Page 7 of Indebted

Before I could get a word in edgewise, he flashed me one more smirk and walked out.

I wanted to throw something but decided on sagging against the wine at my back.

Holy shit.

What was that?

The circuits in my brain were fried, my body vibrating.

I was still sucking down air, Justin’s dark words playing on repeat in my head when my phone buzzed.

Zoe.

“Thank god.”

I needed the distraction, my thoughts and emotions in too much turmoil.

Zoe’s cute boy at the financial office had come through. No name for the benefactor, but a billing address.

Something about it looked familiar and I hastily typed it into my phone.

I stared at my screen.

No.

The dot on my phone mocked me.

I was at the address.

My benefactor was Justin Kingston.

“Fuck.”

Chapter 3

“You look like you’re going to throw up. What’s wrong?” Zoe grabbed a ginger ale off a nearby tray and shoved it in my hand.

I sipped it on autopilot.

What was wrong?

Where would I even begin? Maybe with the fact that less than ten minutes ago I was pressed up against a wall by my stepfather and liked it? That I wanted to suck his tongue into my mouth and run my hands down his body. That for the first time in a long time, my thoughts were consumed by fantasy of a man having his way with me. And Justin clearly felt the same way.

Or maybe I should start with the fact that he’d been paying for my education for the past three years. And now, what? He wanted a relationship? He was using my tuition payment as something to hold over my head to try and force some twisted father-daughter time?

But what better time to mock me than while we were in the cellar?

Why make that comment about us not seeing each other if he was going to lord this over me?

Was he not going to hold it over me?

“Earth to Katie, you in there, babe?”

I shook my head. “Yeah, sorry. Too many tabs open in my brain right now. Did you bother googling that address you sent me?”

“No, why?”

I lowered my voice. “It’s this address, Zoe. Here. It’s Justin Kingston’s house.”