Chapter 45

Kyle knew that she had finally crossed a line with Cannin. He didn’t say a word during the car ride back or when they got ready for bed.

Kyle lay in the dark for a few minutes before she spoke to him.

“I’m sorry, Cannin.”

“I don’t want to hear it. What is done is done, and you’d better have a plan for that girl. She’ll be here tomorrow. Now, go to sleep.”

When Kyle woke up the next morning, Cannin was gone for the day. She had to get back in his good graces, and she needed to speed up her plan. She knew holding back was annoying him.

***

Kyle was in the kitchen making breakfast when one of Cannin’s men interrupted her to let her know the girl they bought had arrived. Kyle told him to show her to the den and she would be there in a moment.

Kyle walked in and saw the girl sitting on the couch.

“I’m Kyle.”

“I . . . I’m, umm, Violet.”

Violet was scared and shy and didn’t know how to act.

“I know that this is all crazy and you’re scared, but you’re not going to get hurt. You’ll work here. You’ll clean and cook, and you’ll help me with things.”

Violet sighed. “Thank you.”

“How did you end up there?”

“My father owes some people money.”

“My brother did too, and then my father made a deal, so I’m in the same body as you. You’ll start with everything this evening, with dinner. I’ll have someone show you around.”

***

Max and Dimitri weren’t handling Kyle being gone very well.

It had been weeks since either of them had talked to her. They spent the time researching and watching Kyle’s dad, but they had no clue and had moved in to work Cannin.

“I don’t think she is with him anymore.” Anatolia hated saying this to Max. Max was losing his temper more often as he was becoming more violent.

“We haven’t seen her, and we haven’t seen Cannin come by the house.”

“What are we supposed to fucking do if we don’t know where she is?” Max yelled.

“Look, she’ll show up, but you need to calm the fuck down because I’m not going to deal with your mood swings. Have a beer or go away for a few days, but you need to calm down and work through this.”

Anatoli walked out of the room, leaving Dimitri to put up with Max.

“You know he’s right. I don’t like her being gone either, but we have to concentrate on what we can do. We need to find out where Cannin lives, because chances are, she’s there.

“We know Cannin, and we could ask for a business meeting.”

“We don’t need him to know that she was with us if he doesn’t know already.”

Dimitri was getting tired of all this. He loved Kyle, but he thought it was time to give it up. He just didn’t know how to tell Max.

***

Kyle waited for Cannin to get home. He hadn’t said a word to her since the night of a bid, and that was two days ago.

When she heard Cannin walking up the stairs, she sat up in bed, and Cannin was surprised to see her awake but ignored her and continued his bedtime routine.

Kyle waited until he climbed into bed before speaking. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for using you, but I’m not sorry for making sure at least one of them didn’t end up somewhere worse.”

“You don’t get it. I made sure you’re taken care of—you pretty much get to do what you want, and you just take, and I get nothing in return, and I’m fucking tired of it, and that’s going to change.”

Cannin pulled Kyle to him and kissed her. “You’re mine. Do you understand that?”

Kyle was too afraid to answer and just shook her head yes before he kissed her roughly again.

When his hands moved inside Kyle’s shirt, she abruptly backed away, shaking her head.

“You’re just like them,” she accused him. “You say you don’t like that part of your father’s business, but you’re just trying to make yourself look better.”

A sob tore through her as she fled the room.