Page 9 of Penny
“Possibly. I am training her for the auction,” I bragged, inspecting Emily for a reaction.
She remained unfazed and apathetic, throwing me off.
"I see. We shouldn't speak about this around a beautiful young woman. Maybe we can find a way to keep her safe. Let's head to your office and discuss it there," he responded, staring at her sympathetically.
Her shoulders fell, and she leaned in, smiling faintly.
I gritted my teeth, watching the way she ate up his lies. For a moment, I was hopeful. Hopeful she would be immune to his act, but she let me down by being an ordinary woman, not susceptible to his charm. I turned away from them, walking to my office. He would catch my drift and follow.
The office door shut, telling me he did accompany me. Before Emily could try to escape, I locked the doors again with my phone. Couldn't have my new toy running off. The sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle made my mouth water. The tension in my shoulders uncoiled when I realized the whiskey was in my hands. Knowing my brother was in the room, I walked over to my tumblers, pouring a small amount.
"Don't you think you have had enough, brother?" he asked nonchalantly, opening his briefcase.
"What the fuck do you care?" I snapped, wanting to ignore his need to patronize me. He wasn't a saint and needed to stop acting like one. My jaw clicked at the same time as the clock on the wall.
"We have to make sure the paperwork you made for your networking failure isn't traceable." He pulled out a thick stack of paper, clipped together, plopping it down on the desk with a thud.
"Isn't that your job, to check our work?" I retorted, taking a swig of my whiskey.
"Usually, yes. But you need to learn to clean up your own messes. If this contract links back to us, it will be your head on the line," he answered in a dry tone, as if he were bored with me. I was many things, but boring wasn't one of them.
"Well, you better get to reading those documents, then." I raised my glass to him and finished the rest in one gulp.
"Sit your ass down," he growled, slamming his palms on the desk.
"Woah now, be careful, brother. Your true colors are showing," I taunted, smirking at him. I loved unraveling him in a way only a twin sibling could.
He sat down and split the paperwork in half. His hand swept through his hair, ensuring it was perfectly styled and in place. I flexed my hand, but decided the faster I helped him, the faster he would leave.
Chapter 6
Emily
The fabric was soft against my skin as it cradled my curves. I tilted back my head and relaxed my shoulders, shifting with small movements so the silk brushed over my skin in hypnotizing, shiver-inducing caresses.
I’d never wanted to waste my money on lavish clothes. Well, even if I had wanted to, I guess I couldn't. All of this—the dress, penthouse, and even the couch—were things most women dreamed of having, but it wasn't mine. Soon, I would be sold off like a repossessed car. Auctioned off to the highest bidder. I couldn’t help but wonder if someone in my shoes truly believed they would get out alive in this life. Connor's twin brother, Liam, came into the house, pretending to be a knight in shining armor, but I wasn't a fool.
Connor was a wolf, proudly owning his lethal nature and displaying it for everyone to see. He didn't hide away to wait for the attack. No, he wanted me to know he was hunting me.
Liam was a wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding his sharp teeth away until the right moment. He was the predator, sinking down low in the grass, waiting for his prey to feel safe and turn around. He would pounce the moment I looked away, biting into my throat and ripping out my carotid artery. I could tell by the way his dark eyes flecked with amber narrowed when he’d uttered comforting words. The wrinkle on his forehead when he’d said, “keep her safe.” If he was in this line of work, that wasn't something you could or would say. I was homeless by choice, but I wasn't born yesterday. If anything, the streets had made me more cunning. It forced me to look around each corner and analyze each stranger.
The lost souls wandering the streets with no home were scared, and when people feared for their lives, they did things they never thought they would do. I was one of them. The only difference between us was that I wanted to be alone. They would congregate in camps, seeking warmth from one another. I stayed far away, hiding in places I prayed no one would find. Houses for sale for too long became my favorite place to sleep. I didn't come across them too often, but I wasn't shy about finding a way to break in when I did. Realtors tended to be sloppy, and they would often leave one window unlocked.
It took me a couple months to brave the streets enough to hold up a sign asking for money. I wasn’t too proud to beg. No, I’d given up my pride the moment I left the hospital after the fire, choosing to give up and seek safety in the empty alleys of the city. The smell of trash became my lit candle at night, and the hum of traffic was my white noise.
Any fighting I did to save myself from that fate was in vain. The only regret that burned a hole in my stomach was losing the one thing that brought me happiness. Connor took that from me, and it was the reason I would destroy him.
I took the stairs slowly, and with each step, the tight dress rode up my hips. Despite the small scrap of fabric exposing my skin, I raised my chin high and lifted my chest. I yearned to take back my emotional breakdown earlier. The echoing of my uncontrollable sobs bounced off the windows and down the hall where he went.
Only a few tears had cascaded down my cheeks when he raped me, but it was nothing compared to the aftermath. Memories of his cock thrusting in and out of me flashed through my mind. His throbbing cock twitching inside me. Heat racing through me. I hadn't climaxed, yet he’d driven me right to the peak of pleasure. All he’d had to do to get me there was twitch his finger against my clit and throb inside me to send me over the edge.
I couldn't be safe when my captor was stripping me of my dignity against a window that overlooked the city. But the way he looked at me when he was close to coming, his eyes were swimming with desire… I knew I didn't have to hide. He would do with me how he pleased, but he was a victim of bad fate too. He was protecting himself from everyone around him, and it showed when his eyes connected with mine, silently pleading. We were two souls abandoned by Lady Luck and left in the hands of our cruel world. He was the wolf I knew, with the ability to kill me, but one I understood.
Little specks of hope flickered in my chest, making my lips crook. Warmth spread through my body as I pushed open Connor's bedroom door, wanting to start the process of winning over the undisguised predator. The rich scent of mahogany teakwood and sage washed over me. His room should smell more like the depths of hell, but instead, it smelled of sexual masculinity that made my core ache.
I made my way into his bathroom and studied my reflection. My long brown hair sat high on my head in a large bun, exposing the back of my neck. I hastily pulled the vanity drawers open, searching for a brush. He didn’t have much hair, but I hoped for at least a comb. My insides fluttered in excitement when I finally pulled open the bottom drawer. A brush, curling iron, and makeup lay perfectly organized.
Seeing a woman's belongings shouldn't have surprised me or made my chest tighten. Of course, he either had a girlfriend or had held other women captive. I grabbed the brush and released my hair from its bun, relishing in the pain of combing through my knots. With each pull at my scalp, I examined my racing thoughts, trying to calculate a plan. My stomach twisted, and my hands went limp. He would be harder to break if he had truly held other girls captive. I needed to dismantle him. His soul needed to be entangled with the truth, forcing him to realize we were the same. Two people, tortured by fate.
