I back her to the leather club chair near the bed as we speak, then gently shove her into it. She sputters, but I crouch in front of her and slowly shake my head. Thankfully, she stays silent, even if she glares the entire time. “You are under our protection now, and you called us for help, so we do this my way. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. If I tell you to do something, you do it. If I tell you to jump, you say…”
“How high?” she deadpans, crossing her arms under her breasts.
“No, you don’t say a goddamn word. You just start jumping. Got it? Anything I require from you will be for your own safety, so I won’t take questions, comments, or complaints.”
She digs through the bag on her lap and unearths a cell phone still in its wrapper. I watch while she fumbles with the packaging, takes it out, and dials a number. After a moment, all I hear is ringing until the phone goes dead. No option for a voicemail. She tries again with the same results.
“I don’t know who you are calling, but if it’s anyone other than God himself, there’s nothing you can do to change what’s happening.”
She tosses her phone into her bag angrily. “I didn’t ask for help just to be abused.”
I peel the sleeve of my jacket up to show her thin white lines in equal rows down my arm from wrist to elbow. “This. This is abuse. You don’t know the meaning of pain, of hardship, not up there in your ivory tower. You don’t know what it means to sell yourself, body and soul, for safety. But I assure you, you will by the time I’m done.”
She stares at my scars, blinks, and looks at my face, her eyes softening. “How?”
I pull my sleeve down and stand. “We don’t have time for stupid questions. I’ll show you to your room.”
“Oh, you’re allowing me to have my own room? How generous.”
I ignore that comment. She can run her mouth all she likes as long as she listens to me.
Inside the room is a short woman sitting on a chair who scrambles to her feet when we enter. “They to-to-told me to wait in here. I’m ready when you are.”
I ignore her, too, and lead Selena to the bed. There’s a red dress on the coverlet, exactly like the house girls wear when they are working. It’s short, but well cut, and definitely highlights a woman’s assets, no matter her size. “Put this on. Then we’ll do something about your hair.”
Instead of taking the dress, she hikes her backpack up on her shoulder, spins toward the door, and walks out. I wait a moment and follow, not really sure what she’s doing now.
She’s already halfway out the room door by the time I grab her around the waist. I easily lift her off her feet, snag her bag before it hits the floor, and throw her over my shoulder. She pounds on my back with her fists, but it’s insignificant.
I nod to the hairdresser. “We need a moment, please.”
She scrambles out and closes the bedroom door behind her.
I toss Selena on the bed and take great pleasure in watching her scramble around to get upright again. “You fucking bastard. You don’t touch me.”
Oh, really? I lean over her, putting my weight into it, forcing her back on the bed until I’m almost on top of her. Now she’s breathing heavily, panting, her eyes blazing.
“I can do whatever the hell I want, when I want, and if you have a problem with it, then you can explain to your brother, and your whole family, how you were too precious to let me keep you safe.”
She purses her lips, all anger and bite now. “Get off me.”
“Are you done with your little hissy fit?”
When she glares, I lie on top of her fully, pinning her small body beneath my bigger one. “I take that as a no, Princess.”
She tries to shove at my shoulders, but she doesn’t do any damage. It’s not until she stills do I finally peel myself off her body and let her sit up.
“Was that really necessary?” she asks.
It’s my turn to glare. “I don’t know, was it? Tell me you agree to my conditions, and we can go from there.”
She juts her chin up at me, looking down her nose. Something she no doubt has a lot of practice with. “Fine, I agree, but you aren’t doing shit to my hair. Please.”
“Fine, as long as you agree to help me in return. Wear the dress and help me in the casino. Consider it work for room and board.”
This time she snorts, a petulant little smile on her mouth. “I can just pay you. How about that? I’d rather do that than wear whatever the fuck this dress is.”