Blade chuckles. “Why am I not surprised?” He leans back. “Be careful, man. You’ve only known her a week. I can see what you mean about her being a little. There is no doubt, but if you don’t let her set the pace, she’ll revolt.”
I nod. “Believe me, I’ve tried, but that little imp sets the bar very high. It’s like she’s challenging me to see if I’m as strict as I’ve said I am. In fact, I watched her closely while I told her you would be coming over this morning, and though she was verbally nervous, she was aroused. I’ve never seen someone squirm as much as she does.”
Blade smiles. “Good. I’m happy for you.” He sighs. “Anyway, Shepherd has also heard Lazinski talking to whoever he works for.”
I sit up straighter and lift my brows. “Did he get a name?”
“No, but he’s got the alarm codes for the building, so he’s hoping to break in after everyone has left tonight and scour the office for any scrap of information or detail Lazinski might have left lying around.”
“Sounds risky. Lazinski might have an app that lets him know when someone turns off the alarm.”
“Shepherd has some sort of sob story worked up about leaving his wallet behind or some shit, but he doesn’t think Lazinski considers the building worth paying that close attention to. No money is left at night and there’s nothing valuable in the building.”
“At least not monetarily. Let’s hope there’s some valuable information,” I point out.
“Exactly.”
I take a deep breath. “Not sure if I’ll get away without meeting face-to-face with Lazinski before the end of the week. He likes frequent updates on my progress, and he gets impatient over the phone.”
“I’m sure he’s impatient in general since his bread and butter is missing.”
“Sir?” The sweet voice coming from the hall makes me lift my gaze.
“Come on in, sweet girl.”
She pushes the door open hesitantly, nervously biting her lower lip. Her hands are clasped behind her, which is odd since I’ve never seen her do that and I’m surprised she would now with Blade sitting in my office and her inherent embarrassment about people noticing her nipples. In this position, her shoulders are drawn back and her nipples are more obvious hard points than usual.
I frown. “Come here, sweetie.” I motion her forward.
“I didn’t want to interrupt you, but I had an idea.” She still hasn’t moved from the doorway.
“Britney…” I warn, “Come here.”
She shuffles forward slowly, glancing back and forth between me and Blade, chewing on that lower lip with so much tension. When she rounds the desk, she stops just out of reach and repeats, “I have an idea.”
“About what, sweetie?” I frown.
“About how to make it so that my boss no longer wants to sell me.”
I grit my teeth, knowing I’m not going to like this. “Britney…”
She stands taller, shoulders back, every ounce of misplaced bravery she can muster wafting from her frame. Finally, she releases her hands from behind her back and lifts one hand out toward me.
I frown when I see she’s holding a pair of scissors. For a moment, I can’t breathe, and then I take them from her and set them far out of reach across the desk. “Why are you walking around the house with scissors, sweetie? And what did I tell you just yesterday about sharp objects?”
Her lip trembles and she shuffles her feet as she crosses one arm over her chest and clasps her opposite elbow. She draws in a breath and ignores my question. “My boss sold me for three physical attributes. You already pointed out that we wouldn’t be able to prove it if I wasn’t a, uh, virgin any longer.” She whispers that one word, glancing at Blade.
“Britney…” I warn again, my frustration growing.
“I can’t really change my actual body in just a few days, but there is something we could do.”
Blade shifts his weight. I’m certain he’s as uncomfortable with where this conversation is going as I am.
She sucks in a breath and continues. “We could cut off my hair. Like really cut it off. All the way to my scalp. That’s what my foster mom did in first grade and no one would even look at me.” Her words are coming out in a rush of breaths. “I would look hideous and he wouldn’t want to sell me anymore. Then I could put on some makeup or something to make it look like