The Arrangement Anthology 1(28)

Shaking my head, I answer, “No. My phone doesn’t make that noise.” And I have no idea what does.

Sean stands and leaves me lying on the bed. I turn on my side as he walks toward the windows, toward the noise. He presses his hands against the glass and looks down. “Fuck.”





CHAPTER 3



“What is it?”

Before he can answer there is a knock at the door. Sean turns in time to see the door open, and drops the black box back into my purse.

Miss Black stands flanked between two large men. They’re dresses like hotel patrons in expensive suits, like they might have come to the hotel for a business dinner. They must be the kickass ninjas that Mel mentioned.

Miss Black steps into the room. I take the bedspread in my hands and cover myself. “Mr. Ferro, I believe you’re in violation of your contract.” She doesn’t even look at me when she steps across the threshold. “Get dressed Miss Stanz. You’re leaving.”

I don’t understand what’s happening. When I don’t move, Miss Black waives a hand at one of the large bald men flanking her. The one with dark skin and inky eyes steps toward me. He picks up my dress from the floor and hands it to me. “Dress yourself, Miss Stanz, or I’ll have him do it for you.”

Sean leans against the ledge of the window frame with his arms folded over his chest. He looks pissed. “Mind telling me which rule was violated?”

“You know very well which rule, Mr. Ferro.” Miss Black looks down at her dress, like she’s looking for a piece of lint. She smooths the skirt and glances at me as I pull my dress over my head. I have no idea what she’s thinking, or what we did, but here she is.

“Humor me,” Sean replies. The look in his eye says he’s not happy. The muscle in his jaw works, while he waits.

Black looks him over, with her little brow pinched. “Very well. You took our property off premises. We don’t do three strikes here, Mr. Ferro. You were careless and you know, as well as I do, what happens to careless clients in this business.”

Sean walks toward her slowly, “I am well aware, however, the violation was an oversight. Miss Stanz followed me outside.”

“Why would you do that?” Miss Black’s gaze slips from Sean’s to mine. I stare at her, heart racing, knowing that I’m going to be busted. Sean can get another virgin to screw, and I’ll get kicked to the curb.

I open my mouth to confess, but Sean cuts me off. “Because I asked her to.”

“Mr. Ferro, rules are set in stone. We cannot have clients disregarding them. The rules aren’t guidelines, they are mandatory. I’m afraid that you’ll need to seek your needs elsewhere.” Miss Black snaps her fingers at me. “Come, Miss Stanz.” Miss Black turns on her heel and walks through the door. I glance helplessly at Sean. He inclines his head slightly, telling me to go. I grab my purse and follow Miss Black out. The two large men are behind me.

Miss Black’s long strides are quick. I hurry to keep up. “What happened?” I ask as the elevator doors close. We’re alone.

She sighs, like she’s annoyed. “He really told you to go outside?” I nod, sticking to the story. “She presses her manicured fingers to her temple. “Men like that are nothing but trouble, always pushing the limits to see how much they can get away with. I’m sorry for putting your through that, Avery. It won’t happen again.”

“I don’t understand how you knew. We didn’t go very far. And what was that beeping sound?”

“There’s a transmitter in your bracelet.” She glances at my wrist. “I already told you that. We know exactly where you are. Where is it?”

“I put it on my ankle.” I point and it’s still there. “It didn’t fit around my wrist.”

Miss Black acts like I’m a first grader. “Wrist, Avery—it has to be on your wrist. I’ll have it resized.” She shakes her head like I’m an idiot.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Well, you wouldn’t. You just started. The beeping noise was a pager we put in your purse.” She takes my bag and opens it, taking out a little black box. “It goes off when we are outside the building. That only happens if a client violates their contract. It lets you know that we’re coming. I don’t normally show up at all, but with you being new, I didn’t think you’d leave willingly with the security personnel.”

I nod and look at my purse, wondering when she put that inside. I thought I had my bag with me all night. Sean must have seen the pager when he walked over to the window. My purse has an open top and was laying right next to the window. I wonder how he knew what it meant. Sean seemed to know that Miss Black was coming. “Has he done this before?”