Chapter 29 Sai #2
I swallow my anger down, take another breath. “Tell me the plan, Zeek.”
“She’s asked for a contract, so we’ll give her one,” he says. “But we don’t want her to sign it. I want her to know we’ll give her those things whether her name’s on a piece of paper or not.”
“I’m guessing that’s why you’ve decided to make it a fantasy novel?” I nod at the stack.
“Still won’t be enough,” he says, a faint smile tugging his lips. “She’s too sharp for half-measures. We need to make it something she won’t want to touch. So…” He hands me the contract, finger tapping the final page.
? All clothing must be approved, selected, and purchased by Julien. (Sai has jurisdiction over footwear.)
? Uniform requirements: a skirt.
? One date, per bond, every week. Schedule TBC.
? Weekly meetings with employer.
? Will accept all gifts.
I let out a long, high-pitched whistle. “Yeah, she’ll never sign this.” But man, do I love Julien for the shoe designation.
“I don’t want her to make this relationship transactional.
I don’t want her to think she always has to give, to be given something in return.
” He shakes his head. “When she was with them, they made every decision for her. She worked for them, lived in their club, never had anything that was truly hers. They kept her hidden, but they stripped away her autonomy. We need to give that back to her.”
“So we don’t want her signing… because she’s only doing it to feel like she’s paying us back,” I say, and he nods. “Yeah, fuck that. She doesn’t owe us a thing.”
We’re the ones who owe her everything.
“But what if she calls our bluff and signs it anyway?”
Zeek smiles then, like he’s already imagined that exact outcome. “Julien says he’s got it covered.”
I scoff, patting his back. “Wow, I thought I was the manipulative fuck in this unit. I’m impressed, man. The cameras, the secret purchase, now this? Almost like you’re sicker than me.”
He huffs, but doesn’t deny it.
“We have a chance, Sai.” His voice lowers. “I wasn’t sure she would ever give us another. But after what she did for Julien, the way she’s been with us all, and then last night...” He stares at me, eyes glowing. “We don’t deserve her. But I’m done waiting. I want her.”
My brows dart up. Fuck me. I want this side of Zeek all the time.
“When do we give it to her?”
“Today, soon.” Zeek slips out his phone, tapping onto the group chat. “And I want everyone here.” He hits call.
Julien answers after the first ring, “Good morning, my friends.”
“Jules, what happened to sharing everything with each other? You’ve been making secret contracts for Zeek behind my back?” I tut. “I’m disappointed.”
“My dearest friend, I thought you’d enjoy the surprise.”
Fucker’s right, I did. “Yeah, well. Should’ve seen me when I thought it was a different type of contract.”
He chuckles and damn, I’ve missed that sound.
“Kane’s not answering,” Zeek murmurs, staring at the black half of the screen. “His mental wall’s still up too.”
“When isn’t it?” I mutter. “Text him, tell him it’s about Red.”
He does, and wouldn’t you know, his clipped voice appears. “What?”
“We need to discuss the contract—”
“Contract?” Kane’s voice echoes, like he’s moved into a larger room.
“Brother, you’ve been blocking me all morning,” Zeek says, and he sounds a little bit pissed. “Haven’t you read your emails?”
“I think he’s been a little busy with our Red.” I smirk even if he can’t see it. “How’re those flirting skills coming along, mate? Learnt how to smile yet?”
“What contract?” Kane snaps, ignoring me. I chuckle.
Zeek sighs, but repeats what he said to me, hesitating before sharing the details of that final page.
“I want nothing to do with this.”
“Really, brother? Nothing at all?” Zeek waits, giving him chance to respond. He doesn’t. “I suppose I should rescind the copy I sent to you, seeing as you want nothing to do with it, you won’t want to read it.”
I grin at Zeek’s bait. It’s always fun to try and predict what moody Kane will do or say in new situations. Kinda like a feral cat being introduced to a new family who just want to love him.
“He’ll hang up,” I say to Zeek.
“He won’t.”
“...I’ll read it.”
Wow.
Zeek smirks. “I’d start soon, brother, it’s six hundred pages, and she’ll be receiving it in—” He checks his watch. “—an hour.”
***
Before I see her, I feel her.
Every nerve lights up, buzzing and restless. Then she appears from the shadows, and everything in me goes quiet. She’s the only thing that can spark and soothe the chaos in my chest.
I lean back against the desk, taking her in as Kane towers behind.
“Red,” I drawl, smirking, because how can I not when she looks like that?
She smiles faintly, gorgeous eyes on me. “Hi, Sai.”
I’m dead. Her face, her smile, her voice, and those clothes. Those black pants and deep sapphire blouse cling to her like they’re entitled to all those curves I’m dying to reacquaint with.
Then, just in my mind, her voice brushes against mine. “Behave.”
Shit.
That makes me want to do the very opposite. I feel my smirk creep into trouble.
Kane spots it, sending me a cool warning glare.
But when Red steps further into the room, we all focus on her.
Kane remains stood by the entrance doors, half in the shadows. Zeek’s up front with his hefty contract in hand, and Julien’s perched on the arm of his favourite seat. But we’re all looking at her.
Jasmine is the centre of the room, of our attention, of us.
She holds herself so strong, so gorgeous and fierce…
“Let’s get this over with,” Kane grumbles.
I tilt my head. “Sorry. Are we cutting into your alone time? She’s our bond. You need to learn how to share, mate.”
Kane’s sharp glare cuts through the shadows. “And you need to learn how to keep memories contained.”
I scowl. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“The sounds,” he bites out.
Is that why his mental wall’s up so high? Because he heard last night like me? And judging by the glint in Julien’s gaze, so did he. And, of course, they think it’s my fault.
“Are we explaining this now, Almighty Lord Who-Can-Do-No-Wrong?” I smirk at Zeek, and the others lock onto him.
“Not now, she’s waiting.” Then he steps forwards without even glancing my way. “We have your contract, Jasmine.” His voice flips from vinegar to honey in an instant.
Sly fuck.
Red stares at the large wedge in his hand. “Is this a joke?” Her eyes dart between us, turning to Kane and Julien before landing back on Zeek.
“Working for the Council is a serious role,” he explains, slotting one hand into a pocket, the model of cool and calm. “Our lawyer has to ensure there are no loopholes.”
She takes the contract, unclips the pen from the top, and begins flicking through the pages, again and again, then turns it over and stills.
Her eyes scan the last page twice as fast as any other.
“You are joking.” She huffs out a laugh, but it falters when she looks at us.
We’ve all got our game faces on. All serious. I’m working so damn hard to keep mine in check.
Her expression sharpens as she scoffs. “Seriously? You think I’d sign this?”
“If you want to be our employee,” Zeek says with that infuriating calm. “Yes. You’ll need to sign. Otherwise…” He gives a little shrug, eyes glinting, smug bastard loving every second. “We can discuss alternatives to ensure you’re still getting everything you…”
She’s… she’s lowering the pen.
My eyes flit to the others, all tense, all watching.
She’s re-reading the final page, pulling the contract closer—
Then she… signs. Just like that. She fucking signs it.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Well,” she says, voice flippant as hell. “I guess this changes a few things.” There’s a little twist to her lips, and it’s ridiculously sexy. “You can’t exactly date your employee, pretty sure HR wouldn’t approve. Power dynamics and all.”
She smiles, and it’s blinding. Full of a smug power that urges me to kiss it off her until she’s whimpering.
Julien stands, moving towards her. “There’s a clause,” he says, a touch sharper than usual. His gaze flicks to the contract clutched against her chest. “Page 248. Paragraph 10.”
She frowns, flipping through the pages and rereading.
“That sentence isn’t even in English!” she gasps, looking between us. “I thought it was just some pretentious phrase, like when people use Latin to sound more intelligent than they are?”
“It means something.” Julien’s small smile is just enough to piss our Red off. And damn, I love seeing her angry.
She glowers at him. “What?”
“Don’t be mad, mon ame,” he practically purrs. “We didn’t think you’d sign it, and now we’re being honest by mentioning it.”
Her eyes narrow. “You were trying to get me to not sign it? Why?”
Zeek exhales, shoulders loosening a fraction as he steps closer. “Because we don’t want this to feel like a trade. We don’t want you thinking you have to give us something just to get something back.” He looks at her with those sad puppy dog eyes and damn, it even hits me a little.
Red’s lips part like she’s going to argue, but nothing comes out. Her eyes soften, the furrow leaves her brows, and there’s a flicker of something in that crimson gaze. Maybe recognition? Like she’s only just realising that’s exactly what she’s been doing.
Zeek’s gaze stays on her. “You are your own person, Jasmine. You don’t need permission. You don’t need to earn every little thing.” He moves a little closer. “But if this is really what you want, I’ll draft out a real contract—”
“What does the clause mean, Julien?” she cuts in.
He pauses, turning to Zeek who nods. “If signed, all other points are void, only the final page is relevant.”
“Wow.” I was ready for fire, for fury, but that slow, disbelieving smile curling her lips?
That works too.
She points at Julien. “You need to teach me French. And you two…” To Zeek and Kane. “Whatever languages you know.” Finally, she looks at me, and I’m already grinning. “Might as well throw in Faeish while we’re at it.”
“We’ll only teach you the important phrases, baby.” I push off the desk, closing the distance. “Things that sound good when you’re moaning—”
“Or things to insult Sai with,” Zeek mutters.
But I don’t give a shit, because my girl’s smiling at me. But that smile… there’s something off about it, almost a little crazy as she slowly turns the contract around to face us.
Our eyes drop to the line. The empty line.
“Thank you,” she says sweetly, “for telling me about the hidden clause.”
Kane finally steps out of the shadows behind her. “I had no involvement in this, Jasmine—”
“You knew absolutely nothing about it?” She quirks a brow at him, and he silently retreats once more.
“And here I was, about to suggest two of you stayed over tonight.” She shakes her head and tuts like she’s so, so disappointed, but the smirk on her lips says otherwise.
She’s caught us out and she knows it. Likes it.
“As I said, this isn’t a transaction, Jasmine,” Zeek explains, back to being all calm and lord-like. “We’ll always give you what you want. Anything.”
He pulls out a small envelope, and a black card like the one we all have. That discreet kind the rich prefer, but I doubt Red knows that.
“There’s a letter inside with details for your private account. It’s separate from ours, only you can access it, and it’s under your name.”
At first, she doesn’t move, like part of her thinks it’s some kind of trick. Like if she reaches for it, someone’s gonna snatch it away.
Her fingers are white-knuckled on the contract, around the pen, eyes flicking between Zeek and the card. Back again. Like she doesn’t know how to believe it.
And it pisses me off. Pisses us all off. That this piece of paper and a card is a damn mountain for her to climb.
“I know you haven’t had one before,” Zeek says, even softer. “But you can access the account online. I’ve already added the app to your phone.”
Silence.
“I can show you, if you’d like?” His voice trails off, the way it does when he thinks he’s messed something up.
She still doesn’t answer, and when those silver eyes glance at me, I immediately step in.
“I know, I know. What could be sexier than Zeek explaining how to use a banking app?” I smile, all teeth, feeling my dimples pop.
Finally, she makes a sound, a small, shaky breath. It’s almost a laugh, but it’s also almost a sob. That tiny noise is worse than anything, because it’s disbelief.
It hits us all over again: she’s never had this before.
My smile slips into something smaller as I step a little closer. “We wanted you to have something that’s yours, Red. No strings. Promise.”
Her chin trembles, just a little. And when her lips part, no words come. So she swallows, takes a nice deep breath, and lets her eyes move over each of us. I swear she’s never looked at us like this.
And I know we’ll never forget it.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
To Ezekial.
To me.
To Julien.
To Kane.
No jokes. No sass. Just her.
And yeah, it kinda ruins me a little.
I clear my throat, reaching into my back pocket. “I’ve got something else.” I pull out a new piece of paper. “And this one, you kinda do need to sign.”
Her brows lift suspiciously, eyes regaining some fire. “Another fake contract?”
“Nah, Red. No hidden clauses, either,” I tease, and she gives me a tiny smile. “Though I might add one where Zeek has to be nice to me at least twice a week.”
He glares, but she laughs, really laughs, and it’s like sunlight cracking open a storm.
“I also had nothing to do with this,” Kane calls from his dark little corner.
Over Jasmine’s head, Julien leans over slightly to see. “Sai, what is this?”
I flash him a grin. “My turn to keep a secret.”
Ezekial steps forwards. “Sai…”
“Ezekial…” I mimic his serious tone. His jaw ticks, but he doesn’t push.
Jasmine reaches for the paper, placing it on top of her contract, and starts to unfold the top.
I gently stop her with my hand. “Just… trust me, yeah?”
Her eyes flick to mine, searching and a little unsure. Pen pinched between her fingers.
Come on, Red. Give me this, please.
She signs. A neat little curl of her name in black on white. And my grin? It’s stupid and smug, because she trusted me enough to do it.