A Debt Owed (The Debt Duet 1)

I want her spreading her legs, waiting for my finger. I want her on her knees begging for my cock. And I want her to willfully put my ring on her own damn finger, knowing it’s forever.

It’s not just about owning her. I’ve already accomplished that by purchasing her from her father in exchange for a simple loan. No, I want her to crumple and admit defeat. She might not realize this now, but she will in due time.

I clear my throat when we drive through the gates of my home, and she shifts in her seat. She seems anxious, sweat drops gleaming on her forehead as she stares out the back window at the closing gates.

She may be scoping her surroundings, trying to find a way out, but there is none. I have plenty of guards to keep her from escaping should she try. Not to mention the fact that my house is locked down 24/7 unless I’m there.

She’s going to be a pretty princess in a pretty castle, just like she always dreamed of.

“We’re here,” I say as the limo stops in front of the door. Seeing my house is refreshing. I’m so glad I moved back to this country. It was my home for so many years, and it never felt right in America. Despite being born there, this is where I belong.

Charlotte sucks in a breath but doesn’t say a word. The scowl on her face speaks volumes, though.

I get out of the car and walk to the other side to open her door and hold my hand out courteously. Instead, she gets out without even touching me, passing me on high heels and narrowly missing a puddle. Adventurous girl, that’s for sure.

She walks up the steps and inside the door that’s already opened for her by one of my butlers. She wanders into the main hall, then looks around without moving an inch.

I place a hand on her shoulder. Her muscles tense, and a grin spreads on my lips in response.

“Do you like it here?” I ask.

She licks her lips briefly, and says, “When will you let me go?”

This again?

“Never,” I reply, narrowing my eyes. “Why do you keep asking?”

She looks me straight in the eyes as she answers. “I won’t ever stop asking.”

My throat tightens, and I swallow in response. I didn’t expect her to say that. She’s not dumb; she already knows the answer. The only reason she will ask me again and again … is to confront me with my choice. To make me see the devil I’ve become.

But I don’t care. I came to that same conclusion long ago when I decided to go through with this.

“When did you turn into such a monster?” she asks.

The question is like a stab to the heart with a butcher’s knife. As if she doesn’t know the answer to that full well … that she’s the reason I am the way I am today. Simple cause and effect, and her denying me even a simple smile set into motion a chain of events that can’t ever be undone.

“The moment you ignored me. You listened to him instead of your heart. That was enough for me,” I growl.

Her parted lips close.

The doors close behind us, leaving a deafening silence in their wake.

“You know how violent my father is. You saw it with your own eyes,” she says, pain stinging her voice. “I had no choice but to ignore you.”

“You could’ve stood your ground. You know as well as I do this is your fault. All of this is your doing.”

“No, you’re lying to yourself. And you let yourself become a monster,” she hisses.

“Your father hated my guts, and you let him control you,” I retort.

“He tries to control everyone,” she says. “That doesn’t make this okay. Why do you want to ruin us so badly?”

“I will do everything I can to destroy the Davis name,” I growl. “Because of your father, my father is now dead.”

“What?” Her eyes widen. “Your father?” She shakes her head. “No, that’s not possible. My father wouldn’t murder—”

My blood boils. “Your father worked mine to death.”

“That wasn’t his—”

“Yes, it was!” Anger seeps through my veins, and I explode. “Your father wanted my father to succumb to the stress as payback for me trying to get close to you. Because of you … my father is dead.”

Easton

1 Year Ago

After the falling out I had at the restaurant with that pompous asshole Davis, I didn’t want to stand between my father and his biggest job ever. I wanted him to succeed, even if it was without me, so I stopped working for him and settled on getting my own shit sorted.

I opened my own high-end club for singles, and after gathering some investors, I managed to open a couple more over the years. I even paid all of them off within no time. I never expected my business would skyrocket this fast, but I guess people enjoy the unique cocktails we serve and the luxurious atmosphere at the locations.