Despite escaping her foster family, things hadn’t gotten much easier. The brief party of college and dorm life had been fleeting, only to give way to a cold world that demanded she produce or sleep in a gutter. She’d barely been eking out a living, squirreling away every spare penny she could, hoping it would be enough to keep surviving. Because what if she lost her job? She had to have a safety net.

It had taken a lot of nagging from her friends to get her to go out drinking, but she needn’t have worried. There had been plenty of men to buy her drinks so she didn’t have to dip into her own funds.

Leo strode over to her and she couldn’t help cringing, afraid of what he might do. So maybe it wasn’t such a dream-fantasy after all. She was still bone-chillingly terrified of him.

He stopped at the other side of the desk, regarding her calmly. “I have specific requirements in a relationship. Certain… kinks and desires…”

Faith’s mind immediately flashed to images of whips and chains. But with the title he’d demanded, hadn’t that idea drifted through her mind already, no matter how much she’d tried to push it away? She might not be into that, but she wasn’t oblivious.

Given her current circumstances, it would seem most appropriate that such things would happen in a dirty, dank basement where she’d be fed crumbs and kept in a cramped cage, but she imagined whips and chains with this man would be dressed in refinement.

“A-are you going to hurt me?” Plenty of women lived in abusive relationships that looked like pampered luxury on the outside. Faith didn’t want to be one of those women. Give her a simple studio apartment with an uncertain financial future any day over riches that obscured a nightmare of ongoing torment behind closed doors.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but if you obey me and honestly seek to please me, you’ll remain safe and may even come to be happy here. Now make your list.”

She tried to quiet the whirring questions and relentless fears. His word meant nothing. He could promise anything he wanted, but trusting in such a promise would be too naïve—no matter how much she wanted to. Her only desire was to find safety here. All thoughts of rebellion and escape left her in light of the hope she had of garnering his favor.

Faith scribbled down her list, hoping it wasn’t asking too much, and handed the sheet to Leo. He looked it over briefly and nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Stay here.”

3

Saving Faith from Angelo’s bullet had given Leo an irrational sense of entitlement. But the girl was attracted to him. In between her moments of fear and indignation, he’d glimpsed the half-starved glances she’d aimed his way. It was the effect he’d always had on women. The combination of danger, money, and looks was too irresistible for most females of the species—even a captive like Faith.