A Debt To Pay

21

His eyes widened slightly and his jaw twitched. "Is that so?" One of his eyebrows arched slightly but it was barely a fraction.

He was keeping his expression blank, completely stone hard and that made me nervous. However, I placed a small smirk on my lips and blinked up at him. "It is so. You did something that helped my family that didn't benefit you in any way," I stated with a smug grin.

He stared at me for a moment, a fire raging in his eyes before he turned away. "I have a dinner party to attend to tonight. It's in enemy territory so I'll be taking a lot of men with me," he stated, turning back to me and raising an eyebrow. I frowned in confusion, unsure as to why he was telling me this. "I don't trust you here alone, so you'll be coming with me."

I raised my brows. "Me?"

"Yes. You."

"I have to come to a dinner party on enemy territory?"

He nodded again. "As long as you stay quiet, nobody will even know that you're there. Everyone has to bring a woman, most of them are just hired for the night so nobody will think you're anyone special."

"Do you think I'm special?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

He scowled at me. "We leave here at seven, I've already bought you a dress and my maids will help you get ready."

"Is that all you have to say?" I asked him, referring to our previous conversation regarding Stacey. I stared at him expectantly, eyes wide and breath hitched. I wasn't sure what it was I wanted him to say, but I knew I needed to know more. I needed to know why he would do this for me and my family.

He slowly raised a brow. "Is there something more you'd like me to say?"

I stared into his dark eyes for a moment longer before shaking my head. "I'll start getting ready," I told him, turning my back to him and leaving the room with my heart in my stomach. I couldn't understand why he didn't want someone to look at him differently. Henry had been right, there wasn't anyone in the world that cared about him and despite the fact I was sure it was self-inflicted, I couldn't help but pity him. I couldn't imagine my life without my family, they meant everything to me and everyone deserved to experience that kind of unconditional love, even Logan.

Before going to my room, I stopped off at the kitchen to get a glass of water and something to eat, having still not eaten anything today. The house was quieter than usual, empty of most of the maids and guards that usually scurried around.

When I reached my room, there were two women uncomfortably shifting from one foot to another while they waited for me. "Miss," the one called with a small smile, stepping forward. "We're here to help you prepare for this evening."

I smiled at the two of them. "It's nice to meet you both," I said.

They introduced themselves while I ate and then instructed me to go and shower. I spent as long as I possibly could under the heat of the water, nerves beginning to settle in my stomach as I thought about the dinner tonight. I was weary enough to be spending the evening with Logan but to be surrounded by Made Men and on enemy territory, it had my heart rate skyrocketing.

I washed every inch of my skin and exfoliated, shaved and moisturised until I couldn't procrastinate any longer. I wrapped a soft robe around me – it was one my mother had given me not long before she had been killed and putting it on always felt like one of her warm hugs. I stepped out and the two maids leapt into action, gathering makeup and hair styling equipment.

I was pushed into the seat facing the desk and turned so one of the women could crouch in front of me to do my makeup while the other stood behind me and dried and curled my long locks. The makeup was subtle, with a light foundation that blended with my natural skin tone, a simple but smoky eyeliner and eyeshadow and a natural pink lip. I admired it in the mirror, while the other maid finished curling my hair and began to style it.

"Wow," I said, watching her quick fingers work in the mirror, "you should be a hairdresser."

She smiled, French plaiting the front of my hair and then brushing her fingers through the rest of it so it tumbled in curls down my back. "I always used to do the girls hair," she said, her voice thick with an unfamiliar accent.

"The girls?"

"Yeah, before the auctions," she explained.

My eyebrows shot up and I snapped around to look at her, causing her hands to fall from my hair. "What?" I asked. "Auctions?"

She nodded. "Yes miss."

"You mean... you were sold?" I gaped.

Panic fluttered across her face and her jaw tumbled open. "Oh... I'm sorry, I... I thought you came from an auction too."

The realisation quickly dawned on me and I clenched my fists at my sides. "Logan bought you?" I asked, raising to my feet and gritting my teeth to keep from screaming. Every time I started to think that maybe he wasn't the cold, emotionless asshole he pretended to be, he proved me wrong without even trying.

"I guess...," she trailed off.

"He's disgusting," I spat.

"Oh, wait," she called as I brushed her hands away and rose to my feet. I headed to the bathroom, fuming beyond belief. "Miss, it's not what it seems."

"Don't defend him," I snapped at her. "He's unbelievable. No wonder he's alone, he deserves it," I hissed.

There was no longer anything that anyone could do or say that would change my mind.