question her any more. Stacia doesn’t keep secrets from me, and I can’t figure out what she means by paying a price. “Goodnight,” she whispers as she shuts the door behind her. I glance back at my phone and reply to Jude’s text.
Goodnight .
Night .
I fight off sleep as long as possible because I know nights like these always take me on a trip back into the past. Finally my eyes get too heavy and I can’t keep them open any longer.
Chapter Eight
Kylie
Five years earlier
“I’m sorry, but we can’t give you any more time. You need to vacate this apartment by the weekend.” The property manager turns and walks down the hall without a backward glance. In the corner of my eye I see him. I should ignore him, but I’m tired of the awkward way he always stares at me.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” I shout, glaring into his eyes. He smiles at me and uncrosses his arms. He’d been standing in his doorway watching the whole thing , and now he seems glad I’ve finally acknowledged his presence.
“I can help you,” he says as he walks across the hall toward my door.
“I don’t need your help.”
“I think you do. You’ve been here months and no one visits you, so you obviously have no one to turn to.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you lost your job a couple of weeks ago. I know you just got evicted and you have nowhere to go.”
“Why do you even care? Just leave me alone.” I step back and try to push the door shut, but he holds it open with his hand.
“I have a job for you.” That grabs my attention. Jobs aren’t easy to come by when you’re nineteen with no experience in anything.
Mason and his girlfriend Mia live across the hall from me, and he’s been trying to be my friend for months, but I don’t trust him. He’s handsome in a dangerous way. His hair is almost black. His golden eyes are watchful. He’s sexy, and he carries himself like he knows it, but his charisma is laced with a dark threat. “What kind of job?” I ask suspiciously.
“Can I come in?” he asks.
I stare at him while I weigh my options. It’s either I accept his help or make my way to the nearest homeless shelter. I take a step back, and he glides past me with a triumphant smile.
I shut the door , spin around, and face him. “What’s the job?”
“I need an insider. You go on a couple of dates with this guy—”
“I’m not a whore,” I snap at him.
“Calm down. You don’t have to sleep with anyone. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. We just need to get you into his house and into his office. You grab a couple of files, and you disappear.”
“What! ” This guy is insane.
“You can do this. Even the strongest man can fall victim to a beautiful woman.”
“Beautiful?” I look down at my sweats and ragged T-shirt and shake my head.
“You hide yourself behind those big clothes. I’ll have Mia dress you up and do your hair, and you’ll be able to get anything you need from any man.”
Mia is beautiful, but he’d never pimp his own girlfriend out for this job. She has long , dark, wavy hair and caramel skin. She walks like a seductress, and I’ve often watched her with envy.
I’ve never been with a man , and there’s no way I’ll be able to seduce one. Even if I could, it just feels wrong. Seemingly sensing my inner struggle, he says, “It will pay enough for you to live here for six months.”
“What?” No. Calm down, Kylie. This is not the solution to your problems.
He nods and waits for my reply.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” I pull the door open and wait for him to leave.
“You know where to find me,” he says as he walks past me. I slam the door shut and congratulate myself for taking the high road. Only problem is by the end of the week the high road hasn’t led me to a new job, and I find myself less than a day away from sleeping on the streets.
When I knock on Mason’s door that last night , I’ve convinced myself
Goodnight .
Night .
I fight off sleep as long as possible because I know nights like these always take me on a trip back into the past. Finally my eyes get too heavy and I can’t keep them open any longer.
Chapter Eight
Kylie
Five years earlier
“I’m sorry, but we can’t give you any more time. You need to vacate this apartment by the weekend.” The property manager turns and walks down the hall without a backward glance. In the corner of my eye I see him. I should ignore him, but I’m tired of the awkward way he always stares at me.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” I shout, glaring into his eyes. He smiles at me and uncrosses his arms. He’d been standing in his doorway watching the whole thing , and now he seems glad I’ve finally acknowledged his presence.
“I can help you,” he says as he walks across the hall toward my door.
“I don’t need your help.”
“I think you do. You’ve been here months and no one visits you, so you obviously have no one to turn to.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you lost your job a couple of weeks ago. I know you just got evicted and you have nowhere to go.”
“Why do you even care? Just leave me alone.” I step back and try to push the door shut, but he holds it open with his hand.
“I have a job for you.” That grabs my attention. Jobs aren’t easy to come by when you’re nineteen with no experience in anything.
Mason and his girlfriend Mia live across the hall from me, and he’s been trying to be my friend for months, but I don’t trust him. He’s handsome in a dangerous way. His hair is almost black. His golden eyes are watchful. He’s sexy, and he carries himself like he knows it, but his charisma is laced with a dark threat. “What kind of job?” I ask suspiciously.
“Can I come in?” he asks.
I stare at him while I weigh my options. It’s either I accept his help or make my way to the nearest homeless shelter. I take a step back, and he glides past me with a triumphant smile.
I shut the door , spin around, and face him. “What’s the job?”
“I need an insider. You go on a couple of dates with this guy—”
“I’m not a whore,” I snap at him.
“Calm down. You don’t have to sleep with anyone. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. We just need to get you into his house and into his office. You grab a couple of files, and you disappear.”
“What! ” This guy is insane.
“You can do this. Even the strongest man can fall victim to a beautiful woman.”
“Beautiful?” I look down at my sweats and ragged T-shirt and shake my head.
“You hide yourself behind those big clothes. I’ll have Mia dress you up and do your hair, and you’ll be able to get anything you need from any man.”
Mia is beautiful, but he’d never pimp his own girlfriend out for this job. She has long , dark, wavy hair and caramel skin. She walks like a seductress, and I’ve often watched her with envy.
I’ve never been with a man , and there’s no way I’ll be able to seduce one. Even if I could, it just feels wrong. Seemingly sensing my inner struggle, he says, “It will pay enough for you to live here for six months.”
“What?” No. Calm down, Kylie. This is not the solution to your problems.
He nods and waits for my reply.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” I pull the door open and wait for him to leave.
“You know where to find me,” he says as he walks past me. I slam the door shut and congratulate myself for taking the high road. Only problem is by the end of the week the high road hasn’t led me to a new job, and I find myself less than a day away from sleeping on the streets.
When I knock on Mason’s door that last night , I’ve convinced myself
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