NERTHUS
Two days!
Two fucking days have passed since hearing a beep from Arawn.
I’m starting to question my sanity as I get impatient to hear from him after just two days.
What the fuck is wrong with me?!
I slowly start to relieve my best moments of getting off a drug I was absolutely hooked on.
And how I hate it!
Even though all I want to do is snuggle into my blankets and stay there, I follow my routine and give in to Gigi, letting him drag me into the gym.
“And they say women are complicated.”
I sigh as we stomp up the moving stairs of the stepper. “I don’t understand him, and now I am anxious about not being exciting enough. I never had that.”
“Ugh! He is just being an asshole!” Gigi scoffs, “If he wasn’t as broadly built as the Hulk I would go kick his ass.”
I laugh, tilting my head at him. “You are cute, thank you. But I guess he is simply preparing to sack me. Maybe he wanted to provoke me somehow, triggering a reaction that would lead him to get the last piece of me he is missing. Afterwards, I wouldn’t hold anything of worth to him.”
“Don’t say that.” Gigi stops his stepper, turning at me with a serious expression. “You are a beautiful, intelligent, and exciting woman.”
He lifts his finger to my face, while my eyes well up with tears. “You are too hot and precious for his sorry ass, and the moment he finds out he will regret losing you forever!”
Reactivating his workout machine, he moves his arms to his steps theatrically, “He will cry himself to sleep for the rest of his life.”
Nearly choking on my spit as I laugh, I wipe my happy tears out of my eyes. “Thank you for this.”
“Of course.”
For the rest of the workout, we try to keep the subjects Arawn-free, even if it’s hard as my thoughts are set on him without any exception.
As we exit the gym to go have our well-deserved coffee and cake, I feel the bile in my throat rising even before I see him.
Jensen is waiting for me out on the walkway, standing there like he owns the street.
Maybe he does.
Some kind of royal privilege.
“Hey, Amber.” His smile gives me the ick and seems not being able to convince Gigi that well, as he looks at him with his brows lifted.
“Babe, do you know him?” He asks me, not moving his gaze off him.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” I whisper and walk towards the creep.
“Hey, Jensen. What are you doing here?”
He shrugs, his grin growing. “Arawn told me you work out here, so I thought I’d surprise you. You know, we had a bad start, so I wanted to talk to you. Can I invite you for lunch?”
“Not really, no.” I cross my arms over my chest, as worry grows on Gigi’s face.
Jensen chuckles, opening the door to his black limousine. “Come on, you don’t want to anger him, do you?”
“Amber…” Gigi starts but I turn to him, interrupting him with a smile. “Ah, don’t worry. I’ll pay for our drinks tomorrow, okay? I’m so sorry that I have to stand you up.”
His smile holds a lot of preoccupation as he tries to flash it at me casually. “Sure, it’s your job. Don’t worry about me but be careful, okay?”
I nod, and we hug goodbye, before I get into the backseat of the car, about to throw up.
Jensen closes the door after him, and the car starts rolling into traffic. I scoop away as he comes closer, causing him to laugh sickeningly.
“Ah, Amber, why are you so scared of me touching you?”
Squinting my eyes at him, I clear my throat. “I’m not scared of you. And you are not the sleaziest guy who ever had the pleasure of touching me. But I work for Arawn exclusively, and I don’t think he would want to share me.”
“Why do you think he gave me the location of your gym?” His grin makes my skin crawl, and I scoop further away until my back hits the door.
He comes closer, causing me to panic. I put my hand on his chest, trying to hold him up, but the contact just seems to turn him on.
“We usually share everything, you know.” He grins, making my hair on the back of my neck stand up. “We are brothers.”
Breathing gets more difficult as he puts his hand on my leg, moving it up. “And Parker was never the type to like girls particularly. And that way he would want them for him alone.”
Parker.
“Get your hands off me.” I hiss, glaring at him. “If he wants to share me, I’ll do so only after he told me to.”
Tilting my head at him, I slap his hand away which is coming uncomfortably close to my core. “I guess he would be the type to watch.”
Jensen laughs and leans back into his seat. “Well, I don’t think that will make him happy.”
“I don’t fucking care. Call him and tell him what you are doing, and we will see how mad he gets.”
Apparently having blown his bluff, his demeanor changes, freaking me out. He grabs my arm, pulling me close and I hold my breath. His grimace held up stoically. “How much do you want?”
“I doubt that you could offer something to outbid him,” I answer lowly, and he groans.
“Don’t act like you are that loyal. He told me about you being easy to get.”
He didn’t!
I jerk up at my inner voice practically screaming in favor of Arawn. As if a man would deserve that.
“Let go of me, Jensen, or you will regret it.”
He opens his hand presumptuously, his mocking expression remaining prominently on his face. By leaning forward, he wraps his arm around me, his hand leaving an itching sensation as he puts it on my back.
“You are just so damned beautiful.”
I shudder as that is not the compliment I have been yearning for lately. Sliding down the door, I find myself lying on the seats as he moves to get onto me.
My breath hitches in my throat as I finally get enough space to pull my knee up and kick him into his stomach. Unfortunately, there is not enough space to push him back far away.
As I’m sprinting towards the driver’s cabin, he is already after me laughing, grabbing my ankle to pull me back.
I scream as I hit the floor ungently and get free myself with another lucky kick right into his face.
“Fucking bitch!” He curses, as he holds his bloody face.
Not losing any more time, I finally reach the dividing wall and I pound on it relentlessly. Jensen wipes blood from his chin as he glares at me, just as the driver opens the little window.
“I don’t know what he pays you,” I scream and he looks at me wide-eyed through the rearview mirror before concentrating back on the street. “But it won’t be enough to mend your bones crushed to dust if Arawn hears about this!”
As he continues to look at me shocked, I shout again. “Stop the fucking car!”
I get catapulted forward as he halts immediately. Turning around with my chest heaving, I climb over the seats slowly, Jensen following my movements with a deadly stare. I groan as I get out of the car, my body hitting the concrete hard.
Getting up panically, I run down the street attracting many shocked looks before I get into an alley. Pushing myself through the dirt and stinky passage, I reach the end of it breathing heavily.
My panic attack hits me full force, causing me to clash against a wall to stabilize myself. Sliding down the wall slowly, I take deep and slow breaths trying to calm myself down.
As soon as my heartbeat is more or less regulated and I’m able to breathe again, I take out my phone and dial his number.
My heart squeezes as Arawn picks up just after a few rings and I would like to scream my lungs out at him, but I force myself to keep calm.
Professional…
“The fuck, Arawn?! If you want to share me with someone you have to ask me and prepare me. It isn’t acceptable that I get picked up like this.”
Taking a deep breath, I wait for his answer which, like always, is unbothered. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Rachel.”
“Stop calling…”
No, don’t beg for his affection.
“Fuck.” I curse, grasping my shirt. “You had no right! We have a fucking contract on exclusivity.”
“Stop acting this hysterically, woman.” He growls, and I push out another breath.
Sure, I’m not his girlfriend.
He doesn’t care about me.
“At least next time send me someone that is my type, fucking asshole!”
Disconnecting the call, I take another deep breath and whimper.
“Are you okay, miss?” Big eyes stare at me worriedly, as a homeless man bends over strangely to look at me.
I nod, taking another breath. “Yeah. I am now. Thank you so much for asking.”
“I might have something to help you calm down.” He says, starting to rummage through his big bag filled up with bottles, causing me to smile.
With another breath flipping in my throat, I chuckle.
“Thank you. But I can’t. I’m sober, you know.” I lie, not wanting to decline his gentle help but also not wanting to share a bottle with a stranger.
“Oh,” He says, a big smile appearing on his face. “Good for you, little lady.”
Pushing myself up the wall, I am very thankful for him grabbing me as I lose my balance temporarily. “Oh, oh. Careful, my lady.”
“Thank you. I’m alright.” I say, straightening back up and squeezing his shoulder. “Maybe you could point out where I am, so I can find my way home?”
He nods repeatedly, as he steers me out of the alley. “Of course.”
I get home after hours, feeling absolutely crushed. Arawn had tried to reach me several times, but I keep declining his calls, sending him straight to voicemail.
Without even bothering to undress, I let myself slump into my bed. Sighing deeply, I close my eyes while I let the phone on my nightstand vibrate itself to death.