and approaches me. "Which client, Kylie? I didn’t send you on a job tonight." He glares at me with those menacing eyes, and I turn away and bow my head.
“Jude,” I whisper so low I can't even hear myself.
“Who?”
“Jude,” I say louder, then get brave enough to return his glare.
“ So you made contact already?”
I nod my head and he smiles.
“That's my girl.” He pats my cheek then returns to his seat on my couch. He picks up the remote and starts flipping channels. We're not going to be able to get rid of him tonight. He usually stays out of the city; it's the reason Stacia and I choose to live here.
“ I knew you could pull this off. How close are we to getting into that safe?”
“It will take awhile.”
He nods but freezes as he takes in my disheveled hair and exhausted demeanor. He throws the remote down and walks over to me. His rough hands bite into my chin, and he holds my face hostage, glaring into my eyes. “Are you fucking him?”
“ What? No, I don't sleep with clients.” I push him away and walk toward my room before he sees that I’m lying.
“ I hope you remember what happened to the last person you fucked,” he shouts after me. How could I ever forget something like that? It haunts me day in and day out. Pain like that never goes away. It festers in you until the burden is so huge you feel like you can't carry it around anymore.
I jump onto the bed without bothering to remove anything. After dealing with Jude’s sister’s attitude from hell and driving almost an hour to get here, the last thing I needed is to deal with Mason tonight. The time I spent with Jude seems a million miles away, and I just wish I could go back to it. In that room everything ceased to exist. I had begun to fool myself that Jude wasn't just another job. I thought if I didn't think about it for awhile, I could get Jude out of my system and do my job, but it hasn't worked out that way. I already broke my most important rule, and now Jude Baxter isn't just a job anymore.
Two short raps on the door are followed by Stacia walking in and quietly shutting the do or. Stacia is loud and outgoing, but the minute Mason walks in, she creeps around the house and whispers as though he won’t notice her if she remains silent. She lies down next to me and looks at me with worried eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s just Mason. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”
“Because Mason's always so nasty with you. He watches you, and he’s suspicious of your every move.”
“Mason is not the kind of man you cross. The day I did, he lost all trust in me.”
My phone chirps in my purse so I reach over and pull it out. It’s a text from Jude.
Did you get home yet?
“Is that him?” Stacia asks. I nod as I press the letters on the screen.
Yes but now I understand why long distance relationships don ’t last. I hate long drives.
Next time you stay the night.
“What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Don’t look at me like you don’t know what I’m talking about. If Mason finds out you’re getting close to Jude, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
“ I’m not getting close with Jude. You always have casual sex with men.”
“That’s different . You were always Mason’s golden girl. You’re smart, and you can manipulate men without using sex. Me? I’m just a crack whore’s daughter, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I won’t fall in love with a man because he’s a great fuck.”
“I wish you would stop saying things like that. You’re as smart as I am. Besides, you don’t sleep with any of Mason’s clients either.”
“Yeah, but I paid a price for that.”
“What do you mean? What price did you pay?”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is we have each other.” She smiles at me then grabs my hand. “Till the end,” she says as my phone buzzes again.
Stacia gets up and waves at me as she leaves the room. I have a feeling she’s trying to get away before I
“Jude,” I whisper so low I can't even hear myself.
“Who?”
“Jude,” I say louder, then get brave enough to return his glare.
“ So you made contact already?”
I nod my head and he smiles.
“That's my girl.” He pats my cheek then returns to his seat on my couch. He picks up the remote and starts flipping channels. We're not going to be able to get rid of him tonight. He usually stays out of the city; it's the reason Stacia and I choose to live here.
“ I knew you could pull this off. How close are we to getting into that safe?”
“It will take awhile.”
He nods but freezes as he takes in my disheveled hair and exhausted demeanor. He throws the remote down and walks over to me. His rough hands bite into my chin, and he holds my face hostage, glaring into my eyes. “Are you fucking him?”
“ What? No, I don't sleep with clients.” I push him away and walk toward my room before he sees that I’m lying.
“ I hope you remember what happened to the last person you fucked,” he shouts after me. How could I ever forget something like that? It haunts me day in and day out. Pain like that never goes away. It festers in you until the burden is so huge you feel like you can't carry it around anymore.
I jump onto the bed without bothering to remove anything. After dealing with Jude’s sister’s attitude from hell and driving almost an hour to get here, the last thing I needed is to deal with Mason tonight. The time I spent with Jude seems a million miles away, and I just wish I could go back to it. In that room everything ceased to exist. I had begun to fool myself that Jude wasn't just another job. I thought if I didn't think about it for awhile, I could get Jude out of my system and do my job, but it hasn't worked out that way. I already broke my most important rule, and now Jude Baxter isn't just a job anymore.
Two short raps on the door are followed by Stacia walking in and quietly shutting the do or. Stacia is loud and outgoing, but the minute Mason walks in, she creeps around the house and whispers as though he won’t notice her if she remains silent. She lies down next to me and looks at me with worried eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s just Mason. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”
“Because Mason's always so nasty with you. He watches you, and he’s suspicious of your every move.”
“Mason is not the kind of man you cross. The day I did, he lost all trust in me.”
My phone chirps in my purse so I reach over and pull it out. It’s a text from Jude.
Did you get home yet?
“Is that him?” Stacia asks. I nod as I press the letters on the screen.
Yes but now I understand why long distance relationships don ’t last. I hate long drives.
Next time you stay the night.
“What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Don’t look at me like you don’t know what I’m talking about. If Mason finds out you’re getting close to Jude, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
“ I’m not getting close with Jude. You always have casual sex with men.”
“That’s different . You were always Mason’s golden girl. You’re smart, and you can manipulate men without using sex. Me? I’m just a crack whore’s daughter, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I won’t fall in love with a man because he’s a great fuck.”
“I wish you would stop saying things like that. You’re as smart as I am. Besides, you don’t sleep with any of Mason’s clients either.”
“Yeah, but I paid a price for that.”
“What do you mean? What price did you pay?”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is we have each other.” She smiles at me then grabs my hand. “Till the end,” she says as my phone buzzes again.
Stacia gets up and waves at me as she leaves the room. I have a feeling she’s trying to get away before I
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