who wrote mystery and suspense novels, with a very strong following. Alone, she could easily support the two of them comfortably, but Brandon had wanted to be the breadwinner.
They had no children. They had wanted to wait until around thirty to do so, with the thought of enjoying each other and becoming well-established before expanding their family.
"Look, I'm sorry. This is the only way she wouldn't press charges and have me arrested. We'd lose everything we have." He came to stand behind her, and she stiffened at the sensation of his hands resting on her shoulders.
Her vision blurred with unshed tears. Raya had never been so pissed in her life.
"So, you get to avoid jail while I have to live as a woman's sex slave?" She spun around and glared up at him, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
A pain-filled expression fluttered across his face.
"You don't know that that's what she wants from you." He scrubbed his hands over his haggard looking face, and was still wearing the clothes he'd slept in the night before. "Maybe she wants to use your writing skills to write a book for her or something. Why would you automatically jump to sex slave?"
There were some things Raya had chosen not to tell Brandon over the years.
She'd been around his ex-boss before at company functions.
Hadley Hamilton was a powerful woman who never hid her feelings, nor did she bite her tongue. There were plenty of occasions when she told Raya that she was beautiful, or liked the way something looked on Raya. The woman always commented on her curvy frame.
The woman's eyes said it all.
She lusted after Raya.
Flirted with her every chance she got.
Raya never mentioned any of this to Brandon because she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable since he worked for her.
How would she have said it anyway?
Your boss, who is a very wealthy and powerful woman, keeps coming on to me?
Instead, Raya had chosen to remain silent.
"So while I'm off being used only God knows how, what will you be doing?" Folding her arms across her chest, she leaned back against the windowsill.
"I'll be looking for new employment. I'm going to fix this. I'll get a job where we'll be able to maintain our lifestyle, and we won't have to use your savings."
Raya closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she was doing this.
But what other choice did she have?
If Hadley reported this to the police, they could both be facing serious jail time.
"What time do we have to be there?" she whispered.
"We're to meet with her in her office at six."
Raya glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Less than an hour.
"Then I guess I better finish getting ready."
Raya sat silently in the passenger seat of her husband's luxury vehicle while he drove them to his old office building downtown. Her stomach was tied up in knots. She felt as if she were reporting to prison.
Brandon may not be going to jail, but she was.
She was to pay for his crimes.
A debt must be paid, and the payment was Raya.
The agreement between Hadley and Brandon was that he would resign from his position. Though a few of his colleagues knew about his thievery, she would sweep it under the rug if he gave Raya to her.
That part of the deal, no one else knew about.
"It's going to be okay." Brandon reached out and took her hand in his. "Time will fly by, and before you know it, you will be home with me." He kissed the back of her hand.
She tried to offer him a small smile, because deep down, she knew he felt helpless. He hadn't slept in days, trying to find ways to liquidate some of their assets to pay the company back, but Hadley hadn't wanted money.
She wanted Raya.
"Will I be able to speak with you?" she asked.
"I don't know, baby, but we'll ask her." He pressed another kiss to her hand. "I love you. You know that, right?"
He turned a hopeful gaze in her direction before focusing back on the road.
"Yeah. I love you too," Raya murmured, tightening her grip on his hand as she watched the scenery fly by. Though she could barely concentrate on it, for she didn't know what exactly she was walking into.
Soon, they arrived at the downtown skyscraper.
There was some traffic on the streets, but most people must have left work early to begin their weekend, being that it was Friday.
Brandon guided the car into the underground garage for executives and parked