Then she looked at me, her expression unreadable.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is just the beginning.”
Truth held my gaze for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
And walked out of the conference room to quit her job. She didn’t know that’s what she was doing, but I wasn’t letting her step foot in this hellhole again.
Chapter 6
TRUTH
Iwas back in Amai’s Mercedes for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, and it didn’t feel as awkward as it should have.
The leather seats still smelled expensive—like money and power. The dashboard glowed soft blue in the late afternoon light. The engine purred so quietly I could barely hear it over the low hum of the air conditioning.
I sat with the duffel bag of cash between my feet, my hands folded in my lap, trying not to think about the fact that I may have just quit my job.
Trying not to think about the fact that I’d signed a contract to carry a stranger’s baby.
Trying not to think about the way Amai’s voice had sounded when he’d told Amber she better respect me or regret it.
But mostly, I was trying not to think about the way my chest had tightened when he’d saidI’m his.
I didn’t belong to anybody.
I’d told him that.
But the way he’d looked at me when I said it—like he was filing that information away for later, like he was planning to prove me wrong—made something low in my stomach twist.
I watched the streets pass by outside the window.
We were heading away from the Seventh Ward.
Away from Mama’s house.
I frowned.
“Where we going?” I asked.
Amai didn’t look at me. Just kept his eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the center console.
“Quick stop,” he said.
“Quick stop where?”
“You’ll see.”
I turned in my seat to look at him. “Amai.”
“Relax,” he said, his voice calm. “I’m not kidnapping you.”
