The Arrangement Anthology (93 page)

She laughs lightly. “Ah, are we back to formalities with Sean? Very well. It’s all for the best, because you couldn’t marry him and work for me.”
 

“I don’t want to work for you.” I sound rather dignified for someone sitting in a bra and jeans.
 

She smiles and slips up onto her desk, and crosses her legs. “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. I have a new job for you, one you’ll adore. And since you’ve taken your previous career plans and sent them straight to Hell, I thought this would interest you.”
 

I glance up at her. “Nothing you can say will interest me. I’m done. I’m walking away from this. I didn’t see anything and I won’t say anything. There haven’t been any cops following me and nothing from the night at the hotel points back to you.”
 

“Ah, so they didn’t find a bracelet. Funny, because I thought they did.” Miss Black smirks. “Avery, my dear, you’re not going anywhere, not for a while. And like the rest of the girls, you work when I tell you to.”
 

“No, not me. I’m done.”
 

“So, tell me—where are you going to live? How are you going to pay for food? What about your bills? Do you have a secret trust fund that I’m unaware of, or do you really think you can make it on your own working at the steak house? Because that life wasn’t one you wanted, if I recall correctly. This is easy money, Avery. There’s a nice house with manicured grounds, a pool, and then there’s the money, but you don’t need that.”
 

Black slides off the desk and walks to her closet and continues talking. “Ideals won’t feed you and keep the rain off your back. They don’t protect you either, and like it or not, men want you. You have something that makes them come back for more, over and over again. It took me a while to see that I have you in the wrong position.”
 

I turn in my seat, holding my wadded, torn shirt in my hand. I’m so tired that I can’t think straight. For once, I just want to lay down and be left alone. Black’s words sound like noise in my ears. “What are you talking about?” I shouldn’t ask. I know I shouldn’t, but I’m screwed. I’m screwed and I know it. Graduation will come and go and I’ll get kicked out on my ass. I’ll be homeless.
 

Unless, I go beg Marty for a bed, and god knows how awkward that would be since he has a mad crush on me. I could share his bed and camp out over there when I thought he was gay, but not anymore. Too many things have happened, but I still yearn for his friendship. What the hell does that mean? I seem to only attract guys that suck. They lie to my face over and over again, and yet I can’t let them go. I’m too afraid to let anyone go. It feels like my life has shattered, the shards have been crushed to dust and are blowing away. I can’t stand it anymore.
 

“It’s not a complicated notion, Avery. As much as I detest you, there is something about you. Add in that desperation to survive and the job is perfect for you.”
 

“Again, what are you talking about?”
 

She smiles kindly and the floor of my stomach goes into a freefall. I shouldn’t have asked. The back of my neck prickles, as if whatever she’s going to say will change my life. “I was like you once—alone and desperate—forced to do things that I didn’t want to do.” She leans back in her chair and steeples her fingers. “Then I became a madam and my entire world changed. My employer made me the offer once, just as I’m doing for you. Do you understand what I’m offering?”
 

I stare at her. This is unreal. It can’t be happening. All I can manage is, “What?”
 

Black stares back, her dark eyes utterly unsympathetic. “You heard me.”
 

I have no idea what to say. After a few moments, I lick my lips and say, “Let me get this right. You kidnapped me and brought me here to ask me to take your place?” My voice has a have-you-lost-your-mind tone.
 

Black laughs lightly and it sends a chill down my spine. “No one can take my place, but I’ve realized I’m not utilizing your skill set in the best way possible. You’d be a madam in the location where I install you. You still answer to me, but you no longer earn your living laying on your back. Other women will do that and you’ll be in charge of them.”
 

I laugh, because I think she’s joking. “Yeah, right. Very funny. When are you going to shoot me and dump my body at Captree? This is getting old.” I’m tempting her to shoot me. Maybe it’s not my brightest move, but I’m too exhausted to think.
 

Miss Black pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs, before pressing a button under her desk. A moment later, Gabe opens the door. “Yes?”
 

“Miss Stanz requested that her body be dumped at Captree after her disposal.”
 

Gabe’s wrinkled face turns white, but
his old eyes remain lifeless. He nods, saying, “Yes ma’am.”
 

She asks Gabe, “Or would you rather have the previous job I mentioned?”
 

Gabe’s expression is stern. “The previous job, Miss Black.”
 

“So convince you’re annoying friend to take it and thank me.” Miss Black gets up and leaves the room, as if she can’t stand the sight of me.
 

Gabe lets out a rush of air after the door closes behind her. His shoulders lose a little bit of tension as he lowers his huge body into the chair next to mine. “You told her no?”
 

“Gabe, she wasn’t serious. She hates my guts. Why would she offer me something like that?”
 

“Because that’s what she does. Black’s business touches this country from coast to coast. Periodically a girl comes along that has that added appeal—like you—where guys can’t get enough of them. Then, BINGO, she’s found her needle in the haystack. The other women jumped at the chance, and you…” he shakes his head before lowering it in his hands.
 

I can’t take it. Turning toward him, I grab his arm and tug his hands off his face. He looks up at me with those silvery eyes. “Gabe, tell me what the hell is going on. I can’t stand this. Someone is trying to kill me and Black is talking jobs? Has she lost her goddamn mind?” I’m practically screaming by the time I finish speaking.
 

“Shh,” he snaps and tugs my arm, so my ear is closer to him. “Don’t think you’re not expendable to her, because you are—job offer or not. All this shit isn’t what you think and I’m not the person that should tell you. Ask Ferro. Ask Black, but not me.”
 

“No, you tell me. Why’d you take me from Sean?”
 

“I told him to clue you in. He obviously didn’t. Ferro didn’t want you to be there when the killer shows up. They had to make sure the person saw you go into the room and know that you were there, so we couldn’t let them see you leave. That’s why we tossed you in that box, or tried to. The entire plan was probably shot to hell, because we had to carry you out when you pitched a fit.”
 

I glare at him. “You stuffed me into a box.”
 

“Touché.”
 

I make an annoyed sound. “Gabe, this makes no sense. So Sean is working with Black?”
 

Gabe laughs like that was the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “Nah, Black is the lesser of two evils. Ferro didn’t want you in the room. He’s protective of you and the only person who could keep you safe is Black. Ferro can no longer trust his staff, so he’s fucked. He asked Black to keep an eye on you. I seriously doubt he knows what she wants from you. Black has her own agendas and some of them clash with Ferro’s.”
 

“So, I’m safe?” Gabe nods. His confirmation releases a slew of emotions that I’d been holding under lock and key. They bubble up and I start shaking before clutching his arm. “I thought he turned on me. I thought you guys were going to—”
 

Gabe doesn’t let me fall apart. “Pull yourself together. Don’t drop your guard, kid. We still don’t know who is trying to take you out or why. Ferro and Black have been discussing it, and I don’t have any theories either. The best they’ve come up with is that it’s someone trying to get even with Ferro.”
 

“Like Henry Thomas?”
 

“Exactly like Thomas. But Ferro has too many enemies. We can’t track all of them and Black is saying its Ferro’s problem, not hers. They agreed on a temporary truce so Ferro could take care of the problem and keep you safe.”
 

“Except the killer never showed.” Sean is standing in the door. There are bags under his eyes like he’s not slept in days. His dark hair is a mess and his jaw is covered in stubble. Sean walks in without looking at me and sits on Black’s desk before addressing Gabe, “Out.”
 

CHAPTER 3

After Gabe grudgingly leaves, we’re alone. I straighten in my seat. I want to kill him. After everything we’ve been through, he still doesn’t trust me enough to share his plans.  While working my jaw, I glance at my nails and say, “So, you’re an asshole.”
 

“Possibly.” Sean’s voice is deep and firm. I hate it when he sounds like this. “My plans got botched when that box showed up early. I was going to tell you.” Sean’s hands are folded in his lap like this is a normal thing for him. He’s acting like he’s at a friggin’ business meeting.
 

I want to write him off and tell him to go fuck himself, but I say something else. “Uh huh, and what about the other fiancée? Did you guys pick a wedding date yet or were we supposed to have a double wedding that no one bothered to tell me about?” Lifting my gaze, I continue, “Because I’d be fine with that as long as I’m the first wife. After all, I’m only after you for your money. I have no emotional investment in our relationship at all.” My tone dips deathly low as my voice picks up a bitterness that is so jaded it alarms me, but I don’t care.
 

Sean reaches into his pocket and pulls out the engagement ring. When he holds it out to me he says, “Put it back on.”
 

“Bite me.”
 

“I’d love to.” The corner of his mouth twitches like he wants to smile—or win—I can’t tell what’s motivating him.
 

“I hate you.”
 

“I seriously doubt you’ve lost all affection for me. It was a calculated risk—one that I had to take. You couldn’t be there.” His eyes are cold and unapologetic. He watches me, taking in my minor movements, and the way I sit. He’s gauging me and soaking up every ounce of detail like a sponge. I wish I could be as unreadable as Sean, but it’s not my thing.
 

My thing is crazy, so I pull it out and let him have it. “Bullshit! What makes you think I’m safer with Black? She could have killed me before you even figured out what happened. Just because you and Black seem to have had a thing doesn’t mean you can trust her.”
 

Sean’s eyes dip to my bra for the first time since he walked into the room. “Her work?”
 

“No, I sliced my own shirt for fun. Everyone’s going to be dressing like this tomorrow.” I roll my eyes and clench my jaw tight to stop the tidal wave of words that I want to accost him with.
 

“Avery, Black is powerful and if she wants to keep you alive, you’ll stay that way. She doesn’t invest time or money in perishables.”
 

“Nice.”
 

“It’s the truth.” His tone is flat. He doesn’t plead with me or beg me to listen—he expects me to curse him out and tell him to take a hike. There’s fear behind those blue eyes, but that isn’t what I want.
 

“Since when do you care about the truth?” Sean starts to open his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. “No, seriously, I want to know. Was it before or after you fucked me in the box?”
 

Something changes as soon as the words tumble out of my mouth. Sean’s larger-than-life presence fades. For a moment none of his worries are hidden and every single one is displayed on his face. His lips part and it feels like a cheap shot.
 

“Avery.” When he speaks, my name sounds like a warning more than anything else.
 

“Sean.” I mimic, not heeding his warning. “Seriously. You’re engaged to someone else. Explain that away. Tell me why it never came up, or why she’s living in your goddamn house while you screw me in hotels on the other side of the country! Is she blonde with huge boobs? Did you buy them for her? Is she tall and perfect? Does she satisfy you the way I do? Probably not, right?” Fury burns bright in Sean’s eyes as my questions come hurling forth, but it’s the last one that makes him angry. “Or do you just keep her around because she looks like Amanda?”
 

Without warning, Sean slips off the desk and is in my face. Rage engulfs his beautiful features distorting him into someone unrecognizable. His voice sounds more like an animal than a man. “Never say her name again.”
 

My heart pounds hard and fast. He’s furious and he should be, but I won’t back down. Tears prick the corners of my eyes as her name falls off my lips. “Amanda Ferro.”
 

For a second nothing happens. Our gazes are both narrow and locked, but then Sean starts shaking. I press myself back into the seat as far as I can go, to try and put space between us, but there isn’t any. Sean’s nose is touching mine and his hot, angry breath slides over my cheeks. For a moment I think he’s going to hit me. His jaw works from side to side like he wants to scream at me, but he can’t find the right words. Both of his hands are clutching the couch behind my head and crushing it. If he moves, my slender throat will be caught in his vice-like grip and he’ll break my neck.
 

I don’t look away. I don’t breathe. For a second, time has stopped and I feel horrible. Remorse swells inside of me and before I can tell him that I don’t want things like this, he cracks.
 

Sean Ferro breaks.