Page 18 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

She felt a smile tug her lips. “You, too.”

“Darcy said you need building up. We going to put some muscle on you. We’ll get you kicking some serious ass in no time.”

“Thank you. That would be nice.” She could think of one particular ass she’d like to kick. She smiled at the thought. Behind her, the ass in question cleared his throat.

“This a friend of yours?” Sam asked.

“No.”

“Yes,” Nik said at the same time.

Sam raised an eyebrow, but he released his hold on her and stepped back.

“This is my new employer,” she said. “He’s very kindly offered me a job and a lift here.”

“That’s nice.”

Nik held out a hand. “Nik Masterton.”

“Sam Winters.”

She watched as the two men shook hands. “I just came to make sure everything is okay,” Nik said. He sounded perfectly reasonable.

“You’re a conscientious employer.”

It occurred to her that if she asked him nicely, Sam would very likely throw Nik out for her. She thought about it, because she so wanted to be alone right now. In the end, though, she dismissed the idea. The problem was, Nik had all the advantages. He could get her locked up faster than she could say “embezzlement.”

“You have the keys?” she asked.

Sam pulled a set of three keys from his pocket. “The alley entrance, the door at the back of the gym, and the apartment,” he said, pointing to each one.

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Any friend of Darcy’s…” He gave a shrug. “You want me to come with you?”

“No, we’ll be fine, thank you.”

“I didn’t pick up any furniture, except for a bed so you’ll have somewhere to sleep. Darcy said you would choose some stuff together when she gets out. But there’s a little welcome pack waiting for you. From Darcy.” He jerked his head at the door he’d come through. “Through there, take the door at the end of the corridor, up the stairs, and the apartment is on the right.”

Nik stayed close behind her as she headed off to see her new apartment. The corridor had several doors opening off it, and she caught a glimpse of training rooms, people working out, sparring. The gym seemed to cater mostly to men, though there was a class in the end room where women in smart workout clothes were dancing up a sweat. Zumba, she guessed.

She’d never been a member of a gym. Nik had been right; it wasn’t her scene. She actually hated exercise of any sort, though she’d done some training with Darcy and it hadn’t been too bad.

She unlocked the door at the far end of the corridor and made her way up the stairs. At the top, there were two doors. The second must lead to the offices. She took the one on the right, unlocked it, and held her breath.

Her new home.

The door opened into a large living space, painted a neutral cream with a big bay window overlooking the street, though double-glazed so only the muted sound of traffic came through. There was no furniture except a double bed parked right in the center, made up with a purple duvet set—her favorite color.

“It’s nice,” Nik said from beside her, sounding surprised. He wandered across and stared out the window. “I don’t like you being alone here, though.”

Why? And why the hell did he care? “It’s not for long. Darcy gets out in a few days.”

Four doors led out of the living room. She tried the nearest, which took her into what she presumed was a bedroom. It was large and empty. There were two more bedrooms; she picked the smallest for herself. It had a window looking out into the side alley. Another door led into a small hallway and a huge bathroom, with a freestanding claw-foot bathtub. A stool stood beside the bath, with a folded purple towel, bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. A purple silk robe hung from the door. Darcy must have organized all this. Summer’s eyes pricked. As soon as she could, she was getting into that tub. She was going to soak away the last of the prison smell from her hair and body.

She just had to get rid of her new boss first.

Opposite the bathroom was a big kitchen, which was partially furnished with a stove and a fridge. A breakfast bar dissected the room in two, and on it sat a single glass—a champagne flute—a plate and a knife and fork.

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