Relinquish(42)

“I go out and find a—” He stops and shakes his head.

“Find a nobody,” I finish his sentence. He sighs loudly and looks down at his desk, but he doesn’t deny it. How cliché am I to fall intimately for the guy who took my virginity? I shake my head, my thumb rubbing along my bottom lip. I’m pathetic.

Landon looks at the large clock on the wall.

“It’s getting late. Let’s get this paperwork worked out so I can get you into your room,” Landon remarks, shuffling papers around on his desk.

“My room?” I ask.

“Yes, your room. What aren’t you understanding about that?” Landon tilts his head to the side, his jaw clenched as he takes in my reaction.

“Can’t I go home?” I question nervously. The severity of my situation begins to rise. “Jayden will wonder where I am, or what happened to me,” I ramble. Landon laughs wickedly, the sound causing my body to quiver in fear.

After he contains himself, he glowers at me. An evil smirk marks his face perfectly, causing anger to race through my limbs.

“No. You cannot go home. I told you. I own you.”

“I don’t even know what that means. You just show up, grab me by the hair, and throw me into your limo saying you own me, and you expect me to just fall in line?” I throw my hands around wildly to emphasize my point, panic filling my body at the thought I’ll never see my crummy apartment or Jayden again.

“You don’t need to know anything, Charlie. You are a part of the Blackwell Estate, and that’s all the information you need.” Landon steeples his hands once again and sets back in his chair, that f*cking know-all smirk smug on his face.

“You’re dumber than I thought if you think I’m going to accept that as an answer. That is not going to happen.” I slowly stand, my nose flaring with rage. The way I’m feeling, the anger flowing through me, I’m a loaded gun ready to fire. I’m unpredictable, dangerous, and ready to claw Landon’s eyes out if I have to. “I want answers,” I seethe.

Landon inhales a large breath and sits forward, resting his elbows on the desk and interlocking his fingers.

“Mick took one of my girls. I could have killed him, could have had my men teach him a lesson, but he wouldn’t learn anything. Everyone who thinks they’re anybody will send someone to hurt the competition physically, and if you kill them, someone else will just take their place. So, an eye for an eye. He took my girl, so I took his.” Landon sits back in his chair again, sliding his hands behind his neck.

I exhale a steady breath, trying to calm myself.

“Now, can we get this paperwork finished?” he growls.

“What is this paperwork even?” I scowl.

“Gives me some detailed information on your health and background,” Landon explains.

Mick didn’t have me do any of that. Looking at this place compared to Mick’s, though, they’re worlds apart.

I take my gaze from the room to Landon, my eyebrows perking up in confidence and my spine stiffening. “No, we can’t. I’m not signing shit, because I didn’t agree to become an escort of the Blackwell Estate.” I fold my arms and cross my legs stubbornly. “You just got your first no.” I smirk arrogantly. “Now, take me home,” I demand.

Landon rubs his chin, his squinting causing wrinkles to form at the corner of his eyes. But he doesn’t look angry. In fact, he looks… amused?

“Do you have any idea what you’re passing up? No girl has ever said ‘no’ to the position. Women beg to be a part of–”

“Then why did one of your girls go to Mick?” I tilt my head sideways.

“I don’t tolerate drug addicts in my estate. I heard she was using, and I tried to put her in rehab. I thought she was doing well, but she must have started again. I told her if she kept it up, she wasn’t welcome here, and I guess instead of talking to me about it, she just left.” He exhales a heavy breath and rubs the scruff on his chin. “Still, most women wouldn’t give up such an opportunity.”

“Well, I’m not most women,” I state.

Landon lowers his head and grins. “No. No, you’re not.” He gazes up, his emerald eyes finding mine and making me suck in a sudden breath. Landon shakes his head, and his soft eyes turn stormy.

“With that, I will just have the staff lock you in a room then.” Landon grabs the phone off his desk, and the arrogant smirk that was across my face disappears into pure panic.

“Lock me in a room? What? You can’t do that,” I ramble, my sudden confidence gone.

“Oh, I can and I will. Nobody will even know you’re gone,” Landon sneers, slamming buttons on the receiver to make a call.

“Jayden,” I stammer. “Jayden will know I’m missing.” My eyes go wide when Landon twists his face like she doesn’t count, making me furious.

“Stop! Listen to me,” I plead, trying to get his attention, but he doesn’t even look at me. He’s too busy with the phone, anxious to lock me away.

“Jean, can you—”

I lean over and swipe the phone off his desk and onto the floor. Landon’s face takes on a surprised look before finding my eyes and glaring.

“Fine, I’ll sign the papers. Just-just let me go home. I want to go back and see Jayden, say goodbye,” I plead, pressing the palm of my hand to my head, trying to think past my manic state.