Page 6 of Bubblegum Pop
I was tempted to use my aura but, from what he showed me of his power, it probably wouldn’t affect him, and I didn’t want to piss him off.
“Hmm.” He frowned, and it felt like he was assessing me. Maybe I wasn’t as good an actor as I thought I was.
“Well, something like that, yes. It will be a far better situation than you are living in now. We have proper carpets, at least.” His lips curved in amusement. “And I can take care of your little problem with the police.”
I flinched back suddenly, eyes wide as my heart plunged into my stomach.
This didn’t feel like role-play anymore.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shrugged, pressing my fingers into the cabinet to stop the trembling, like he hadn’t just whipped out my biggest fear. I hadn’t told a single soul about my foster dad since I ran. I changed my style every new place I went. I hadn’t left any paper trails; I didn’t even have a phone. There was no way a complete stranger could have discovered where I was.
“Oh, but I believe you do.” His voice curled around me like a snake waiting for a mouse to bolt.
I paused, considering the situation. I could carry on the act, pretend it was part of the play, but he’d been too serious throughout the whole thing, even with all those smiles and chuckles.
“Did my foster father send you?” I finally asked.
“Oh no, my dear. How could a dead man do such a thing?”
My mouth dropped open, blinking heavily, relief thudding through me as I looked at Michael in a new light.
I didn’t even know he was dead…
Yeah, it meant I was a murderer, but it also meant he could never come after me again.
I watched Michael carefully as he stood there, patient as he clasped his cane.
“My dear, I’m also offering you the chance to erase that unfortunate incident, and all the baggage that came with it. Come and work for me, and I promise you, you won’t regret it.”
He could be lying. He could be talking total piss and planning to drag me off to be some toy for a pack of cruel alphas. It was why I ran away in the first place.
The walls here were thin, and Stevie had runners like Johnny listening at every door or through drill holes beside the mirrors in each room.
Michael gave me another one of those smiles. “You simply need to say the word and we can leave together.”
If I was going with him, it had to be now. Stevie wouldn’t let me go if he thought he could get more money out of this alpha, though I doubted he could stop him.
If this rich guy was really serious, then maybe I could earn enough money to find a place to live, to make myself a real nest, and find a proper pack. Maybe I could give myself a chance to actually hope there was something out there for me.
I had no address, no family, nothing to tie me down. One of the other girls could go to the Selection ceremony—maybe I could even send them money for it if I made enough.
It was either stay and sell my first heat to whatever scumbag pack wanted me, or risk it and leave with a stranger. If he was a total freak, I could always escape again.
I folded my arms, trying to weigh up my options, even though I knew straight away what I was going to do.
“Give me five minutes,” I said. If I really wanted out of this shithole, I had to take any chance I got.
He nodded again. “Very good. My car is waiting outside. In your own time, Danielle, please.”
Michael straightened his back, taking a step to the right, giving me a clear run to the door.
“Candy,” I said as I breezed past him. I’d chosen my own name when I ran from the foster home, and I was sticking with it. “My name is Candy.”
Zeus
We fucking did it. We left those cunts in the dust and fucking smashed it.
I always knew we’d get here. Apollo had kept us working non-stop, and Odin and I had trained until our bodies were nearly ruined, and we fucking won first try.