Say the Word(91)

“I don’t like you,” I informed him, trying my best to maintain a glare.

“I know,” he whispered, cupping the back of my neck and guiding my lips against his. “But you love me.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, smiling as our kiss deepened and we forgot all about the party still going on inside, and the parents we’d had no choice in.





***


“I’ll grab your coat. Meet me by the car in five minutes,” Bash said, leading me back toward the house.

“Okay,” I agreed, squeezing his hand tightly as we approached the dark mansion. The party guests had all gone home, but I didn’t want to chance an encounter with either of Sebastian’s parents. “I just want to say goodbye to Greta.”

Bash smiled. “She likes you.”

“I like her,” I countered, bumping my hip against his.

He kissed my forehead quickly, then headed for the side door into the house. “See you in a minute.”

“Not if I see you first!” I whispered, grinning as I made my way across the patio toward the back entrance to the kitchen. The glass paneled door swung open on soundless hinges, and I stepped into the dim room. Only the faint light above the stove was left illuminated — all of the other kitchen lights had been switched off for the night. I scanned the space for Greta, hoping she was still awake, and my eyes caught on the light creeping out beneath the crack of the ajar pantry door across the room.

She must’ve gone in there to put away the party leftovers, I thought, skirting around the kitchen island and heading for the small entrance. The sound — a terrified, mewling protest — reached my ears just as I reached the door. What I saw through the open crack made my blood run cold.

Greta wasn’t alone in the pantry.

Andrew’s hands roamed the maid’s body freely, despite her cowering. She didn’t attempt to fight him off, but her distress was clear on her face. He groped at her breasts and though his back was to me, I imagined the lascivious look on his face.

“Shh,” he muttered, moving one of his hands down to the bottom of her uniform. “Be a good girl, Greta. It’s only me. I thought we resolved all this, the last time.”

When his hand moved beneath her skirt, Greta cried out in despair and her wide blue eyes flashed with horror. My mind reeled, searching for an explanation, seeking some kind of justification for this, but there was none. This was no tawdry dalliance between master and maid — no secret affair between two willing partners. This was rape.

I watched my hand like it belonged to a stranger, as it lifted and pushed the door open with enough force that its impact against the pantry wall set the cans rattling on their shelves. The loud bang was enough to stop the progression of Andrew’s hands. When he turned to me, his eyes still swirling with lust, I saw surprise flash in his expression.

He hadn’t expected it to be me at the door.

Greta’s face showed both terror and relief, and as her hands worked to smooth her uniform back into place, she cast a grateful look in my direction.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” I said, my cold tone saying otherwise. “I was just looking for Greta. I promised her a ride home.”

“How odd — Greta usually drives herself home,” Andrew said, still panting slightly as he stared at me with a challenge in his eyes.

“Her car battery died,” I added, lying through my teeth with my furious eyes locked on the senator.

“Well, that’s very generous of you to offer, Lux, but I’m happy to drive Greta home. After all, she is mine.” He smiled at me and I thought I might be sick. “My employee, that is.”

“I insist,” I bit out between clenched teeth. I kept my eyes on the senator, but extended my hand into the open space and spoke to the frightened woman. “Come on, Greta. Let’s go.”

I waited until I heard her hesitant shuffle and felt her hand slip into mine.

“Goodnight, Senator.” I took a step backwards through the doorway, unwilling to turn my back on this man even for a moment. He was evil.

His grin never faltered, but his eyes had gone cold the moment he was forced to release his victim. “Goodnight, Lux. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again. Very soon.” His gaze moved to the woman at my side, and I felt fury boil in my veins as his eyes drooped down to half-mast and scanned her trembling body. “Greta. Always a pleasure.”

I squeezed the maid’s hand and pulled her behind me, practically running for the patio door that would take us out of this house and away from these people. When we reached the side garage, I looked around for Sebastian, but he hadn’t arrived yet.

“Thank you,” Greta whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at me. “Thank you so much.”

I took her by the shoulders and stared into her face. She was only a few years older than me — maybe in her mid-twenties — and I suddenly saw how fragile she was. “Listen to me,” I whispered fiercely. “You get in your car and you go. Don’t come back here.”

“But my job…the money…” Greta bit her lip and her anxious expression tugged on my heartstrings.

“There are other jobs, Greta,” I said, staring into her eyes. “There’s only one of you. This is your life. You can’t live it here — not under the same roof as that man.”