I wasn’t going to have it. “I didn’t hear you complaining the other night when you were begging me for more,” I said as I grabbed her and pulled her into me. She wasn’t going to manipulate me, that wasn’t my game.
She was so close to me, her breath short and ragged, coming out in spurts as she looked up at me. I knew exactly what I was doing. I bent my head down and kissed her, the pent up irritation with her coming out in the way my lips melded with hers. I wasn’t gentle, f*ck
, I barely knew how to be. So I took it all out on her, forcing her into me as we both kissed and bit and scraped our teeth against each other’s lips. I slid my hands up under her shirt and grabbed her breasts, running my thumbs along her nipples. I could tell by the way she sucked in her breath that it was exactly what she wanted.
“You act like you’re all tough, but deep down you are just as depraved as I am,” I said as I whispered it into her ear. “I’d f*ck
you right here if I could.”
“But you can’t,” she said, and pushed me away. I let her. I would never force a woman into anything they didn’t want. It wasn’t my style. “We can’t do this.”
Kathryn
I pulled myself away from him. I couldn’t kiss him. Not here. Anyone could walk in and see us. What the f*ck
was I thinking?
“I’m not going to let this stand in our way,” Janson said. He towered over me as he put his arms on my shoulders. “I know what happened the other night was probably a mistake, but I can't help it. I don't want to let this go, not yet.”
“Do you have any idea what will happen to you? What will happen to us? I know what my family is, Janson. I know what they're capable of. You can't just ask me to spit in the face of that and come back here. This isn’t the world I want to be a part of.”
“It's the world you were born into. That I was born into. There's nothing we can do about it. It doesn't matter how far you run, where you go, they’ll find you. I'll find you.” The way he said it, I knew it was more than a threat. He stood over me, so muscular, so handsome. I couldn't resist him. No, I was still angry. I didn't have a choice to come back home. He’d stolen me away from everything that I was working towards.
I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't let him cast a spell over me. It was my fault. I wanted him all this time, and I finally got what I wanted. They always told me to be careful what I wished for. Having him did nothing to satiate my lust. Even standing there in the room with him, I had to fight every urge I had to walk over wrap my arms around him and kiss him.
“What am I supposed to do? You have me here in this house, trapped like a prisoner.” I crossed my arms and tried not to pout. I might be nineteen, but I had no intention of acting like a child. I was a grown adult and I could have exactly what I wanted. Janson.
“I have to follow orders, Kat.” He wasn't angry, but I knew I was pushing it.
“Does my father know I'm here?” I asked.
A knock on the door interrupted us, and I stiffened, but he answered as he explained. “Of course not. This was all Greyson's idea. Your father didn't care where you were.”
I didn't think it would sting, but it did. He never really cared about any of us girls; the only thing we were good for was bargaining chips. He wanted to use us to marry off to important men, to appease those in his organization. It might have been modern-day, but to him, it would always be the 1950s.
A man stepped in through the doorway.
“Did you tell him?” Janson asked.
“Yes, Greyson knows. I’ll be your second on guard duty.”
“Another babysitter?” I asked.
“Michael Leery, ma’am,” the tall lanky figure said as he stood over us. He was the same height as Janson, but his bulk did not match Janson’s.
It was still intimidating.
“How long do I have to stay here?" I asked.
“Until you aren’t a flight risk.” Janson was so intense as he looked at me. I bit my lip and fought all of the urges coursing through my body. “I have a feeling that we'll be a while.”
He was right. I had absolutely no intention of staying here. As soon as I was able to get out, I would head right back to Chicago. They would take me back, I just had to apologize for the way Janson treated them. Chances were they wouldn’t even ask any questions. They never did. It was how I found myself fitting in so nicely with the co-op in the first place.
Kathryn
Janson reached for his pocket. “Shit, I need to take this.” He walked out of the house.
I just stood there feeling numb. I wanted to scream, wanted to say something, anything, but Michael was there.
So I looked around nervously.
“Why don’t you take a seat, hon? It’ll just be a few minutes.” He gestured to the couch in the middle of the room, so I nodded and cleared my throat and sat down.
“Are you okay? Can I get you some water, tea?” he asked.
“I don’t need you to do that,” I said. I was determined to hold my ground. I wasn’t going to let my babysitter manipulate me.