Page 40 of The Dark Side

Her first boyfriend had been such a man. At one point, she felt so enraptured by him that she believed his happiness was more important than her own. It wasn't until he robbed a bank that she realized he wasn't a good man and she deserved better. Jolie turned her boyfriend into the police, and guilt swallowed her for years after. Only after leaving her small, judgmental town did she finally feel okay. And now here she was, once more put in a horrible position that would damage her.

Regret after regret piled on her like dirt on a grave.

A knock yanked her from a panic attack. She struggled to sit up, pain hindering her as she searched for the noise. It was the door that connected Helina's room to hers. It was too late for Helina to be up, but then again, she had no idea what time that child went to bed. She hadn't even been able to see her yet.

Jolie unlocked the door and peeked in, looking downward for her little form. Instead, she found a man's legs. She snapped her eyes up, and Adrik was smiling at her in the dark. Jolie stepped back, running her hands through her hair subconsciously. She was in her panda pajamas, with panda socks, and couldn't be more embarrassed.

"Hi," Adrik greeted, dressed in jeans and a dark-gray Armani shirt.

"Hey," she breathed out. How did he manage to look good in everything?

"Can I come in?"

"It's your house."

Jolie shifted through the room aimlessly. There was more than enough space to put between them, and she went over to the bed, standing on the opposite side. Aside from the lights outside the window lighting up the pool area, the room was dark. Jolie glanced toward her purse, sitting on the dresser. Could she get to it and turn on the listening device?

Adrik knelt down to greet her cats, an action that would have melted Jolie if she didn't have walls in place. His fingers scratched their ears as they cried at him.

"Do you like everything?"

"Yes, thank you." She crossed her arms, feeling betrayed by her cats.

Adrik rushed to the windows. "Look." He pressed a button, and the windows darkened, making the room black. "Oh, shit," he whispered, fumbling in the dark for the lamp nearby. "Got it." He flicked it on, exposing her face. He was surprised by her expression of anger. "What?"

"Am I a prisoner here?"

His brows knitted. "We had an agreement. I thought that was understood."

"Yeah. You don't kill anyone, and I move in. Do I need to worry about you killing me?"

Adrik slipped his hands in his pockets as he watched her. "You can leave anytime you want."

"Can I?"

"If you check your email, a contract was sent. Read it carefully. I have a lawyer if you want to talk to someone."

"I'll get my own lawyer."

"If you can afford it."

"Shut up; you don't know how much money I have."

Adrik gave her a side look as he shifted through the room.

"You saw my bank account."

"I know everything, Jolie."

"How is that fair? You know everything about me, and I know nothing about you. You like this power, don't you? You like making people feel inferior."

Adrik sat, resting his ankle on his knee as he folded his hands in his lap. "Why am I in charge of people's feelings? If you feel inferior, perhaps it is a problem within you."

"Screw you. Why are you here?" She cackled. "How many times am I gonna ask you that?"

"I wanted to see you."

The simple reason smacked her like a semi, silencing her. She folded her arms over her chest, unsure where to lead with that. She didn't want to be unfriendly while he was being nice.