“I’ll go to the FBI, then,” I shot back. “You won’t get away with this.”
He sighed. “Tori, listen. KZM is operating under the knowledge—and protection—of people in the highest levels of law enforcement in the country.” He paused a moment, letting his meaning sink in. “No matter where you turn, you won’t find a sympathetic ear. And you won’t be helping any of those girls, either. If anything, they’ll be endangered. I can guarantee you that my father wouldn’t bat an eye at making them disappear. And I’m worried about you, too.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked. I tried to sound tough, even though I was scared.
“It’s a promise—and a warning,” he said. “You know how my father is. You’ve seen it with your own eyes. You’ll do more harm than good trying to blow a whistle. So don’t try to play the vigilante, please. You won’t be safe. I swear to god, I’m telling you the truth.”
And god damn it, but he was. I could tell that much.
The elevator dinged and Stefan stepped back.
“I want to be alone,” I said, walking past him and out into the lobby.
I needed a chance to process this information, to figure out what my next move was. I wasn’t going to just let this stand, but I had to come up with a plan. Flying off the handle in a hot rage like this wouldn’t help anyone. Not those women and definitely not me. My own father was against me, and Stefan was right about Konstantin as well—he was a dangerous man.
I felt helpless and hopeless. I was just one person up against a huge and evil corporation that had a powerful politician—and the law—in its corner. What could I do? Who could I trust?
Back on the street outside, I tried to hail a cab, but Stefan grabbed my hand.
“We’re going back to the apartment,” he told me, punching a text into his phone.
I glared at him. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“You need to grow up,” he snapped. “Did you listen to anything I just said? These women’slivesare at stake. And if you threaten KZM’s livelihood, you threaten theirs too. So you’ll keep your mouth shut and accept the reality of the situation.” He looked around and then lowered his voice. “Because if you don’t, we’re allfucked. Their careers, the families they care for, our income and apartment, my job, your education, your father’s Senate seat—”
“I can’t believe you’re on their side,” I said, fighting back tears. “How could you?”
“You have to understand, Tori—everything is on the line. For all of us.”
Stefan’s private car pulled up to the curb, and the driver got out and held the door open for us. With a scowl, I slid into the backseat. Stefan climbed in beside me.
As we pulled into traffic, he leaned close, his voice hot in my ear.
“This is how it has to be,” he told me. “You’ve known from the beginning what your life would be, what this agreement would be—so stay in your box. Your role is to go to college, play nice at social events, and at the end of the day you come home and suck my dick every night. You can’t dwell on the men’s business. This is the only way you’ll be safe. Understand?”
I stared at him, unable to speak. How could this man be two completely conflicting people at the same time? Kind and caring one moment and cruel beyond belief the next?
“Just keep your head down and be the obedient wife you were raised to be,” he went on. “You know your place.”
I didn’t say anything, just stared down at his hand wrapped tightly around my arm.
“Tell me you understand, and that you’re not still thinking about endangering yourself or anyone else,” he demanded, his green eyes blazing.
I managed a nod, even though my heart was breaking into a million pieces. Finally Stefan released me. I turned away to stare out the window at the Chicago streets flashing past us. I could feel my pulse finally start to relax, and I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
As much as I loathed to admit it, he was right. His life, my life, and the livelihoods of these women depended on KZ Modeling and its success. So until I came up with a brilliant plan that would keep us all safe and see justice served without interference, I would have to bite my tongue and play the part they all wanted me to play. I’d be the obedient wife Stefan wanted.
The thought of doing so nearly killed me, but I knew that I had no other choice—not yet, anyway. Not with Konstantin keeping an eye on me, not with the law in his pocket, not with my own father willing to stop at nothing to keep me silent.
But I wouldn’t stay silent forever.
Tori
Chapter 2
People love saying that the secret to lasting relationships is compromise. But what the hell did they really know about it? By keeping KZ Modeling’s secret, I’d be compromising more than just my wants or needs; this was about human rights, moral standards, basic decency.
As we sat in traffic just a few blocks away from our condo—Stefan’s condo, I corrected myself—I thought hard about the wordcompromise. It had originated in the early fifteenth century, and its Latin roots could be traced back to the combination of the wordspromittere, “to promise,” andcom, meaning “together.” My relationship with Stefan, in this respect, had always been a compromise—since the very first time we’d met, at my eighteenth birthday party—a promise we’d made together.
