Page 13 of Married to the Don (Kornilov Bratva Duet 1)

“And?” he asks, biting his lower lip in a way that makes me shiver with disgust.

“I’ll do it.” I feel like I have to be a violent shade of green. I’ve never felt more disgusting in all my life, but if five miserable minutes with this man is what it takes to keep my son from spending a night on the sidewalk, then so be it. I will do anything for Theo.

Ted tilts his head to the side, a smug smile pulling across his face, and then he suddenly frowns. His lower lip pouts out. “I’m sorry, but that offer has expired.”

A cold wind blows through the door and freezes my back. Theo cuddles into me harder in his sleep, and I feel frozen in every way that is humanly possible.

“What?”

“Limited time only,” he says, clearly enjoying his power trip. “If you come in here tonight, I’ll make sure you’re banned from the gym for life.”

“But—” I’m stunned and ashamed. Am I really going to beg him to let me sleep with him? That is what he wants, after all. It’s obvious how much pleasure he gets from ripping the rug out from under my feet.

“Maybe try again in the morning,” he says, stepping away from the door and letting it close. “I’ll see you in the showers.”

I walk away from the gym like I’m walking on stumps. The day has shit on me in every way possible. I’m not sure how much more I can take.

I clutch Theo to my chest and walk down a street in the small business district. I could try to find a big box store that’s open all night, but if we’re found sleeping in there, we’ll be kicked out. Theo needs sleep. We both do.

By the end of the block, most of the businesses are dark and closed. I’m beyond hopeless. The wind feels like sharp needles of ice all over my skin, and I have to get Theo inside somewhere. Anywhere.

Then, a rundown motel called the Twin Chandeliers shines its yellow light down on us.

I’ve stayed there in the past until we were kicked out for missing a payment. I even tried to get hired on as a maid, but they didn’t have any open positions.

I don’t like to beg, but tonight, there is no other choice.

The lobby smells like cigarette smoke, even though there’s a yellowed “no smoking” sign hanging behind the clerk’s greasy head. He closes his laptop when I open the door and looks up at me. I don’t want to imagine what he was doing on there.

“How can I help you?”

“Hi,” I say, not entirely sure how to start. Asking for help never gets any easier.

The man looks from Theo sleeping on my shoulder to me, eyes narrowed. He stands at the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a room.”

The man nods and starts grabbing for a room key from under the counter.

“But I can’t pay for it right this moment,” I finish, speaking the words so quickly they jumble together.

He freezes, half-bent down with his arm still under the counter. “What?”

“I will set up a payment plan,” I say. “Half today and half tomorrow. I’ll have tips. I can come back and pay you—”

He scowls and shakes his head, sighing as he stands to his full height again. “Yeah, sure, and this place is a five-star resort.”

Another wave of disappointment washes over me, and I can feel tears burning the backs of my eyes. “Please. I will pay you. I swear it. I’ve never stolen anything in my life. It’s just that I don’t have the money right now and the shelter is full and it’s so cold outside.”

“And this is a business,” he says. “If we took in every cold person desperate for a bed, we’d be bankrupt in a day.”

“I will pay you,” I say again. “Just not right now. We’ll even stay in a break room. Or a closet. I’ll take whatever you have.”

The thought of tucking Theo in for bed in a cleaning closet brings fresh tears to my eyes, but at least he would be warm.

The man looks bored with me, but I see the moment the idea comes into his eyes. Like a rabbit who has learned to notice the presence of hawks overhead, I recognize the gleam in his eyes. The way his expression switches from annoyed to assessing. He looks me up and down and then leans forward on the counter, resting on his elbows.

“Whatever I have?”

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