The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,29

you don’t worry your pretty little head over it?” He cut into his greens and took a few bites.

“I’m not some airhead. You must have some idea of what you’re going to do with me. I deserve to know.”

“Your sense of entitlement confuses me.” He chewed slowly, drawing out the seconds between speaking. “I told you that you’re my property now—indefinitely. You do as I ask when I ask you to do it. Your life is no longer your own. So you don’t deserve anything.”

I wanted to strangle him. Just that morning, I was grateful he didn’t let Bones take me away. But now I wanted to kill him all over again.

“Once you accept that, you’ll come to appreciate the opportunity you’ve been given.”

“Opportunity?” I practically gagged the word out. “You consider slavery to be an opportunity?”

He swallowed, his throat shifting in the process. His chin was covered with thick stubble, and it reached down his throat. “I’m one of the most powerful men in the world. I’m richer than most countries. You’re never more safe or more wealthy than you are when you’re with me. You can have anything you could possibly dream of.”

“That’s useless if the one thing I want is freedom.”

“Freedom is overrated,” he said coldly. “You think paying a massive amount in student loans just to get an education is freedom? You think being taxed a ridiculous amount every year while you save lives is freedom? You think living in a country where you’ll always be deemed less qualified than a man is freedom?” He shook his head slightly. “There’s a lot more to life than that, Lovely. I can show you the world. I can show you things you can’t even conceive of in that smart brain of yours. Instead of bitching and complaining all the time, shut up and appreciate what’s right in front of you.”

10

Crewe

Ariel walked into my office in jeans and a gray blouse. She had elegant taste, wearing clothing that made her both respectable and beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun and her eye makeup made the blue color of her irises stand out. “Had a change of heart?” She lowered herself into the chair in front of my desk and crossed her legs.

I set down the document I was reading. “Realized I could put her to better use.”

“Really?” She cocked her head, her beautiful face looking ice-cold. “You found a better revenge than handing her over to one of the cruelest men in the world? If so, I’d like to hear what it is.”

Ariel had known me for a long time, so it was difficult to avoid her detection. Her gaze was sharper than a microscope. She could see things far below the surface. She could spot my emotions before I even expressed them.

It was fucking annoying.

“If I keep her on my arm, everyone will know I stole her from Joseph. And I have no problem parading that in front of the goddamn world. He’ll be forced to do nothing—like the coward that he is.”

“Really?” She rested her arms on the armrests. “What about the four million dollars you’re missing?”

“I’ll get it back.”

“How?” she demanded.

I didn’t like being challenged, not even by her. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Yes, a lot of it.” She straightened in the chair. “But I’m not going to let my boss, the man in charge of everything I’ve worked so hard to grow, go soft on that little fucking whore. Don’t insult me with your excuses. I know exactly what you did, Crewe. So don’t pretend I’m some kind of idiot.”

Her fire always impressed me. Somehow, she intimidated even the most frightening men. In a lot of ways, she reminded me of my new prisoner with her zero tolerance for bullshit. Ariel got work done on a time crunch, never letting anything stand in her way. The fact that she could play a man’s game and succeed always got my attention. When I saw her hold her own against five brutal men, I offered her a job on the spot.

“What the hell were you thinking, Crewe? Joseph spat in our faces when he tried to undercut us, and this is your retaliation? This is how we handle our problems now?”

“Enough.” I raised my hand, effectively silencing her. Ariel was one of the few people who could call me out on my bullshit. But she couldn’t insult me beyond that. “When Bones walked in with that chain and collar, I changed my