Page 18 of On Your Knees

Zeland laughs. “We are, but it’s not about the money. While it helps to not be poor, we donate a lot to charity. I like to give back—I wasn’t used to having everything like I do now. My mom lived pay to pay after my father died.”

The conversation about our parents dies off and I’m grateful. I shiver as we drive past what looks like a lot full of those self-driving cars. If he takes me in there, I willrun, and he will never see me again. The trauma is still fresh.

When he drives right past, I sigh in relief and tap my hand on my leg in time to his music. He seems to be in his head, and I don’t want to pry when I don’t know him that well.

“I need to tell you something,” he finally says as we pull into what looks like a private parking garage.

“You didn’t bring me here to kill me. It’s a little too public, and I bet I could outrun you if you let me out of the car.”

He chuckles. “No, I didn’t bring you here to kill you—that’s a little morbid for me. My company has a meeting today on privacy breaches, and I thought it might be something you should attend.”

“Okay, and why would I need to attend?”

He pulls into a parking spot with his name on the wall. “Because I own the View4U app. I want you to understand the implications of putting out videos and how seriously we take the safety of our creators. Some of the app’s top content creators will be present to be informed about what policies and procedures are being put in place for their safety”

My mouth falls open while I stare at him. “You own a kink app?”

He nods. “I do. I started by making videos myself, masked ones to be more specific.”

He slips from the car, and I follow him. “Ridge put you up to this, didn’t he? All because I almost told Arlo my name!”

“Maybe, but he can suck dick so well, and I also think it’s a good idea. I’m all for you starting an account with us—I think a masked woman would make bank. Before you start, though, I want you to see the darker side and make an educated decision. Then if it’s still what you want, I’m happy to help you. I can record you, let you chase me, or I can find you people to chase—all legal of course.”

The thought of Arlo fills my head. I wonder how Zeland would feel about joining me on my chase.

“Though if I help you, please promise me we can do one video where you surprise Ridge. We probably wouldn’t be able to post it, but seeing his face would be priceless, and I’m curious about how he would react. He pretends you annoy him, but he hasn’t been home like this in months. I have been laid so much my ass hurts.”

His words make me lose my resolve, and I’m laughing so hard as we step into the elevator, the woman inside stares at us. Zeland practically snarls at her, then wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him as the doors close behind us.

“It’s the devil in Prada—if we ignore her, she might go away,” Zeland whispers against my ear.

“I can hear you, and I wasn’t aware it was ‘bring your charity case to work’ day.”

“Excuse me?” I snap, and she has the nerve to smile.

“No offense, darling, but your kind doesn’t belong here.”

I open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, but Zeland beats me to it. “Ridge seems to like her a lot. Have you noticed how early he leaves the office everynight? Oh, even with all that Botox, I can see the jealousy. You might have Ridge fooled but not me.”

“Screw you, Zeland,” she snaps.

“Not even if you were the last pussy on earth. I would chop my cock off before screwing you.”

The doors slide open and Zeland pulls me from the elevator, and I flip the bitch off as we pass. If I ever see her again, I will give her a piece of my mind.

“Sorry about that—she thinks Ridge belongs to her. It grates on her nerves that he fucks me, and I like to remind her of the fact often. She is a family friend, and while she has Ridge convinced she only wants to be his friend, I know better. She doesn’t hold back when he isn’t around.”

“I don’t normally condone violence, but I will totally smack that bitch to repay you for your generosity.”

“As much as the thought of you breaking her twenty-thousand-dollar nose job fills me with glee, she would just buy a new one and her lawyers would eat you alive.”

I snort. “What would they take, the few thousand I have in savings?”

“Boss,” a young man on a hoverboard says. “Did you bring me fresh meat to train?”

“Eliott, this is my new roommate, Aspen. She is attending the meeting with me this morning. Is everyone here?”

“Sure are. They’re waiting for you.”

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