Page 115 of Corrupt Game

“I believe our circumstances have changed just enough that you should be able to trust me with my phone, purse, and my keys. Also, where is my car parked?” She placed a hand on her hip and locked her gaze with mine. My cock sprang to attention yet again.

“If you don’t have it anymore, then I’m gonna have to use yours. Oh, and I’ll need to have both yours and Rossi’s phone numbers. Please?” Colette asked with sweet politeness, but I could still sense anger simmering in her. She would lash out. I’d take it, of course. I only had to wait.

And I deserved it, at least a little.

To be fair, I wasn’t really worried that she wouldn’t come back if we gave her belongings back. That didn’t mean Rossi wasn’t going to follow her.

“Go ahead and give her back her stuff. We aren’t going to keep her a prisoner.” I motioned to Rossi.

He grunted in disagreement, but went to get her stuff from the locked cabinet.

“I’ll show you where the vehicle is parked.” He held the door open and allowed her to go first. It was his concession to our new arrangement.

That was the best I could do. I had to trust that if I set her free, she would return to me again. Wasn’t that how the old saying went?

Though I’d always enjoyed the variant that went ‘if it doesn't come back, hunt it down and kill it’.

Collette was a loose cannon that was ready to explode, and I couldn’t have that happen. Rossi would protect her from herself if necessary. While she might try to lose him, I doubted she'd succeed. Rossi was that good at his job.

Chapter 39 colette

I quickly dressed for work and consumed the breakfast that Rossi had placed on the table. I didn’t taste anything, still trying to work out what I wanted to do. Now, dealing with the fact that Ian might be a pleasure and pain dom was a completely different can of worms. I might actually be able to handle that. If I knew what was going on.

It was the fact he’d crossed a clearly defined line that made me wonder if I could trust him for anything more than a partner finding Andy’s killer. My scrambled eggs offered me no answers.

The ride to the office was quiet. We were both lost in thought, and I wasn’t about to start a conversation with him. Right now, he could have to work for my attention. I’d said I might forgive him, but I wasn’t about to forget. There was no way I would make this easy for him.

When Andrew was avenged, I couldn't decide if I was going to run far away from him and never look back. Or if I couldn’t live without Ian Holdt.

I squished my legs together and tried to think of things that weren’t about sex related. Revenge should be the topic of my thoughts, not sex.

Everything was different though, because I wasn’t conflicted about caring for the man who might have killed Andy. That meant I could use his help and focus on finding my brother’s murderer. United, we could present a much stronger front to get justice. For once, I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have my brother’s best friend.

And I would find Andy’s child, too, if it was the last thing I did, and make sure he or she was safe.

Nothing appeared to have changed when we got to the office. “We have several days of missed work to catch up on and get things ready so that we can be gone an extended amount of time looking for Andrew’s killer. Kathy is still in Ireland, holding down the fort, so we have continuity there.” Ian placed a stack of paper on the table and I knew that it was the new contract.

This time, though, I read through all the clauses to make sure that I wasn’t signing my life away.

Everything seemed to be in order as far as the non-disclosure agreement went. There was also a contract that laid out the normal duties of a personal assistant and what I was responsible for in the company. None of which involved the extras in my original.

I scribbled my signature and backdated it to the date I’d been hired. Then I tore up the other one.

It wasn’t until I started to get hungry several hours later that I realized that I had an opportunity to get out for a while. Giddiness bubbled up inside of me at the idea of stepping away from him, this office, and being outside without someone observing me. I’d never been the bubbly type, but I decided to roll with it.

A lunch break was right up my alley, and it was time to enjoy my newfound freedom. Most employees took one each day, and it would be wonderful to get out of the office for a change.

Drawing in a relieved breath of air, I understood in a new way that I was actually free. When he’d torn up the contract, it had meant a new start, or if I didn’t want to start over, I could just leave. I didn’t have to come back to work here.

That was what I was going to do—leave.

After getting my keys back, I headed out.

I had things to do.

~~~

The first thing on my list was to talk to Ingrid. I needed to bring her up to date.