Page 4 of Knot All is Crystal
Heading back up the stairs with the enforcer hot on my heels, I struggle to hold my tongue. “It’s a stupid joke, and you know it.” Customers of Prism know to request “The Queen” when they need to see me, which has led to numerous royalty nicknames. “Calling me Your Highness because I sell people drugs is unoriginal and immature, Puck.”
He barks a laugh that makes me shudder. “Speaking of, we’ve got a new batch of fizz for you tonight.”
“Great.” My sarcasm could and probably should get me in trouble, but I’ve learned over the past few years that Puck isn’t going to call me out on it. “I’ll go get it from Ricky when I’m dressed.”
In the dressing room, I peel off my pencil skirt and blouse, the costume I wear daily as I pretend to be a functioning member of society. A pair of sky-high heels and a new lingerie set wait for me in my locker, with a note pinned to the front.
Crystal,
This color will complement your complexion. Make sure you come to see me before you start your shift so I can confirm that my assumption was correct.
- Kieran
I bunch up the note and throw it in the trash.
Of course, Kieran picked out the skimpiest fucking clothes imaginable for me. In the four years I’ve worked for him, he’s made it clear I’m no closer to paying off my brother-in-law’s debt than when I first got here.
And if I try to skip out, he’s been very transparent about how many people love to adopt little girls.
I think I’ll die in the Conglomerate. I accepted that after the first six months, when I realized Kieran gave me special attention.
He’s never going to let me go.
The burgundy, strappy scraps of fabric he picked out for me are hard to squeeze into unassisted. The way it cages my breasts and twists across my hips is a bit confusing to figure out on my own, but once I do, I slip on the gold platform heels he left for me and make my way up two floors to Kieran’s skybox.
Kieran Cobb is Lunarcrest City’s phantom. Every bit of the underbelly has traces of his influence, yet he always manages to evade police detection. Sure, some of the smaller players he’s worked with over the years have been busted, but never him.
He’s squeaky clean on paper.
I’m not sure how the Conglomerate came to be, but the rumors say he built it from the ground up on his own. He’s very protective of it, considering it a reflection of himself, and he lets very few people into his inner circle.
I’m not sure if it’s paranoia or smart business.
I knock on the metal door and wait for the tell-tale boom of his voice. “Come in, Queenie.”
I shudder at the nickname. It’s like they think that if they call me royalty, I’ll believe I’m being treated as such. And sure, compared to many of the others, I am.
I have to put up with his special treatment to keep my cushy job in the nightclub. Otherwise, he may send me down to sell my body in the dens.
The day he asks me to get on my back for some of these slimy men is the day I finally slit my wrists.
It’s not like I haven’t considered it before.
Kieran is perched on the side of his desk, the sleeves of his white button-down shirt rolled up. He twirls a glass of amber liquor between his fingers. “I see you got my gift.”
“It’s nice, thank you.”
He turns to face me, squinting his dark eyes. Kieran is a handsome Alpha. There is no denying that. In his fifties, with salt and pepper hair and a sleek swimmer’s build, he undoubtedly turns the heads of women he passes on the street.
But they don’t know that below that beautiful surface is a monster.
“Cheer up, Crystal. It’s going to be a great evening. I have a good feeling about tonight.”
I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot, trying not to buckle under the heat of his gaze. “I’m just tired. It was a long day at work.”
“Ah, yes, I appreciate you keeping the good doctor in line. How fortuitous for us that you had the credentials to be hired as his assistant.” He takes a long sip of his drink before clanking the glass on the desk. “I know you think this situation is unfair, but you do not realize how privileged you are. I protect you in a world that threatens to break down Omegas and keep them shackled to a pack. I got you a job that you wanted and trained for. You are paid generously. All I ask in return is your loyalty.”
The emphasis on the last word makes my heart start to pound erratically. Does he think me foolish enough to think I can outrun him? To think I can free myself from his shackles?
