Just first names and numbers.

Though some names had little red X’s next to them. Jac said that once the patient had three X’s that I was to delete them from the system. I asked if every patient eventually got three X’s and she changed the subject and started talking about Christmas decorations.

“Told you he’d text.” Jac nodded. “Always does.”

“So…” I showed her my phone. “…where do I get the next girl?”

She paused, her lips pressing together in a smile. “Well aren’t you just adorable.”

“Yeah,” I croaked. I’d never been called adorable in my life. Not by my parents who ignored me or the boyfriends who hated me—once my father got ahold of them.

I’d been called sexy.

Cute.

Pretty—at least a handful of times.

But never adorable. Adorable meant innocence, and I wasn’t innocent, I was tainted.

“The girls will always be waiting outside the door.” She pointed down the hall. “When he texts you to bring in the next girl, you simply open the door, bring her down the hall and leave when he tells you.”

“Okay.” I licked my dry lips and rose from my seat. “I guess I’ll be right back then.”

“Remember,” Jac called after me, “don’t ask questions.”

I wasn’t sure why it was so important for her to remind me of that one little rule, so I shrugged her off and sighed as I made my way down the hall.

The next girl waiting had a pixie haircut and shoved a cigarette between her teeth before looking me up and down and smirking. “You’re new.”

“Yup,” I breathed.

“He screw you yet?” Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

“I’m his employee.”

“They all are.” She rolled her eyes, and shoved past me. “I know the way.”

I followed behind her because what choice did I have? When she stopped at the room and peered in, her face softened.

The door opened.

Nikolai stepped out. “Anastasia.” He grinned. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now¸” She said in a breathy sigh.

I rolled my eyes.

“Something bothering you?” Nikolai snapped.

Crap. He saw me.

“No.” I cleared my throat. “Just tired.”

His eyes narrowed. “That will be all, Maya.”

“Right.” I clenched my fists and walked past them, this time I didn’t look back, I didn’t want to know. Something was very wrong with what he was doing, I just didn’t know what. And it wasn’t like he had some great paper trail for me to follow on his stupid computer. All I had to go by were names, and a contact number.

When I walked back into the main lobby Jac was putting her coat back on and checking her cell phone. “It will get better,” she said without looking up from her phone. “It always does.”

“Right.” I grit my teeth, wondering if I should take the chance and tell her about the contract, ask her if the other girls had to sign them, or even just give a lame “Help” in her direction and see if she would take pity on me and rescue me from his evil clutches.

“I promise.” Jac leaned over the counter, placing her manicured hands on the table. “It seems overwhelming for now, but this is such a great opportunity.”

“Is it?” I parroted.

“Of course!” Her eyes twinkled. “Just think of the job opportunities you’ll receive after you work with Nikolai for a few months.”

“A year,” I corrected.

She froze. “Pardon?”

Had I said something wrong? I tucked a strand of escaped hair behind my ear and shrugged. “My contract says a year.”

Her mouth opened then shut. When she spoke, her voice seemed a little strained. “A year is quite a long time.”

“Tell me about it.” I forced a smile. “Is um, that not normal?”

“Normal.” She shrugged. “What is normal?” Pulling away from the counter she dipped her head in my direction. “I’ll see you tomorrow Maya.”

“Okay.” The door shut behind her blanketing me back into silence as I sat there wondering what in the heck I was going to do.

My text message alert went off.

N : Done.

M : Great.

What else did he want me to say? Congratulations?

N : I’ll need your help cleaning up.

M : Okay…

N : Must I spell it out for you? Maya. Come.

Muttering a curse I pushed the phone away from my hand, stood, and stomped my way down the hall.

I tugged open the door and froze when I saw him tossing away bloody gloves.

“Maya,” Nikolai said without turning around. “Make yourself useful and replace the bedding.”

I stuck my tongue out at his back and went to the bed, pulling the sheets from their place trying not to focus on the splatters of blood I saw on them. Why would there be blood in the first place?

No questions. Right.

“Curious, aren’t you?” His smooth voice penetrated my thoughts. “I can practically hear your mind working. Careful or you’ll hurt yourself with all your… theories.”

“Theories?” I shrugged and tossed the sheets into the nearby hamper that said laundry. “Why would I have any theories? You’re a world renowned doctor, you see patients at night, patients who look like prostitutes, and you have absolutely no paper trail on your computer. Now, what do you think I’m going to do with that?”

“I’m not sure…” His hand moved to my shoulder, and he spun me around to face him. “What are you going to do with that information?”

“Go to the police,” I blurted.

His amused smile made me want to stab him. “And say what? I’m being paid half a million a month to do a job I signed up for? Oh, and by the way, my father’s Alexander Petrov, perhaps you have his file on hand?”

“You’re a bastard,” I hissed.

“And you’re…” He angled a speculative look on me. “Interesting.”

“Whatever you’re doing, it can’t be legal.”

“Ah, so the daughter of a Russian mafia boss has…. morals?” His eyes were mocking as he whispered in a gruff voice, “Such a pity.”

“Did you need anything else?”

“Tonight?” He licked his lips. “Yes, I believe I do.”

He moved too fast for me to prepare myself. One minute he was towering over me, the next he was pushing me against the wall, his mouth inches from mine.

“I own you.”

“So you’ve said,” I could barely squeeze the words out, my throat was so dry and tight.

“I can do whatever I want with you… and nobody would hear you scream, Maya, nobody would even care. It would be prudent of you, to remember who holds your precious life in their hands. What I do here is none of your damn business. Do the job I pay you an abhorrent amount of money for, and when this is all finished, I’ll write you a glowing recommendation.”

“Will that be before or after you force me to sleep with you like the rest of the girls you had work for you?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

His eyes flashed, “If I wanted you, you’d know.”

That was it. That one sentence crippled me. Made me feel not only small but rejected in such a vile way I wanted to cry.

“Oh, and Maya?” His head tilted. “Just in case you can’t read between the lines there is nothing about you… that I want.”

Tears stung my eyes as I looked down at the white floor. My throat felt thick. He was an ass! Why did I care what he thought? The loneliness of my situation was choking.

“Will that be all, Nikolai?” I met his eyes again.

“Yes.” He stepped back. “Now, turn off the lights and meet me at the front.”

I scurried out of the room, wiping the stray tears away, and snatched my belongings from the table.

He followed me two minutes later.

Once the door was locked, his hand was on my back, guiding me to the “safe” Audi, and before I knew it we were driving in silence back to the office building, back to my condo, back to my horrible existence where I didn’t really exist, nor live for myself but for a complete psycho stranger with a god complex.