CHAPTER 5: The Shift
1021 Words
"Andrew. Wake up."
The voice cut through the dark. Sharp. Cold.
Andrew jolted awake. Remus stood over his bed, still in his suit from the night before. His face was stone.
"What's wrong?"
"Get up. Now."
Andrew scrambled out of bed, heart pounding. "What happened?"
Remus shoved a phone in his face.
The screen showed a news article. With Andrew's picture. His old picture. Hollow cheeks. Broken eyes.
The headline screamed: BLACKWOOD'S NEW PET: FROM GUTTER TO PENTHOUSE
Andrew's blood ran cold.
"Keep reading."
His hands shook as he scrolled. All his failures laid bare. Failed job interviews. Nights on the street. The rainy night Remus found him.
Photos too. Old ones. Him begging outside a*****e. Digging through trash.
"Where did they get these?"
"Someone from your past." Remus's voice was dangerously calm. "Someone who knows you."
Andrew's mind raced. His brother? An old roommate?
"I'm sorry. I didn't—"
"Who broke you?" Remus grabbed his shoulder. "Who made you end up on that street?"
"My brother." The words tasted like ash. "Daniel Hayes. He took everything. My dad's insurance money. Our apartment. All of it."
"His name."
"But that was months ago. He wouldn't—"
"You should have told me." Remus's grip tightened. "The day you signed that contract, you should have told me who could hurt you."
"I didn't think it mattered."
"Everything matters." Remus released him and picked up his phone. "Get dressed. We're handling this now."
"How?"
"Let me worry about that."
Andrew grabbed Remus's arm. "What are you going to do?"
"What I should have done when I found you." Remus's smile was cruel. "Make sure no one ever hurts you again."
Two hours later, Andrew sat in Remus's office. Silent. Watching.
Remus worked quietly. Phone calls. Messages. His voice never rose, but people obeyed.
"It's done," Remus said finally.
"What's done?"
"The article is gone. The website is being sued. Your brother's accounts are frozen."
Andrew's breath caught. "You can't—"
"I can. I did." Remus leaned back. "He stole from you. From family. Now he has nothing."
"That's too much."
"Is it?" Remus stood. "He left you to die. And you think I went too far?"
"He's still my brother."
"He stopped being your brother when he took everything." Remus's voice dropped. "Anyone who hurts you answers to me now."
The words should have scared Andrew. But part of him liked it. Wanted someone to fight for him.
"Why do you care?" Andrew whispered.
"What?"
"This is business. A contract. You said so." Andrew stood. Faced him. "So why does it matter if people hurt me?"
"Because you're mine to protect."
"I'm not yours. I'm your employee."
Something flashed in Remus's eyes. "Are you?"
The air crackled between them.
"I don't know anymore." Andrew's voice shook. "You kiss me for show. Cover me with blankets. Destroy people who hurt me. What is this?"
"It's complicated."
"That's not an answer."
Remus looked away. His shoulders were tense. "Go to bed."
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Shutting down when things get real." Andrew moved closer. "You feel something. I know you do."
"What I feel doesn't matter."
"Why not?"
"Because I'll ruin you." Remus turned. His face was raw. "Everyone I care about gets destroyed. It's what I do."
"I'm already ruined."
"Not like I can ruin you."
Andrew's chest hurt. "Then why bring me here?"
"Because I'm selfish." Remus laughed bitterly. "I saw you broken and wanted to fix you. Keep you. Make you mine."
The words hung between them.
"I don't want to pretend anymore." Remus's voice broke. "This contract. These rules. I don't want them."
"Then what do you want?"
Remus moved closer. His hand came up, brushing Andrew's cheek like he was precious.
"You."
Andrew couldn't breathe. His heart beat wildly.
Remus leaned in slowly, giving Andrew time to pull away.
Andrew didn't move.
Their lips were inches apart when Andrew started shaking.
He couldn't stop trembling.
Remus went still. Pulled back. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Andrew wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't know what I'm doing. What this is."
"Andrew—"
"A month ago I was starving. Alone. Now I'm here with you and I can't—" His voice broke. "I can't tell what's real."
Remus's jaw tightened. "This is real."
"Is it? Or is this just part of the deal?"
"Look at me."
Andrew looked up.
"This is real," Remus said. "What I feel. What I want. All of it."
"But the contract—"
"Forget the contract." Remus cupped Andrew's face. "I want you here because I need you. Not for show. Not for business. Because I can't stand the thought of you leaving."
Tears filled Andrew's eyes. "You're changing me."
"Into what?"
"Someone who wants this. Wants you." The tears fell. "Before you, I just wanted to survive. Now I want things I can't have."
"Why can't you have them?"
"Because this ends in six months. You said so."
Remus wiped Andrew's tears. "What if it doesn't?"
"What?"
"What if I don't want you to leave?"
Andrew's breath caught. "You don't mean that."
"Don't tell me what I mean."
"Then what are you saying?"
Remus pulled him close. Their foreheads touched.
"I'm saying you're not just my employee. Not just someone I'm protecting." His voice was rough. "You're more."
"How much more?"
"Everything."
Andrew's legs felt weak. He held onto Remus's shirt to steady himself.
"This is crazy," Andrew whispered.
"I know."
"We barely know each other."
"I know."
"You're my boss. I live in your house. This is all wrong."
"I know." Remus's lips brushed his ear. "Do you want me to stop?"
Andrew's mind said yes. His body said no.
"I don't know what I want."
"Yes you do." Remus pulled back. Looked into his eyes. "Tell me the truth. What do you want?"
The question hung in the air.
Andrew opened his mouth. Closed it. His thoughts were a mess.
"I want..." He tried again. "What are you making me?"
Remus's eyes darkened. Hungry. Needing.
He whispered the word so softly Andrew almost didn't hear it.
"Mine."
- Writer
