Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
I tear myself away and walk back to the BMW. I climb in, but not before glancing back to the railing.
It’s empty, only the gleam of metal in starlight.
Chapter 8
Siena
“Girl, why the hell do you look happy when you’re elbow-deep in a toilet?” Mira stands in the shower with her hands on her hips, her hair a flyaway mess, sweat beading her brow, big rubber gloves over both hands, and looks at me like I’m insane.
Which is fair. I think I am.
“I’m not happy,” I say and realize I’m still smiling. I quickly make myself stop.
“Tell that to your face.” Mira scowls but sighs and gets back to cleaning. “So this is what you do all day, huh? It kind of sucks, you know. I think I’d rather get fucked.”
“You get used to it. At least you’re not doing the toilet.”
“Yeah, okay, fair enough.”
We lapse into silence again. As soon as we do, I start thinking about the night before. About Maxim’s hands on my hips. About his fingers between my legs. I force myself not to smile—but it’s not easy.
He keeps coming back.
I hate him for it. He’s going to get me in trouble, and the girls will suffer. Zarita will hurt Mira and Lan and Ora and everyone else, and it’ll be all my fault.
Because I’m not strong enough to make him stop.
I thought telling him that I’m one of the whores would do it. I hoped implying that all he wanted was sex from me like all my other clients would make him go away and never return.
It didn’t work, and I don’t know how I feel.
I like the attention. He makes me feel good—like I’m not some useless, worthless piece of trash.
But it’s also dangerous. And I don’t want to get sucked into the nightmare bratva world. The Novalov family is notorious, and Maxim’s one of the worst. If I think my life is bad now, it can only get worse if he keeps seeking me out.
I don’t fully understand what he wants, and I’m not sure he knows, either. Maybe he wants my body, but Dallas is full of attractive women he can sleep with. Maybe it’s something else—that fantasy we created together that night. Our own little world.
“I think I decided what I’m gonna do when I pay off my debt.” Mira brings me back to the moment. She doesn’t look over as she scrubs the shower walls. “You wanna know?”
“I really do.”
“I think I’m gonna move to Chicago.”
I laugh. “Seriously?”
“It’s not funny, girl. I’m serious.”
“Chicago is so cold. Why would you want to go there?”
“I don’t know. It’s far away and it’s a big city. I could try New York, but I’ve got this cousin in Chicago and maybe I can sleep on his floor. Maybe I can get a real job, you know? Cleaning like this for some big hotel. I’ll save money, get my GED. Maybe meet a nice man that doesn’t beat the shit out of me. Make a normal life for myself.”
I lean back on my heels and study her. Mira’s small and pretty and young, but she’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. She came over to America all alone, with no money and no prospects, and got caught up by some rotten coyote smuggler guy that forced her into this place. She has every right to hate the world, but she still has a strange, sparkling light inside of her.
“I think that’s a really good plan. I’ll help you however I can.”
“I know you will.” She grins at me. “What else you gonna do? You’re in this shit with me.”
I laugh and stand, stretching. The door to the room opens with a bump and I look over, frowning. Nobody’s supposed to come in here until we’re done. I strip off my gloves and put down my stuff. “Keep cleaning, I’ll check it out,” I say, waving off Mira’s questioning look. “I don’t need Zarita getting pissed we fell behind schedule.”
I step out of the bathroom and into the main room. Ben stands there with his arms over his chest, glowering at me like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, a strange feeling creeping into my stomach. I never see Ben unless something bad’s going down.
“Zarita wants you.” He grunts and nods with his head. “Follow me.”
I hesitate. “I’ve got more cleaning to do. Can it wait?”
“Now.” He turns and walks out.
“I’ll be back,” I shout to Mira. “Don’t wait for me.”
“Whatever, bitch,” Mira calls back.
I smile and hurry after Ben, a thick stone in my gut. I follow the bouncer down the walkway, past rooms full of muffled moans, and down the far staircase. The night before, at the opposite end of the building, Maxim pinned me against the wall and got me off. What the hell is wrong with me? Ben stops outside of the office and gestures for me to enter.