly. “She is my priority. I will do whatever it takes to protect her.”
A chill runs down my spine.
“If you upset her,” he continues, “you upset me. And that’s not a position you want to be in. Am I clear?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
He reaches into his pocket and places a key card on the counter. “This gives you access to the private elevator. My main office is on the floor below.”
“Thank you.”
