“No, you need to—”
I cut off her objection. “If you try to leave, the alarm is going to go off. I’ll promise you this—being in here is going to be far more comfortable than trying to escape, dark bond or not.”
Her jaw set, teeth grinding together. Kiara didn’t seem pleased with this compromise.
Well, she could join the fucking club.
I wasn’t going to do anything that would put my job with Soren in jeopardy, not when so much was riding on it. What the criminal billionaire wants, he gets. “I’ll show you to the room you’ll be staying in and find you some clothes. We’re going to need to do something about the bloody dress.”
If only Liberty were still here. Collecting samples and eliminating blood stains was her specialty.
I didn’t wait for Kiara to follow as I strode into my office, where I would pull the couch out into a bed for her to stay.
Indefinitely.
Fuck me.
TWO
KIARA
Soren had said her name was Leighton Winston.
She hadn’t bothered to introduce herself, too busy reaming me out for arriving here in the first place. The name I’d been told suited her, though. It was regal and uptight, hinting at old money. It was the kind of name I’d expect to find in a Gossip Girl novel.
Leighton herself wouldn’t be out of place in Gossip Girl either.
Her black hair was pin straight, the cut perfectly angled to highlight her features. The clothes she wore were ironed crisp—a bright white blazer and slim leg trousers with a fashionable belt. A green blouse beneath the blazer coordinated with the vibrant green of her eyes and made her light smattering of freckles stand out.
She’d removed her shoes, wearing only a pair of socks, and I was trying not to be self-conscious about keeping mine on. My family wore shoes throughout the house, only taking them off in our bedrooms. It was the only way I’d ever known to do it. It seemed my family’s habits might not be the most common.
I tailed after her slowly, brushing my hands nervously down my dress. The fabric was stiff from the dried blood, my skin pulling tight where it was flaking off me. I didn’t want to take it off. This dress was a reminder of why I was here, and I didn’t know where she was going to find clothes that fit me anyway.
Leighton was slim with narrow hips and shoulders, and I was not.
“There’s an attached bathroom where you can shower and I’ll set up the pull-out couch for you to sleep on,” Leighton said.
She was brusque and business-like. Her lips were turned down into a scowl, each movement sharp as she grabbed a towel from a small linen closet. When she tried to hand it to me, I stared at it.
This predicament wasn’t going to work for me.
I’d come here for one reason. To get a life-saving bond. A dark bond. I should have known I’d be better off asking for one on the street, but Soren had been convincing.
He must be like that with everyone. Leighton had been seconds away from tossing me out on my ass and was now holding me captive because of what he’d said on the phone.
I ignored the tightness in my stomach over the thought of asking anyone other than this woman for a bond.
“Take the towel, Kiara. Wash off the blood and muse over your situation in the shower. I don’t know what you did to get to this point, but I doubt it was as simple as a neighbour attacking you.”
Irritation raced through me and I did my best to keep my expression demure, the kind of sad smile that would fit the frilly dress I wore.
Sure, I’d lied about the neighbour.
What I’d escaped was way worse.
Pressing my hand to my sternum, I took comfort in the stiff knife I had tucked between my breasts. Its sharp edges sliced and poked my skin if I shifted wrong. Some of the blood on the dress was mine, but it was a small price to pay for the safety of a weapon.
I grabbed the towel.
