of this is a bad idea though.
She nods her head again and answers, “Yes, Kane.” Hearing her say my name makes me feel more at peace than it should.
I take a moment to absorb everything. She’s so obedient. It’s surreal. My brow furrows, and I have to wonder what all she’s been through. My chest hurts thinking about how much she has to be hurting. I swallow the lump growing in my throat and get off the bed.
I can’t think about it. I can’t go soft. I can’t help her. I’m only one man and she doesn’t belong to me. They’ll be here soon enough and then I won’t have to deal with this.
Guilt weighs heavily on my chest at that thought. I know she doesn’t deserve this. No one does. I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to get out of my head.
This is a job.
My phone goes off in my pocket and I’m quick to answer it. Not because I really give a fuck who’s on the other line; I just need to think about something else.
“This is Kane.” I answer like I always do, and I fucking regret picking up the phone when I hear the voice at the other end.
“And this is Abram.” I’m surprised he called, but I'm also pissed. I fucking hate that I got myself in this mess. Why is he calling me though? I would think he has more important things to do.
“What can I do for you?” I ask. It’s hard to keep the irritation out of my voice. I’m so fucking pissed off that I even thought about working for this prick. I’ve felt regret before. But this is something else. I need to figure out how to get out of this situation and keep my ass alive.
My eyes drift to Ava. If I can...No. I stop that train of thought. It’ll just get both of us killed. She’s not mine. I’m doing a job.
“I wanted to make sure the Valettis are playing nice.”
“They set me up in a safe house. I have my first meet with them tomorrow.”
“Good. And the girl?” he asks.
“What about her?” I feel defensive and protective. I don’t like it. But more than that, I don’t like that he’s asking about her. She’s in my possession right now.
“Are you enjoying her company?” he asks, and I can practically see his sick smile. I don’t know how I want to answer him. He expects me to fuck her. To degrade her. To enjoy owning her. He’s going to have to learn to manage his expectations. I suppose it’s better to lay the groundwork for that now.
“No. This isn’t my thing, Abram. I didn’t anticipate this either.” I should watch my mouth. I should be smart about this. I’m having a hard time with that as I look at Ava. Her head is bowed. Her eyes are on her hands, which are resting on her thighs. I fucking hate how she tries to hide like that.
She was untouchable. And now she’s been reduced to this. I don’t fucking like it.
“I see.” His answer is short and I can sense that he’s unhappy with me. “Is she not being good for you? She has her shots and she’s clean.” There's a pause, but I don’t respond. I’m sick to my stomach. “She’s been trained extensively.” The sickness in my gut threatens to climb up my throat.
“She’s been very obedient.”
“I’m happy to hear that. You’ll grow to enjoy your new role, Kane. I’m sure you’ll be very good at it.”
“I’m not sure I’m cut out for this, Abram. It’s not what I had in mind.” I’m careful not to tell him no. I know I’m pushing my limits with him. If I piss him off, I could be dead come morning. I don’t have a fucking death wish, so I keep most of my thoughts to myself. This is business, after all. Supposed to be business.
“Tomorrow, someone with more experience will come down to help you handle her. Get some information about the export procedures. We’ll need the names of the workers and the space limitations. We’ll need to ship this type of cargo in large containers. Make sure they have them. If they don’t, they’ll need to be ordered.” He’s talking about shipping off women in metal boxes like they’re nothing. I bite down on the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood.
“I’ll be sure to get the details.” I clench my teeth after