Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
As far as I’m concerned, women are just a distraction in life. A distraction and a problem that will end up getting your ass in a jam. I’ve seen it happen to guys I respect. They’ve got everything going the way they want it, and then they throw it all away on some chick they think is the love of their life or whatever.
Well not me. I learned to push away that side of myself long ago. I haven’t felt even a hint of it in years, but the moment I set eyes on Rick’s daughter, I felt something.
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“Why do you care?” she asks. “I’m just a piece of meat to you, right?”
“Leia,” Rick coughs. “Don’t talk back to Sterling.”
“Leia.” I smile as I step closer to her. Even all wrapped up in winter clothes, I can tell she’s got a killer body. “I like that name. And no, Leia, you’re not just a piece of meat to me.”
“I’m sure…” she mutters, looking away.
“S-Sterling,” Rick stammers, coming up to my side. “I-I’m sure there’s s-something else…s-some other arrangement we could come up with—”
“Do you have eighty-two thousand dollars?” I snap. Rick instantly looks down at the floor like a scolded puppy. “I thought not. Leia, go to your room and pack your things.”
“This is crazy—!” Leia starts to shout, but I quickly snatch Rick by the throat and glare into her eyes.
“No, crazy is what I’m going to do to your dad if you don’t obey me.” Her mouth clamps shut instantly. I see the fire in her, but I also see the potential for obedience there. What a sexy combination. I can already feel the blood pumping to my cock. Christ, I can’t wait to get this girl into my bed. “Now go into your room and pack a bag. And please, Leia, no more talking back.”
I can see she wants to, and I actually like that. It makes me wonder what she’ll be like in bed. I like a girl with a little fire in her. But for now, she gets the message and turns around and walks toward the back of the house. I can’t check her out because of the damn winter coat she’s wearing, but there will be time for that.
I let go of her dad, who drops to the couch, sucking deep breaths of air, and follow her back there to find her going through her closet and stuffing things into a rolling suitcase.
“Don’t forget the sexy lingerie,” I say with a smirk.
“Oh, the sexy lingerie that I don’t own?” she replies.
“Come on, every girl owns sexy lingerie. How old are you?”
“Nineteen. And I guess I’m the exception.”
She’s not lying. Being a debt collector for the mob, you get pretty good at figuring out when someone’s bullshitting you and when they’re not, and right now, Leia’s not. On one hand, I’m disappointed, but on the other hand, that’s a good sign for me. That means Leia’s never had anyone to buy sexy lingerie for. That means there’s a good chance she’s still untouched—that I can make her mine.
“Never had a guy buy any for you, huh?” She looks up at me from her suitcase like I’ve completely lost my mind and shakes her head. “What? Is that a crazy question?”
“Uh, yeah,” she scoffs.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, you’d have to have a boyfriend first to—you know what? Why am I telling you this? It’s not like you’re my therapist or something.” Leia slams her suitcase shut and glares at me defiantly. “Ready?”
I smile and nod and head for the front door. She follows me; she has to. This is her life now. A life with me. I glance at her father on the way out, seated on the couch. Part of me feels bad. I know he wants to say something—do something—but he can’t. He got himself into this massive debt on his own and burned through all the money he’s supposed to provide for his daughter with by playing blackjack at our casino. What kind of a man is that?
He knew the consequences of what he was doing. All he was thinking about was winning big and then coming back to do it all over again. He wasn’t thinking about Leia, her college fund, or whatever else she might need. He knew what would happen when he couldn’t pay us. The Esposito crime family runs things here and doesn’t back down. He’s lucky another collector wasn’t sent today—one that would take his daughter and break a couple of his fingers too.
“We’ll see ya, Rick,” I say with a casual wave as I hold the door for Leia. “I’ll take good care of her. I mean it.”
I’m not even taunting him, although I’m sure it seems like it to him. I do mean it.