Page 15 of Auctioned to the Agent
“Good.”
“Seriously, Drew. We’ve been friends longer than we’ve been business partners. Tell me the truth. What is going on between you and this girl? Is this just a situation where you dive in and get lost for a bit, then cut her loose once she’s out of yoursystem? Or is there something real going on? I deserve to know if this is going to be a problem.”
My breath stutters in my chest as I wait for Andrew’s answer. He hasn’t said a word to me about his feelings, but what’s been happening between us feels real. God, I want it to be real.
“You don’t need to worry about Holly. I’m taking care of it; she won’t be a problem,” Andrew says a moment later, his voice entirely devoid of any discernible emotion, and my heart cracks, then shatters in my chest.
Tears form on my cheeks, and I turn away, hurrying back down the hall and going straight for the elevator. I pass Ryan on the way, and he tries to stop me, but I don’t pause. The universe must finally decide to throw me a bone because the elevator opens as soon as I press the button, and I step quickly inside.
Alone in the car, emotion overwhelms me, and I start to sob. On the ground floor, I exit the elevator, and through the blur of tears, I hurry toward the doors. As I push through them, I slam into someone just coming in, and I’m knocked backward. I nearly lose my footing and fall, but a firm grip on my arm steadies me. I open my mouth to thank my rescuer when I look up and the breath is stolen from my lungs as I meet the gaze of my stepfather.
“About time you showed your face,” he says. “I appreciate you saving me the trouble of demanding a meeting with that boyfriend of yours.” He looks over my shoulder briefly, then back at me. “Come with me,” he demands.
“N-no,” I say. “Let go of me.” I struggle against his grip, but he digs his nails into my skin and squeezes tighter.
“Your new boyfriend contacted the owners ofZoltoy Dom,” he hisses at me. “Told them I coerced you intoparticipating in the auction under false pretenses, so they refused to pay me. The two of you owe me twenty grand.”
Andrew called the auction house? Why didn’t he tell me about this? What else hasn’t he told me?
“You know I don’t have any money. And Andrew isn’t my boyfriend,” I protest. We’ve started to catch the attention of others in the lobby, and I’m hoping I can get out of here before Andrew finds out about this. Causing a scene at his workplace would definitely make me the problem he promised Mick I wouldn’t become.
“Tired of you already, huh?” he sneers. “Well, that’s fine. Even used, you’ll still fetch a pretty penny. You’re coming with me, you can work of your debt.” Craig looks me up and down with a leer that makes my skin crawl, his intentions obvious.
I should have known the last five days with Andrew were nothing more than a dream; this nightmare is my inescapable reality.
Chapter Ten
Andrew
“What does that mean, that she won’t be a problem? You have to give me more than that,” Mick demands, and I can’t stop my sigh. I can’t blame him for being angry and confused, but this conversation is keeping me away from Holly, something I could barely tolerate in my own home. Being away from here makes irritation prickle beneath my skin.
“It means that Holly is mine, and I’m not letting her go. So get used to having her around because she isn’t going anywhere.”
Mick lets out a low whistle. “Well, can’t say I saw that coming, but I’m happy for you.” He pauses for a moment, then asks, “You said she can sing?”
I smirk, knowing by the question that Mick has decided to accept the situation and move on. “You’ll cry when you hear her,” I tease.
He opens his mouth to respond, but is interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by Ryan poking his head inside. “I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but I thought you should know,” he says to me, “the front desk called and said there’s some kind ofconfrontation happening in the lobby. It sounds like some kind of argument between Ms. Taylor and an older gentleman.”
“Holly is in my office,” I start, but cut off when Ryan shakes his head.
“She left a few moments ago. Something upset her, she was crying.”
“And you didn’t think to stop her and ask what was wrong?” I demand as I jump to my feet. I don’t wait for his answer as I bolt from the room and head for the lobby.
By the time the elevator doors open on the ground floor, I’m ready to tear this building apart. When I see Holly struggling against the hold of a man near the entrance, my vision goes red. How fucking dare someone touch what’s mine?
I reach them in a few strides and rip the man away from Holly. It’s not until I’ve moved between them that I recognize the man as Holly’s stepfather. I’d hoped he’d get the message after I contacted the auction house and told them what he’d done. Apparently, losing out on what should have been Holly’s cut of my winning bid and the threats I know that must have been made weren’t enough to send this asshole back into whatever hole he crawled out of.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demand. I can feel Holly behind me, but I don’t dare take my eyes off this creep to check on her. Not yet.
“You owe me twenty grand!” he shouts, his face turning purple. “You cut me out when you ran and tattled, and now I want either my money or the girl.”
“Holly isn’t going anywhere with you, and no one owes you a goddamn cent. You lied, and you lost. Now get the fuck out of my building.”
Craig moves as if to take a step toward me, and I ball up my fists, ready to put this fucker down like I should have the night of the auction, but we’re interrupted by a voice behind me.
“I recommend you think twice before you do anything stupid.”
