Page 4 of Prince Charming

Wearing blue denim and scuffed biker boots on the bottom half. The top half of Tag was covered by a long-sleeved undershirt, and his Renegade Souls leather vest with the Grim Reaper trademark sewn into the back. She’d looked at that vest many times when avoiding the oceanic blue eyes. She knew it saidColorado Chapteron the front and below that patches read:Sergeant at Arms, and One percenter.

Usually he flashed her a smile.

They were not friends, but not-notfriends either.

He’d helped her, provided her with a job and a place to live.

She’d visited him many times in the hospital when he was badly injured and temporarily blinded during one of his cage fights.

Sometimes he bought her lunch for no reason. Or dropped off groceries with little explanation.It’s only food, Marianna.

It was not only food to her. Nothing came for free.

But her aversion to growing closer to anyone put them in a weird place of boss-employee. Friend-not friend.

She approached, and he jutted his chin for her to follow him into the office.

Her tummy muscles clenched together, whining out a protest to turn around and leave.

She was used to the fight or flee instincts, you could say it kept her alive many times.

Was she in trouble?

Did he discover her secret?

He’d given her no reason to fear him.

The opposite, in fact. He wanted her to trust him.

Tag was the man who carried her from her nightmare.

If she allowed herself to trust anyone here, it would be him.

A year ago she’d been tricked into boarding a boat to the States. And forced into a sex ring. She was no longer that woman.

Pain healed.

Secrets remained.

There was only one way to find out why he looked so sullen.

With her shoulders back, Marianna let Tag usher her into his square office ahead of him.

The bluest eyes she’d ever seen, watching her every step.

TWO

“One is a lonely number.” - Marianna

There was something very unnerving about the way Tag watched her.

It was not dangerous.

Nor was it seductive.

Any feelings a normal woman would experience were burned out of Marianna.

Yay for being a sexless cabbage.

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