Elijah:The Boss's Gift(3)

Calm down.

She glanced over at the guy who had just saved her life. For how long she didn’t know. Cherry wasn’t an idiot and wouldn’t try anything stupid. He looked like the kind of guy who’d follow through on all of his threats. She didn’t want to die at all. When she’d stumbled into that murder, her only thought had been escape. She wouldn’t have gone to the cops. The only way to survive in the world was to learn to keep your mouth shut.

“My name’s Elijah.”

He was a good-looking man. She didn’t know how old he was, older than she was. Running her hands up and down her thighs, she cleared her throat. “What do I have to do?”

“Simple. You’re going to be whatever I need you to be. You’ll clean my house, take care of my kid, and you’ll never, ever tell her who you really are.”

“Do I have to make up a name or something?”

“No, you can keep your name. You’re friends of an associate of mine. You’ve been in trouble and now you’re working for me. Simple.”

“You’ve said that twice already.”

“For a woman who has been threatened to be raped and murdered, you’re handling it a lot better than I imagined you would.”

“It’s not exactly hard to see where my bread is going to be buttered,” she said. Cherry above it all was a survivor. She’d survived everything that life had thrown at her. This was just another thing in a long line of shit that had been tossed her way.

“You’re not going to argue, fight, curse, spit, try to claw my eyes out?”

Cherry rested her head on the back of the car seat. “Would that even work?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not going to do it.”

“You’re not acting like any other woman I’ve ever met.”

She released a sigh, turning to look at him. “Would it make you feel better if I screamed, yelled, tried to hit you?” He glanced over at her, giving her a glare. “No, I didn’t think so. Believe it or not, I don’t have a death wish. I want to live, and if that means I’ve got to cooperate then I’ll cooperate.” She rested her head on her hand.

The headache she’d gotten from being hit in the face was starting to get worse.

“There are some pain killers in the box under your seat. There’s also a gun. Don’t even think of using it.”

She rolled her eyes, tired of all the warnings. No gun, no retaliation, she got it. Taking out two painkillers, she popped them into her mouth, swallowing them with the saliva in her mouth.

They tasted awful, but she’d take whatever she had to in order to ease the headache. Her face felt like it was ten times the normal size of a human head.

“Your daughter, what’s her name?”

“Mindy. She’s fifteen, and as far as she’s concerned you’re a friend.”

“You’re not going to leave me locked up in some dingy castle to have sex with me?” she asked.

Elijah kept driving. “I’ve got women to take care of those needs, and no, I’m not. You’re not a prisoner, but seeing as you’re showing signs of sense I’ll let you know that there will be men out there willing to take you.”

“Does your daughter know?”

“She knows what I need her to know. Also, I have three guards who stick by her side and know to keep their distance.”

“She’s watched without even realizing it?”

“Yes.”

This was not a normal conversation they were having. “So I’m a prisoner but I’m not a prisoner, and your daughter has to believe that I’m in trouble.”

“You’re a daughter of a friend, and I was the only one you thought to call.”

“This is completely insane,” she said, voicing her thoughts.

“I don’t care what it is. You’re going to do as you’re told. From the look of you, you’ve not had a good life.”

“I can walk right out the front door.”

Elijah smiled. “You’re not a prisoner and you can walk right out the front door, but I can tell you, Cherry, if you don’t come back, I’ll go hunting and you’ll be fucked then. I don’t give second chances, and I’ll chain you the fuck up and let my men at you.” His voice turned deadly, threatening.

The growl with which he spoke sent a chill down her spine. He’d do it. She was starting to get the sense that Elijah might be worse than the guy who took her. He wore an expensive suit, looked charming, yet it was all lies.

“I won’t run.” She’d wait until he set her free.

“Good. Mindy will ask you all kinds of questions, so just try and keep this shit tight.”