in this place.”
His eyebrow winged high. “Well, darlin’, you’re in this place right now, and anyone who comes into my domain shows me respect. Dominant or submissive, kinkster or vanilla. Have I shown you respect under my roof, Boadicea?” He drew her name out, adding a hefty dose of thickened Irish accent to lure her in. There was always the softest twang in his voice if people listened carefully enough, but he knew how to broaden it for maximum impact.
Her blush turned crimson, rising up her neck into her cheeks and ears. It was a nice change to the almost sickly pallor of her skin. “I...yes.”
He’d prefer a yes, Sir, but he had no right to push it. Already he was standing on his own boundary lines. “Good, I’m glad we both understand the rules. Now, would you please come stand here so you can look me in the eyes when you lie to me.”
Her breath hitched, but instead of the tears he expected, she battled the emotions bubbling under her skin back. Rather than a boiling pot of upset female, Bodie presented him with a calm, controlled woman in charge of herself. She moved to stand in front of his knees but came no closer.
“Right, now we’ll have some answers.” He reached out and clasped her forearms in a loose grip. The alarm in her eyes when she glanced at him spoke volumes. “So we’ve established you haven’t eaten in some time. Liam will remedy that for you, won’t you, lad?” Without waiting for an affirmative, Braun continued ruthlessly. “At a guess, if you have no money for food, you won’t have the resources to pay for the basics like rent and utilities. How much debt are you in, little one?”
Poor frightened little bird was trembling in his hold. She avoided his gaze with admirable effort, looking everywhere but in his eyes. He’d correct that in just a moment if she decided to lie to him again.
“I-I can’t make my rent next month,” she admitted softly, tugging lightly on her arms as though that would make him release her. “Most of the utilities have been cut off already.”
“For fuck’s sake, Bo,” Liam muttered.
“Quiet, Liam. There’s no judgement here.” Braun slid his hands up her arms to her shoulders, willing her to lift her gaze to his. After a few moments of silence, the little mouse dared to look at him. “There she is, good girl. Keep your eyes on me, darlin’. So, you turned down the offer to dance here for me, yes? How did you figure on making your rent, catching up on your bills?”
The downturn of her mouth said she didn’t have a clue how to get herself out of this hole. Her continued silence solidified his theory.
Something she’d said when she first came into the club stuck with him and he called her on it now. “What strings did you assume would be waiting to tangle you up, Bodie? You could have kept the money, ignored the card and the bracelet, and I’d have been none the wiser. It’s not like I know where you live.”
Her lip curled. “He’d have told you if you asked.”
A pained exclamation erupted from Liam, as though she dealt him a solid kick to the balls. “Jesus, Bo, is that what we’ve come to now? I wouldn’t break your confidence that way and you fucking know it.”
Braun lifted a hand. “You two can hash things back to normal when Boadicea and I are done with this clusterfuck, William. Attention on me, little one, and answer the question please.”
Her breath shuddered out. “If I’d kept the money, you could’ve asked for anything in return. You could have asked for the money back with interest, and I wouldn’t be able to pay it.” She bit her lip and swallowed hard. “Sex is always a commodity. Maybe you’d tell me I’m stuck performing here for you for the next ten years. I don’t know what the strings are when I can’t understand your motives.”
“Clever girl,” he murmured, impressed with her honesty. Maybe she was a quick learner. “Let me say, for the record, there were absolutely no strings involved. After your quarrel with William over here, he’s had a face like someone punched his puppy. I like my staff happy and my customers content, little one. I’ve heard from different people about a very talented dancer showing off her skills in Phoenix, so when I had a meeting there today, I decided to see