26. Amorette #2
“I guess that’s good enough,” Parker sighed, taking his own seat, and running a hand over his head. “If you’re concerned for your sister, don’t worry. We have no plans to use her as leverage against you.”
My spine snapped straight, and I stopped breathing.
“Relax,” Parker waved a hand. “I didn’t tell you that to scare you or intimidate you.
I’m being honest. Unless you decide to take a bath with a toaster or rendezvous with an entire bottle of pain pills, you’re here to stay.
I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’d like to have as amicable of a working relationship as possible. ”
I glanced at Andre. For now, he seemed content to let Parker do the talking. Now, if Andre shared his opinions, he didn’t let it show on his expressionless face.
“You swear you will never— never —use my sister against me?” I didn’t even try to pretend Parker wasn’t spot on.
If they’d done a full background check, they wouldn’t have had to try hard to get every personal detail about her.
She was too famous, too in the public eye, for them not to find pages and pages of pictures, interviews, and stats about her.
She was one of the very few short women to make a name for herself in modeling.
Because she stood out, everyone wanted to know her.
She meant everything to me, I couldn’t let her get hurt. Not even to save myself. And that was the source of unimaginable fear when I hadn’t experienced even a tenth for myself.
“We understand wanting to keep your family safe,” Andre stood, pressing his palms flat against his desk. “If nothing else, that’s something we can agree we understand about each other.”
And just like that, they bought my compliance. Swallowing all the spit suddenly pooling in the back of my throat, I moved around the chair and slowly sat down.
Parker shook his head. “I don’t like this defeated look on you, Little Love. This isn’t why Lafe saved you.”
The skin around my mouth quivered as too many emotions shook my core. “What am I supposed to do? Shout my excitement from the rooftops that I’m not a forced prostitute?” Damn, now I was just tired.
That fucking smirk appeared again, and I ached to smack it off his face. “No, I don’t expect that. But your fighting spirit is what’s keeping you alive. I’d hate to see you lose it,” he murmured.
“What else did you learn about me?” I needed to change the subject away from why they took me, steering it away from Grace.
Andre answered. “Your sister is your only family. You’re a new junior associate fresh out of law school. Graduated top of your class, early.” He sounded impressed. He should be. I had most of my prereqs completed before I graduated high school. “No known partner, no hobbies, no debt.”
Listening to him list off exactly how focused my life had been didn’t sit well with me. It sounded like my life was empty, boring, when it was anything but. Not that it mattered what they thought, I enjoyed the life I’d built for myself. I made a real difference when so many people didn’t.
Parker slid to the edge of his seat. “Which brings us to what you can do for us. With your knowledge of the US laws—”
“No.” The word slipped through my lips before I even realized it. I didn’t have much negotiating power, not when they knew Grace’s identity, but I had to try.
“No?” Parker asked.
“No,” I confirmed. “Anything else? I studied law to save people. Women. Children. I don’t want to use it to help criminals navigate the justice system.” I wasn’t above pleading. Not for this.
They wanted me to comply? Fine.
They wanted me to work for them? Done.
But I wanted to keep that part of myself locked away from this place.
Andre took his seat again, resting his elbows on the edge of the desk. “That presents a bit of a problem. Using your education was the easiest way to fit you into our world. And it’s a skill we could use.”
I drummed my fingers against the outside of my thighs.
“I’ll read contract documents. I’ll give feedback.
Just keep me away from finding loopholes for you to exploit in the US.
That’s my hard limit. Give me another job.
I’ll do that too. I’m a hard worker, as long as it doesn’t involve sex trafficking of any kind. ”
After a brief pause, Andre nodded. “Done. Except for policing Maikel on certain matters, we aren’t involved in that business at all.”
I released a heavy breath. That assurance took some of the weight off my shoulders. It wasn’t ideal, this wasn’t even moderately what I wanted my life to be, but it was better than the alternative.
“What else are you in need of?” I reverted to my professional voice, surprising myself with how easily it came back to me.
“Let us think about it. What are your skills?” Parker rubbed his chin as he regarded me thoughtfully.
What skills did I have outside of the law?
My heart thumped against my chest as I racked my brain for something useful.
Something that criminals would need. “I’m decent with numbers but have no real accounting experience.
” Not unless you count balancing your checkbook.
“I have an excellent poker face in the boardroom. And I…as a result of my schooling, I’m an excellent researcher. ”
Parker regarded me with a gleam of approval in his black eyes as Andre nodded.
Good. I’d impressed them, although I didn’t have a clue how they’d find something useful from that hodgepodge set of skills. Studying law really had been my life. That and spending time with Grace.
The pang in my chest wasn’t as sharp as it had been any time I’d thought about her. Maybe because I was reasonably certain they wouldn’t use her against me. Whatever the cause, I’d take it.
“All right, Little Love. Let’s go.” Parker stood up and extended a hand.
“Go where?” I glanced at his hand without taking it.
“To my place.”