Maid For Daddies.

Chapter 9

Billie.

The next morning, fury simmered under my skin like a low boil that wouldn’t quit.

I channeled it into work. Laundry then breakfast. Coffee maker gurgled in the background, filling the kitchen with that rich scent. I moved on to making pancakes from scratch, bacon crisping in the pan, fresh orange juice squeezed by hand. Every flip of the spatula felt like a small act of control in a house that gave me none.

I carried everything out to the outdoor dining terrace. The morning sun poured over the estate, manicured lawns stretching to infinity, fountains. Wealth like this should feel beautiful. Instead it felt like a pretty cage.

I set the plates down just as the men arrived.

Leon took the head of the table in a crisp blue button-down, sleeves rolled to his forearms, Silas slid into the seat on his left in a black fitted T-shirt hugging muscle, a thick gold chain resting against his collarbone and Law claimed the right side in a pristine white shirt, sleeves cuffed, looking annoyingly perfect.

I poured coffee into their mugs, keeping my movements steady. They were already talking about “shipments,” “timelines,” “the next drop” barely glancing up as I approached.

“Morning,” I said.

Murmured greetings in return. Leon nodded once. Silas smirked faintly. Law didn’t look at me at all.

My eyes locked on him.

I stepped to his side with the coffee pot. My hand “slipped” just enough. Warm coffee splashed across his white shirt, soaking the fabric in a dark, spreading stain.

I gasped theatrically. “Oh no— I’m so sorry! My hand just—”

Law slowly lifted his gaze to mine.

“Clumsy this morning, little thief?” he drawled, “or is this your idea of payback? Next time aim for the face if you want it to hurt.”

“Must’ve been a long, tired night,” I shot back

I licked and slightly bit my bottom lip to calm my nerves.

None of them spoke but I could feel their stares boring into me.

Leon set his fork down.

“Sit, Billie.”He said.

I obeyed, and turned toward the farthest chair at the end of the long table, as far from them as possible and made my way to it.

“Sit here.”

He pointed with his fork to the empty seat between him and Law.

My pulse spiked. I hesitated, then walked slowly around the table. Lowered myself into the chair. Leon on my left. Law on my right. Silas directly across.

I felt pinned.

Silas leaned back, crossing his arms. “Your hands are shaking so bad you’re gonna pour coffee on someone else next. Eat.”

I forced a bite of pancake. It tasted like cardboard.

Law glanced down at his soaked shirt. Then without a word he reached for the buttons. One by one and shrugged it off.

He had broad shoulders, lean muscle carved under skin. A viper tattoo coiled up his ribs same style as Silas’s. Two astronomical symbols inked high on his chest: one I recognized as Orion, the other something fainter, older-looking. Scars here and there thin and faded like stories he didn’t tell.

I stared for too long before snapping my eyes away.

I gulped down half the glass of juice in one go. Reached for a piece of bread. Tore it apart with my fingers. Anything to keep my hands busy and avoid looking at Law’s bare chest inches from my elbow, or Leon’s steady gaze on the side of my face, or Silas’s knowing grin across the table.

The three of them resumed talking about business.

I swallowed another bite of bread. Inside my chest, the fury that had been simmering since yesterday boiled over and I couldn’t take it anymore.

My fork clattered against the plate.

“You messed with the car,” I said, voice louder than I meant. It cracked on the last word. “You sabotaged it so I’d be late and I’d get punished. If you’re going to do this, fine. Punish me. But do it fairly. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t let the car break down on purpose. I didn’t plan to be ten minutes late. He set me up. That’s unjust. It’s cheating. And I’m the one who ends up scolded because of you.”

My hands shook, I could feel the heat in my face and the way my voice rose at the end.

Law stopped mid-bite. Slowly, he reached up, removed his glasses, folded them and set them on the table beside his plate and looked at me.

I swallowed. My outburst suddenly felt too big, over the top and maybe stupid.

Leon set his coffee mug down.

He leaned back in his chair.

“Since you think Law deserves punishment,” he said, “which one would you suggest?”

I opened my mouth.

He wasn’t asking out of curiosity. He was making me own it. Forcing me to say the words I’d just thrown like weapons.

Law tilted his head slightly. “Go on.”

Silas leaned forward, elbows on the table, that faint amused glint in his eyes. “You were very vocal a second ago. We’d love to hear your suggestion.”

I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Not when I was the one tied to a chair and when I still felt the ghost of ropes on my wrists.

I stared at my plate.

Leon exhaled.

“That’s what I thought.”

He picked up his fork again. Resumed eating like the conversation had never happened.

Law reached for his glasses, slid them back on without a word.

Silas gave a low chuckle, leaned back, and took a slow sip of juice.

I couldn’t sit there another second with their eyes on me.

“Excuse me,” I muttered, before anyone could say another word.

I needed distraction so I grabbed the cleaning caddy from the utility closet and headed upstairs to one of their rooms. I picked Law’s because screw him; if I had to clean after his sabotage, I’d do it in his space and pretend it was revenge.

The room smelled like him. I plugged in the vacuum, switched it on, and attacked the dresser carpet. The roar drowned out my thoughts for a blissful minute.

I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin.

Law stood in the doorway. Arms crossed, one shoulder against the frame.

I turned off the vacuum. The sudden quiet rang in my ears.

He stepped inside, I took one instinctive step back.

“You were quite the firecracker at breakfast,” he said, voice low. “Ranting about fairness. Very bold of you ”

I lifted my chin. “I stand by it. I’m not sorry.”

He took another step closer. My back hit the open closet door, clothes brushing my shoulders.

“If you’re not sorry,” he murmured, leaning in just enough that I had to tip my head back to meet his eyes, “why are you scared?”

“I’m not scared,” I said too quickly, without looking at him. My gaze fixed on the viper tattoo curling up his ribs instead.

He laughed once. “Liar.”

I forced my eyes up. His were locked on mine, unblinking behind those glasses.

“I find your little outbursts entertaining,” he continued. “Feisty. It’s almost cute.”

I realized it then, he was feeding off it. My anger, defiance and the way I pushed back. It wasn’t annoying him. It was fueling him.

I straightened, shoulders back refusing to shrink.

“I’ll fight for what’s right for me,” I said. “I’ll pay every cent of the debt, scrub floors, cook breakfast, whatever. But I won’t let you, or any of you get away with unfairness. Especially not from you.”

He studied me for a long beat. Then he reached up, lifted his glasses off his face.

Our eyes met without the barrier. His gaze was darker stripping away any pretense.

He laughed again.

“You think you can fight me, little thief?” he whispered, close enough. “Go ahead. Keep fighting. I like watching you try. Makes the moment you finally break so much sweeter.”

I could only glare with wide eyes.

He reached into his pocket. Worry flooded my entire body at the thought of it being a gun.

But he pulled out a phone.

He held it out between us.

“Yours,” he said. “No more excuses about not being able to call. You keep it on you at all times. Understand?”

I stared at it, then at him. Slowly took it. Our fingers brushed, his warm and steady mine trembling.

He stepped back half a pace. “Move. I want to get dressed. Unless you’d like to stay and watch. Rant about that too. Since you already ruined my shirt.”

I forced a fake pout. “It was accidental.”

“Terrible actress,” he said. “I can smell the fake pity from here. Cold coffee, convenient hand tilt. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

I had no come back.

I turned and stepped away from the room as I scrolled on the phone. It had no password. The cont

act list was already loaded. With only Law, Silas and Leon.

No last names or titles. Just first names. Like they were friends and not captors I was indebted to.