Voices carried down the hallway. “I’ll try to make it.” Cauldron’s voice was easy to recognize, deep like the bass in a symphony. “Have a lot of business that requires my attention.”
“Bring her if you do,” a man said. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
What did that mean?
Pleasantries were exchanged then they departed.
My food didn’t taste as good as it had a moment ago.
Cauldron entered the room a few seconds later, reeking of cigars and booze even though it was barely noon. He helped himself to the chair across from me, one ankle shifting to the opposite knee, his shoulders filling out his jacket and forming the top line of a triangle. He settled into his typical stare, packed with so much intensity and mystery.
“What the fuck was that?”
He had no reaction to my harshness, as if he expected it.
“I’ll make it worth your while? You’re telling all your buddies that I’m your whore and loaning me out now?”
“I didn’t tell them anything. They assumed.”
“They took one look at me and just assumed I could be bought?” I asked incredulously.
While my voice continued to rise in hysteria, his remained calm like a gentle river. “They’re aware of my tastes.”
My eyebrow cocked.
“That I prefer to pay for sex.”
I was still angry.
His stare hadn’t changed during the interaction. “Why are you ashamed?”
“I’m not ashamed—”
“Yes, I remember you said that, but you’re offended every time it comes up.” His voice rose a little bit, like he was irritated with me. “In case you’ve forgotten, it’s still your profession, so their assumption was correct.”
“It’s not… It’s different.”
He stared me down like he disagreed, like he was thinking about the way he’d fucked me last night.
His stare was so penetrating that I had to look away. “If you think you’re going to loan me out to your buddies—”
“I’m not.”
My eyes shifted back to him.
“I don’t like to share.”
“It sounds like you’ve shared before.”
“Whores are a dime a dozen. But you’re a diamond in the rough.”
I let my food and coffee grow cold, let my orange juice warm to room temperature because his stare was so all-encompassing. He managed to control every moment we were together, just by his sheer will alone. He was the thermostat, setting the temperature for everyone else.
“I’ll be gone for the day. I’ll return tonight to retrieve you for the evening.”
“I thought you said you had a meeting.”
“I do.” He rose to his feet. “You’re coming with me.”
“Why?”
He stared down at me like that was a stupid question to ask.
“What am I supposed to wear—”
“It’s been taken care of.” The conversation ended when he walked off, his powerful back stretching the fabric of his clothing, wide shoulders leading to narrow hips. He turned the corner and disappeared, but his presence was still in the room, in every room.
Pius delivered a tight black dress with a sweetheart top. There were heels as well, with just a bit of diamond dust in the black material. Jewelry was included, diamond earrings along with a diamond necklace.
I wasn’t a jeweler, but I could tell the diamonds were of the highest quality.
When I was ready, I walked into the main parlor, where Cauldron was sitting on the couch, typing on his phone like he was writing a long text message or email. He was dressed in all black, a t-shirt that showed his muscular arms with boots. Compared to me, he was vastly underdressed.
When he was finished, he got to his feet and looked at me.
Really looked at me. All over. Like he’d spotted me across the room and couldn’t stop staring.
I was used to the way men looked at me, but none of them could capture Cauldron’s intensity. He was utterly consumed, his body so stiff that it stretched his clothing just a little bit more, made the front of his jeans just a little bit tighter. He was a man of few words, but he could convey everything with just that powerful stare.
Wordlessly, he gestured to the hallway, asking me to go first.
I took the lead, feeling his dark eyes right on my ass.
We took the elevator down to the bottom floor, got into the back seat of the blacked-out SUV, and then drove through the busy streets of Paris. When I looked out the window, I could tell it was bulletproof. I recognized the distinct opaqueness.
Cauldron kept his gaze out his window. His hand didn’t move to my thigh. His arm didn’t hook around my waist as he directed me to the car. In fact, he never showed affection with me whatsoever. All he did was fuck me. Nothing more, nothing less.
The car stopped at the curb.
We were in front of a building with no windows. There were double black doors and a single word in gray letters above them. Beaufort.
When we approached the doors, they were opened for us by two men holding rifles.