“It’s not just that he wants to get ahead,” I say, trying to keep my voice cool. “He wants to hurt you when he does it. Your brother doesn’t like you, Mr. Gable. He wants to see you suffer. He knows that the best way to do that is to undermine your career while promoting his own. I’m not lying to you.”

“No? That’s good.” Slowly he advances on me and then carefully he puts a hand on either side of my head, the pressure he applies a little too strong to be comfortable. “I really don’t like it when people lie to me, Bell. It makes me a little crazy. But”—and with this he removes his hands from the sides of my head and gently strokes my cheek—“your story about Lander wanting to hurt me? That rings true.”

I almost collapse in relief. But I hold it together, keeping both his gaze and my composure.

“You know what would be even more convincing?”

“What?”

“Take off your clothes.”

“What?”

“You say Lander means nothing to you. Prove it. Have sex with me. Or if not me maybe I should call in L.J.? He says you weren’t very respectful last time he saw you. Perhaps I should call him over and you could make it up to him. He seems to think a spanking’s in order.”

“Mr. Gable—”

“Or perhaps Javier?”

“Javier?” I breathe. “Why would you suggest him?”

“I ran into him while having lunch at Del Posto,” he says. “I couldn’t understand much of what he said, but your name did come up. He’d like to see you. I believe he would like to see much more of you than he can see at dinner. Shall we call him, Bell?”

“No,” I say a little too quickly. There’s no way that was an accidental meeting. Perhaps it was Javier just trying to get his “turn” with me, as Micah so delicately put it. Or perhaps it was the gangsters’ way of reminding me that they are keeping tabs on me.

But at the moment it’s just a reminder of the precariousness of my situation.

“Very well then, not Javier,” Travis says with a smile. “It can be any man you want, or woman for that matter. I certainly wouldn’t want to impose my tastes on you. But do choose someone. I do want to see where your loyalty lies. You say it’s not with my brother? Show me the evidence.”

There’s a way out of this. There’s always a way out. I can keep his trust, or if necessary, regain it, without turning into a whore.

But I don’t know the way out. I don’t have a map for this detour. “You say I can sleep with anyone,” I say slowly.

“Anyone except my brother, who you’re already taking care of.”