2. Liam

2

LIAM

I gripped the counter to stay upright as a wave of dizziness reminded me I’d only eaten half a sandwich for lunch yesterday and I’d had no dinner. I needed to find some food.

I opened the fridge and stared at the empty shelves. The only things in there were some mayo that was likely expired and a bag of moldy carrots. The cabinets were almost as bare. At least I could make myself a cup of coffee.

I put some grounds in my ancient coffee maker and turned it on. While I waited for it to brew, I pulled up my account in my banking app.

My stomach sank when I realized the balance was even lower than I thought. I barely had enough to feed myself for the rest of the week. There was no way I was going to make rent, and I’d already asked for too many extensions. If I didn’t pay this month, I would be evicted. And if I couldn’t afford this tiny piece-of-shit apartment, I wouldn’t be able to afford anywhere else to live.

I refused to let my sister drop out of school, no matter how dire things got. If she found out I was homeless, there was no way she’d keep taking classes instead of trying to find full-time work. I’d have to find a way to make do. She would be able to get a solid job once she finished her nursing degree. I was the only family she had now, and I wanted to give her that. I was all she had now that our parents were gone.

As it was, she had no idea I’d borrowed money from the Marchesis. If she ever found out, she’d probably kill me. I needed to keep the loan a secret, but that meant I also had to hide from Valentino, the man the Marchesis had sent looking for me. I’d borrowed so fucking much, but living expenses and tuition were crushing me. I had no way to pay them back.

Maybe I should leave town—not that I had money for gas, a train, or a bus. But if I stayed close, Valentino would find me. What would happen if I did escape? Would they go looking for Ava?

The thought of some loan shark’s henchman tracking down my sister made bile rise in my throat. I couldn’t let myself think about what they might do to her.

That meant running wasn’t an option for me even if I could find the funds. I was sure the Marchesis could track the ancient car I’d inherited from my mom. It was barely hanging on anyway. I wasn’t sure I could even make it out of the city before it died on me. The money I’d borrowed had allowed me to pay Ava’s fall tuition, but I’d made my overall situation worse.

I felt cursed, or maybe it was karmic justice is the accident was really my fault. I’d sure as hell had the worst run of luck. I’d lost my job while I was recovering, and after some asshole shoved me into the wall of a bar because I refused his advances, my post- concussion symptoms had returned. It had been weeks before I could even look for full-time work. Since then, I’d yet to find anything that could help me get out of the hole that seemed to grow deeper every day. Right now, the only work I had was a part-time position serving at a bar.

If I couldn’t leave town, maybe being evicted was a blessing in the disguise. If I was living out of my car, I’d be moving around every day, so I’d be a lot harder to track.

Or I could wait for Valentino to find me and try to bargain with him.

No. That was insane.

I’d be miserable without my apartment, but not even lack of shelter in the Boston heat wave would be as bad as finding out what Valentino would do to me for not paying. He looked like he could snap my neck with no effort.

He was also hot as hell, but I needed to forget that. Being turned on by a mobster should let me know I’d lost every bit of sense I’d ever had, even if borrowing money from a loan shark hadn’t already proven it.

You were desperate.

I was, and I still am. Had I come to the end of my rope?

I couldn’t earn enough to keep a roof over my head, help my sister, and pay down my debts. How the hell else was I supposed to get the money for Ava’s tuition next spring? If I had a life insurance policy it would be time to go jump off a bridge, but of course I didn’t. No matter how much I woke up dreading each day, wishing it had been me instead of my parents, I couldn’t help Ava if I was dead.

So why was I contemplating seeking out Valentino and trying to strike a deal? That was clearly suicidal. As it was, I was facing torture and eventually death if he found me and realized I had no chance of paying him back. Tears stung the back of my eyes. I’d known better than to approach the Marchesis, but I couldn’t fail my sister.

What kind of deal could I strike anyway? Unless…No, that would be even stupider than borrowing the money in the first place. I couldn’t even be sure he was gay, though rumors said he was. Would I really suggest letting him fuck me to pay back the debt? Was I stupid enough to think a few nights with me was worth all that money? Did I have a better option?

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I got the now familiar feeling I was being watched. I looked out the tiny window in my kitchen, but I couldn’t see anyone. A tall, red-haired man had been hanging around my building a lot and I’d also seen him at the bar where I worked. I’d caught him staring at me plenty of times, but I couldn’t prove he was actually following me. Like I needed more trouble.

The popping and hissing of the coffee maker finishing its job drew my attention. I’d just started to pour myself a cup when someone pounded on my door.

Fuck. Was that my landlord? I had ten more days before the rent was due. I knew the money wasn’t going to fall out of the sky, but I’d hoped to at least keep a roof over my head that much longer.

When I checked the peephole, I leapt back. It wasn’t my landlord. I should have known he’d never be up this early. It was Valentino.

Had he heard me moving around? I prayed he hadn’t as I moved away, trying to stay quiet. It’s possible he would have given up when I didn’t answer, but I ruined my chances by backing into the table next to the couch and turning it over.

“Liam, I know you’re in there.” More pounding. “Every second you keep me waiting makes things worse for you.”

Despite being terrified, I reminded myself that I’d been thinking about going to find Valentino.

I was an idiot. I looked around wishing I had another way out. The fire escape was really the only option, but the way the door was rattling, Valentino would have it open and be after me before I could make it to the street.

The sound of a gunshot made me scream. For a moment I wondered if I’d been hit, then I saw smoke rising from the doorknob and realized he’d shot through the lock.

Valentino shoved open the door, then kicked it closed behind him and braced it with the table I’d tripped over.

I stood there staring at him, wishing I could make my limbs work. I should at least try to run, but I couldn’t move.

Maybe he wasn’t as fast as me. It was possible I could outrun him. But with my luck, if I tried, I’d likely tumble off the fire escape, saving him the trouble of having to beat me up or shoot my kneecaps or whatever he planned to do.

“You shot my door.” As soon as the words came out, I knew it was the last thing I should’ve said. I couldn’t think straight with him standing right there. As terrified as I was, I was surprised I could speak.

“I wouldn’t have had to fuck up your door if you’d answered it.”

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. No matter how scared I was, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off him. He really was incredibly hot. He had to be over six feet tall, at least four inches taller than my 5'9". His hair was dark brown, and his eyes were nearly black. The perfectly tailored dark suit he wore added to the way he exuded power and dominance. I’d always been into men who liked to take charge, but surely I had more self-preservation than this.

You did borrow money from his family.

“I was trying to prevent getting myself as damaged as the door, or worse.”

The fucker grinned. “The way to do that is to pay what you owe my family.”

“I need more time.” I needed a whole new life. Time wasn’t going to make any difference. I was never going to have that kind of money.

“We’ve waited long enough. We’re going to have to take it now.”

He glanced around my apartment. Was he hoping I had something of value? I wished I did, but the only thing I had left was my body. I leaned against the back of the couch, not sure I could keep myself upright with my knees trembling the way they were.

Valentino moved to stand only a few inches away and gave me a slow once over from head to toe. He gave me a hungry smile when his gaze returned to mine.

Was he actually interested in me? What the hell, I might as well try and bargain with him. If I couldn’t pay him back, I was going to die, so what did I have to lose? “What if I agreed to work off my debt?”

“Work it off? All that money?”

I nodded.

“That’s going to take a very long time. What skills do you have?” His wicked grin made my stomach flip flop.

What was I doing? I couldn’t offer myself to this man. “Your family owns a lot of businesses. I could do whatever work you need.”

“Really? Can you drive a semi-truck? Do you know how to run a bakery? Are you well-versed in the art of dry cleaning?”

“No.”

“So, what do you have to offer?”

I took a deep breath. I had no other solutions. “Myself.”

He let his eyes linger on my body again, then he took a step closer. I braced for pain, but he didn’t hit me. He traced my cheekbone with the back of his fingers. His touch was feather light, and I couldn’t stop myself from shivering.

“You are beautiful. Even in these old clothes and with your hair all wild. We could fix you up, and you could really shine.”

I reached up and attempted to smooth my unruly hair. “I know how to fix myself up, I just don’t have the money.”

“That is the root of the problem, isn’t it? If you need money to live on, how are you going to use a job to pay us off?”

He was right. This was stupid, like every move I’d made since Ava had been left with no one but me.

“What exactly are you offering?” Valentino’s voice had gone low and rough. My heart pounded, and my stupid dick took notice. He was so close and so much bigger than me. He surrounded me with his presence. I should be terrified, but the way he’d touched me made him seem almost…gentle.

That was an illusion. He was a killer, and I had no way to fight him, so I made the stupidest move ever by saying, “Anything you want.”

He took hold of my chin and forced me to look up at him.

I saw hunger in his eyes, the look of a predator. I was handing myself over to him to toy with, then kill.

What had I done?