Glimspe of unknown
1085 Words
Good-looking didn’t even begin to cover it.
The man before me was a goddamn masterpiece. Tall, powerful, dangerously refined. His slicked-back brown hair gleamed under the dim lighting. His crisp black suit only added to his commanding presence. But it was his eyes, cold and unreadable, cutting straight through me, that made my pulse stutter.
He didn’t speak right away. Just studied me like I was a puzzle he had no interest in solving.
“Boss,” the bald man, said, bowing slightly.
The man’s gaze didn’t shift. “Who is she?” His voice was deep, quiet, but it cut through the air like a blade.
“Douglas’s eldest daughter. Payment for his debt.”
My stomach churned. Douglas. My father. He sold me. Like I was a damn piece of furniture.
The man finally moved, stepping closer. Too close. Heat radiated from him. His scent, clean, masculine, intoxicating, wrapped around me.
I clenched my fists. My father had done unforgivable things, but this? A new low.
The boss didn’t blink. “This is what he offers?” His voice was quiet, razor-sharp. “Disappointing.”
Anger flared hot in my chest. “Yeah? Well, I expected a crime lord to have a face that didn’t belong on a magazine cover, so I guess we’re both let down.”
Silence.
Wallace’s grip tightened on my arm. The other guards shifted, like they expected me to be shot on the spot.
Then, a smirk.
“You’ve got a mouth,” the boss mused, tapping his fingers against the desk. “And no sense of self-preservation.”
I lifted my chin. “I hear that a lot.”
His gaze slid over me, slow and unreadable. “You don’t look like much.”
“And you look like a bored rich prick pretending to be scary,” I shot back. “So I guess looks are deceiving.”
Wallace yanked me back. “Stop running your mouth.”
The room turned to ice.
I knew I’d crossed a line, but I didn’t care. My heart pounded, but I wouldn’t let this bastard see an ounce of fear.
The boss exhaled through his nose, slow and controlled. “You think you’re brave?”
“No,” I said flatly. “I think I’m screwed either way. Might as well be entertaining.”
The smirk returned, darker this time. Amusement.
“Wallace.”
Wallace stiffened. “Sir?”
“Take her away before I decide how to break her.”
Wallace grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the door. But I wasn’t done.
“Yeah, go ahead, lock me up!” I yelled. “You’re just a spoiled little tyrant throwing a tantrum because I won’t grovel at your feet!”
Wallace yanked harder.
The next thing I knew, I was being dragged down endless halls. “Where the hell are we going?”
Wallace didn’t answer.
I dug my heels into the marble floor. “I said—”
He wrenched my arm, yanking me forward. “Keep running your mouth, and you’ll regret it.”
“Or what?” I snapped. “You’ll break my arm? Go ahead. Let’s see how well that works out for you.”
He let out a low, frustrated growl. “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?”
“Never been my strong suit.”
He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door and shoved it open. Then, without warning, he pushed me inside.
I stumbled, catching myself on the edge of a bunk bed. The room was cramped, lined with more beds, all occupied by girls around my age. Some looked away the moment I entered. Others stared with open curiosity.
“What the hell is this?” I demanded.
One girl, blonde and sharp-eyed, crossed her arms. “She doesn’t know.”
“Another one,” someone muttered from their bed, rolling over.
The blonde, clearly the mouthpiece of the group, sighed. “Get some sleep, newbie. You’ll need it.”
“For what?”
She didn’t answer. No one did.
I clenched my jaw, throwing myself onto the empty bed at the far end. The second my head hit the pillow, the lights went out.
Perfect.
Whatever this place was, I was getting out.
Tomorrow.
---
Morning came like a slap to the face.
“Up.” A sharp voice cut through the room.
I groaned, rolling over. “Five more minutes.”
Gasps rippled around me.
“Who the hell—” The voice got closer, a pair of cold fingers grabbing my chin and jerking my face up. I found myself staring at a heavily made-up woman, her expression twisted with disdain. “This isn’t a goddamn holiday, girl. Get up.”
I yawned. “You always this pleasant in the morning?”
Her nostrils flared.
Before she could respond, the door swung open, and Wallace strode in. His gaze landed on me. “Shower. Now. The boss is waiting.”
I stretched, rubbing my eyes. “Good. I’ve got some things to say to him too.”
He tossed a bag at my feet. “Move.”
I picked it up and sauntered past him.
By the time I stepped back into the room, damp hair clinging to my skin, Wallace was already waiting.
“Take me to your boss,” I said, voice firm.
He frowned. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
Before I could respond, he grabbed my arm again, his grip bruising.
I hissed. “You’ve got a habit of manhandling women. That, or you just like touching me.”
His jaw tightened. “Keep talking, girl. See where it gets you.”
“Oh, I plan to.”
He dragged me down another long hallway.
“What is this place?” I pressed.
Silence.
“What’s your boss’s name?”
Nothing.
I sighed dramatically. “Come on, Wallace. Don’t tell me you’re just a glorified errand boy.”
That did it. He stopped so fast I nearly smacked into his back. Turning, he leaned in close, his voice low and deadly. “Your mouth is going to get you killed.”
I smirked. “That a threat?”
He shoved open another door and pushed me inside.
“Just know this,” he muttered before slamming the door shut behind me.
I turned and froze.
Because sitting in front of me, watching me like a lion watching a rabbit, was him.
The boss.
- Writer
