Billie and the Russian Beast - 50 Loving States, South Carolina - Quarantales

I make my voice strong to point out, “That’s insane. This is an illegal game. Completely unsanctioned. And you’re a professional hockey player, and if I go to the press with your threats…”

“Yes, I’m professional hockey player,” he agrees, somehow looking both amused and bored. “Very famous. Very well-liked and sought after by many women. Also, my family is very powerful. Here, and back in Russia. So if you go to press with claim they will either not believe you or my very powerful family will make sure story never sees light of day. Either way, my threat will be promise made true while your threats are nothing but little nips at my heels.”

Once again, I find myself struggling to swallow. I want to fight. I want to figure out a way of my brother owing this monster so much money. But at the end of the day, I don’t think he’s bluffing. About his family or what he’ll do to my brother if that debt isn’t paid.

“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll sell my house. I’ll get you the money.”

He crooks his head, the amused look coming back over his face, but not reaching his eyes. “Do you really think you’ll have enough time to come up with this money before your brother’s unfortunate accident?”

I blink and translate. “So you’re saying I only have a month to come up with this money or Clem gets hurt?”

“Or five days,” he answers.

I scrunch my forehead, not understanding. “It’s going to take me more than five days for me to get my hands on that kind of money.”

A beat of silence passes. Then he stares at me with an unwavering intensity as he says, “Or you could give me something I want in that five days. Something worth this amount of money.”

My heart stutters in warning but somehow I manage to ask, “What do I have that would be worth that much money to you?”

He picks up his drink and takes a sip. “You. For five days. Doing whatever I want, however I want it, until it is time for you to go.” He gazes at me over the rim of his glass. “I would consider this a fair exchange.”

Chapter Four

My breath catches as his words rock through me. Did he…?

My pulse flutters madly. I have the silly urge to look over both shoulders. Did he really just ask for me to spend five days with him in exchange for clearing my brother’s debt?

Maybe he doesn’t mean sex, a hopeful voice inside of me proposes.

Maybe there’s no reason for my heart to be pumping hard with a new strange and frenetic emotion.

Maybe he’s just lonely. Like, maybe he’s an insanely hot hockey star, who’s so lonely that he wants someone to spend five days with him. You know, doing wholesome things.

Like watching House Hunters.

And playing chess.

I love chess.

“If your answer to my proposal is yes, you will answer by stripping down to your bare skin,” he says before I can get too far down that hopeful road of hypotheticals. His eyes are twinkling with amusement, but the planes of his face are sharp and hard. “And you will stay that way for the next five days.”

“And if my answer is no?” I ask, my breath quickening with an emotion that should be fear and disgust only. But isn’t quite.

His expression doesn’t change one iota. “Feel free to leave,” he answers, waving a hand toward the door. “No one will stop you.”

“No one will stop me,” I repeat. “But no one will stop you from hurting my brother either, right?”

He doesn’t answer out loud. Simply inclines his head, the cruel threat shining in his eyes as he looms over me.

Oh my God….

I deliberate and deliberate, for what feels like centuries.

But…nothing. I think about calling my best friends, Cynda and Gina.

We were the only three Black women in our Queen America class. None of us won and none of us went on to careers rolling in dough. Gina became a stripper before meeting a cop who took her away from that life. So now she makes nothing. And Cynda took a huge pay cut three years ago to take care of her stepsiblings in the small town where she grew up. I know they’d do anything for me. But neither of them have access to that kind of money.

I want to shout no. I want to walk out of here and end this ridiculous negotiation. But an image of my mother on her deathbed rises in my head. She’d been dying, and the only thing she wanted, the only thing that she seemed to need was my promise that I’d take care of my brother.

And I’d promised her I would. But now the only way to keep that promise is to offer myself up to the ruthless predator, standing in front of me.