Page 57 of Liars and Liaisons

Still, that grit is something they drove into me. And since I need tomakethe cash in order to pay back my father’s debt, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.

I suppose it could be more of a hardship.

“If I asked you for a million dollars right now, would you give it to me?”

“In this very moment, I would give you whatever you desired.” He moves closer, reaching for one of the thin straps of my bra, and slips it down a shoulder. “I might even beg.”

“Just to taste me?”

“For theprivilege.”

Jesus Christ. How anyone could ever resist this man, I don’t know. Maybe that makes me as fucked up as him, and maybe that’s why I’m giving in anyway.

I like that he doesn’t seem to judge. That I don’t have to pretend not to want things.

“Okay,” I say finally, lifting my chin in what I hope is a display of confidence. Normally, I feel secure in my convictions, but everything about this man makes me uneasy. “What—”

“Grayson!” Micah’s shrill tone reaches us across the yard, and we both glance to our right to see her standing under the beams of a loggia, waving her arms frantically. “You have company!”

He clenches his jaw. As if contemplating ignoring her.

She doesn’t let up though, and instead, he reaches out to grip my jaw. Forcing my gaze up to meet his.

And tosses my clothes into the lake.

“To be continued.”

* * *

Twenty minutesafter Grayson left me at the lake, I’m still standing in my bra and thong, waiting for him to come back.

Twenty minutes turn into thirty and then forty, and I’m left with only a thin film of embarrassment smoothing across my skin like sweat. After the hour mark passes, I wade into the water, pretending I know exactly what lies at the bottom, as if that isn’t what got me into trouble in the first place.

My shirt and jeans are soaked, and I lay them flat on the shore, hoping whatever’s left of the sun might dry them out enough for me to put them back on.

Goose bumps crop up along my arms and thighs, and I huddle down near a bush, peering out at the estate and trying to decide the best way to get back in without being seen. I let my hair out of its two French braids, hoping that might add a little warmth.

In the distance, leaves rustle as a breeze travels through the trees. Branches and twigs snap under the footsteps of forest critters, and I focus on my breathing and not the fact that I’m sort of stranded here. My underwear isn’t that different from a bikini, but I still don’t know who’s at the house, and if it’s Nate, I definitely don’t want to give him the wrong impression.

God, Violet, you are so stupid.

Every decision I’ve made recently feels like the wrong one. It’s like I've spent my entire life being extra careful, making up for the fact that my parents weren’t around enough and being responsible so they didn’t have to, and now, the universe is punishing me for it with an extra dose of bad life choices.

I shouldn’t have come here at all. Shouldn’t have let Grayson tempt me with his money.

Six years ago, I should’ve taken the fucking cash that Kal offered me even if it meant trouble for the family. The terms of my father’s repayment requireearnings—not inheritance, gifts, or anything considered a handout. They run the funds through their own little accounting service, and want things like this to be as above board as possible. Anything sent gets filed with the IRS, just so they can continue flying just below the radar with their laundering and gambling schemes.

If you pay the government enough money, they’ll overlook anything.

And since every cent of debt was transferred into my name via credit cards, student loans, and padded savings accounts, the duty of earning became mine.

I’m not even sure how the debt collectors can check that sort of thing, but since it’s the fucking Mafia, I’ve never wanted to test it.

Now, I can’t help thinking how much time I might have saved if I’d just taken Kal’s help in the first place. If the rumors about him are true, maybe he could’ve made all the problems disappear, and I wouldn’t even be here at all.

I could be back home in North Carolina, working at the florist shop downtown. Maybe I could finish my degree one day.

My mother would have been devastated though. Because a deal with my brother wouldn’t have come unattached. I know what the condition is, and I’ve never wanted to be the one to bring his darkness to the family.

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