AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No rush. Just let me know when you’re on your way and we’ll meet you outside.”
I set my phone back down and take a moment. In the corner of my eye, I see Hazel impatiently waiting for updates. “Well… I’ve been upgraded.” I glance around at the flowers with a soft snort. “Again. To a penthouse. Three bedrooms. With a stipend.”
“Holy shit.”
Something pings on my phone; it’s an email from Mr. Marquette. The lock codes, as promised, and a note of the amount direct deposited into my account.
I damn near fall off my chair.
Hazel reads the screen over my shoulder when she sees me slump in shock. She, too, is in complete disbelief. “Holy… Who the fuck is your landlord? And do they have any vacancies?”
“I don’t know and I don’t know and right now, I don’t know if I care. I mean, I just…”
I cover my mouth with a laugh. Is this happening right now? Is this really happening right now?
I’m surrounded by dozens and dozens of expensive, luxurious roses. I’m sipping on a personalized indicator of how closely Pasha pays attention to my wants and needs. I’m several thousand dollars richer and about to settle into a penthouse.
And to think: only a few short months ago, I was sobbing as I scrambled to pick up the shattered ashes of a life I thought I wanted.
“I gotta get back to work,” Hazel sighs. She casts one last glance around the office and chuckles. “Let me know if he comes crashing in on a parachute. Or a pumpkin carriage. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sweeps you off to some magical palace and goes down on you for five hours straight.”
I wait until the door latches behind her before I let out a dreamy little sigh. This is all so overwhelming that I don’t even know what to do. I should text Pasha, at some point, but I won’t hammer him with questions. I’ll just thank him for the beautiful flowers, the yummy smoothies.
Eventually.
I think.
“Don’t judge me,” I coo to my fluttering baby bump as I settle in to try and get some work done. “I can’t help being a big, fat chicken.” I rub a gentle hand over the swell and feel myself break into a smile. “But don’t you worry—I’m gonna be the best mommy in the whole world. I’m gonna love you and smother you with hugs and kisses and…”
I look around at the dozens of boxes of roses. There’s still so much uncertainty gnawing away at me, but it’s hard to ignore the evidence stacking higher and higher right in my line of sight.
“… and so will Daddy, I bet.”
14
PASHA
I have to remind myself that killing a senator is a bad idea.
Brennan is mostly oblivious about my internal struggle. He hems and haws as he fumbles with the drawers of his desk in an attempt to avoid eye contact.
You’re not allowed to kill the senator…
No matter how good it would feel.
“Explain to me again what’s preventing you from signing the contract,” I drawl.
He adjusts his suit jacket and clears his throat. “It’s not just me; it’s the whole Department of Justice I have to worry about. Budget constraints. Verification measures. People are going to want to know where their tax dollars are going and I have to be able to provide answers.”
I drum a few fingers on the arm of the chair so I don’t ball them into a fist and drive that fist into Brennan’s face.
No matter how fucking good it would feel.
“It’s interesting to me how all these concerns are only just now coming up.” I keep my voice level. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost think you’re stalling.”
His face begins to redden at the implication. But is he able to tell me I’m wrong?
Not a fucking chance.
