Finley placed the dishes on the table. “Enjoy.” He left the room and gave us privacy. Crewe’s small plate was unremarkable, just eggs and vegetables.
That wasn’t breakfast.
I dumped syrup on my pancakes then took a bite of bacon, feeling the crunch between my teeth. Without thinking, I moaned at the taste, my stomach on the verge of ecstasy.
Crewe watched me, partially smiling. “I’ve never seen a woman eat like that.”
“Like what?” I asked. “Like a real person who eats food? Do you only spend time with supermodels?”
He grinned. “There it is again.”
“What?” I grabbed my fork and cut into my eggs.
“The tone of jealousy.” He set his coffee down and grabbed his fork.
“What?” I asked incredulously. “I’m not jealous.”
“You obviously picture the kind of women I sleep with and assume they must be supermodels. And you’re right. I’ve never slept with a woman who wasn’t absolutely stunning.” He took a bite of his food and stared me down while chewing, his jaw working silently.
I knew he purposely complimenting me, but I refused to be flattered. “The only woman I’m jealous of is Ariel—because she gets to go home every day.”
“But she’s never truly off the clock. She works from home a lot.”
“Doing what?” I didn’t totally understand what Crewe did for a living. He said he sold intelligence, but what did that mean, exactly? He didn’t seem to be a government official to any particular country.
“A lot of things. She’s the biggest cog in my machine.” He took another bite, nearly finishing his food because his meal was so small. “Wouldn’t know what to do without her.”
“Now I am a little jealous.”
He smiled. “I figured. You’re the jealous type.”
“I’m jealous that you respect her so much, but you don’t show me any respect.” This man obviously wasn’t as much of a pig as he claimed to be. Ariel wasn’t a slave under his orders. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and he obviously trusted her.
“Why would I show you any respect if you haven’t earned it?”
“Excuse me?” Both of my eyebrows rose. “I’ve been locked up here for weeks, and I haven’t had a break down or killed myself. You bet your ass I deserve some respect.”
He sipped his coffee, not seeming to care about what I just said. “It takes a lot more than that to impress me, Lovely.”
I wanted to ask him to stop calling me that, but it was pointless. “So, what now? You’re just going to keep me here forever?”
“Among other things,” he said vaguely.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“How about you don’t worry your pretty little head over it?” He cut into his greens and took a few bites.
“I’m not some airhead. You must have some idea of what you’re going to do with me. I deserve to know.”
“Your sense of entitlement confuses me.” He chewed slowly, drawing out the seconds between speaking. “I told you that you’re my property now—indefinitely. You do as I ask when I ask you to do it. Your life is no longer your own. So you don’t deserve anything.”
I wanted to strangle him. Just that morning, I was grateful he didn’t let Bones take me away. But now I wanted to kill him all over again.
“Once you accept that, you’ll come to appreciate the opportunity you’ve been given.”
“Opportunity?” I practically gagged the word out. “You consider slavery to be an opportunity?”
He swallowed, his throat shifting in the process. His chin was covered with thick stubble, and it reached down his throat. “I’m one of the most powerful men in the world. I’m richer than most countries. You’re never more safe or more wealthy than you are when you’re with me. You can have anything you could possibly dream of.”
“That’s useless if the one thing I want is freedom.”
“Freedom is overrated,” he said coldly. “You think paying a massive amount in student loans just to get an education is freedom? You think being taxed a ridiculous amount every year while you save lives is freedom? You think living in a country where you’ll always be deemed less qualified than a man is freedom?” He shook his head slightly. “There’s a lot more to life than that, Lovely. I can show you the world. I can show you things you can’t even conceive of in that smart brain of yours. Instead of bitching and complaining all the time, shut up and appreciate what’s right in front of you.”
10
Crewe
Ariel walked into my office in jeans and a gray blouse. She had elegant taste, wearing clothing that made her both respectable and beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun and her eye makeup made the blue color of her irises stand out. “Had a change of heart?” She lowered herself into the chair in front of my desk and crossed her legs.