Behind Closed Doors

Book 0: Kept in Paradise

by Shain Rose

Genres: Contemporary Romance; Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

With the scandalous intrigue of Desperate Housewives and the decadent spice of 365 Days, this first standalone in a sizzling new series from USA Today bestselling Booktok sensation Shain Rose welcomes you to Paradise Grove, a luxurious, ultra-private billionaire enclave—where the stakes are high, and the secrets are buried deep. Perfect for fans of Ana Huang, Rina Kent, Marni Mann, LJ Shen, and JT Geissinger.

He’s the forbidden enigma I wanted to ignore . . . but instead I’ll be forced to share a home with him.

Jameson Knight arrives at precisely the same time every day to pick up his young daughter from school, smiling as she runs into his open arms.

It’s the only time I see him smile.

I don’t ask questions because it’s not my place. I’m just his daughter’s favorite teacher, nothing more. . . . Until the first bullet flies by us at recess.

Suddenly, I’m risking my life to protect her. And then Jameson drags me back to his estate, claiming it’s a matter of life-or-death.

Now I’m in the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen, faced with an offer from a man who’s just as gorgeous: Be the temporary live-in nanny until he can ensure my safety and find a more permanent solution. It’ll be easy, he promises.

Yet, the arrangement is anything but simple.

Not when Jameson’s hungry stare is all consuming and his touch pulse racing.
And definitely not when I find that nothing in this neighborhood is as it seems, including Jameson.

He may be powerful, possessive, and protective. But he’s also dangerous, demanding, and calculating.

As more of his secrets come out, I should run but . . .

How do I escape the enigma of Jameson Knight if he’s already captured my heart?

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 352

Sample

“HE’ELL BE HERE SOON. He’s never late.” Franny’s dark curls whipped in the wind, hitting my favorite patchwork dress as she stood beside me looking out over the horizon. Her tiny fingers threaded through mine almost instinctively.

Squeezing them gently, I reassured her. “Of course he will. Your father probably called the phone inside and I didn’t hear it while we were out for recess.”

She nodded solemnly and mimicked my tone. “Yes, of course.”

She stood as tall as she could and smiled tightly. I sighed. “You sure you don’t want to go play on the swings for a bit?”

Her blue eyes stayed glued to the lush green rolling hills. Franny, at the age of seven, was an old soul who was not willing to engage in frivolousness when she thought something might be wrong.

“My mommy didn’t pick me up from school one day,” she shared. Her concern became more evident when she continued, “Then she never came back.”

It wasn’t my job to pry into the child’s homelife. Summer school was all I could provide—or rather, all I was told to provide. Despite that, I responded with, “But I bet your dad probably came instead, right? He always comes.”

She didn’t even hesitate. “Yup.”

“Then there is nothing to worry about,” I said confidently, but doubt crept in. No cars were in sight down that road. So, I pointed over to the swings. “Look, I put some extra flowers above your swing this morning. Why don’t you tell me what scents you’re smelling over there?” I’d threaded lavender into the bouquet last night and tied crystal beads in, too, hoping it would give the children a calming effect.

Each of my five students for the summer were always wound tight. There most likely was a study out there that stated it would make them successful in the future, somehow. They were products of high-achieving parents, ones that sent nannies to get them from school or were on phones as they drove in daily for pickup.

Franny’s father, Jameson, was always present without his phone though. Every day, he would get out of a black SUV and kneel to catch Franny as she ran into his arms.

He was prompt, never late. And never dawdled to talk about much with me either.

“I’m not super interested in swinging with flowers right now, Ms. Darling.”

“I know, Franny. Would you feel better if Xavier went to go call him inside?” I pointed behind us toward the ornate building where one of the armed guards stood.

Blackstone Academy was an imposing, secluded, stately structure. The first time I saw it, I almost resigned. Surely, they didn’t want me, a woman in her twenties with only a few years of teaching experience, to be the supervisor of this entire school for the summer. It had to be hundreds of years old, all stone angles with a Gothic central tower that reminded me of medieval times. It was clear it had been built for many students, and during the school year, it housed some of the most elite college kids from around the world. Yet, I’d been informed I would be making it a welcoming classroom for just five second graders for the summer with only the help of armed guards.

“Well, someone should call him.” She huffed like she was the teacher.

It was probably that time. Twenty minutes had passed since the last student had been picked up. Normally, I didn’t call. I’d been hired at this private academy as a last-minute addition and didn’t want to ruffle feathers by overstepping. This was unprecedented though. “Xavier.” I turned back to one of the armed guards. He wore black and didn’t so much as look at me unless I asked him to. “Could you call Franny’s father and see if he’s headed this way?”

His small shake of the head signaled all I needed to know. Something was amiss. He glanced at his partner on the other side of the porch and then murmured into his headset. “We’re calling.”

I heard the rumble of engines just as Xavier’s partner started talking to someone. The scramble of guards overtook the serenity of Blackstone Academy and Franny tapped my leg. “Who’s that driving to see us?”

I watched the cars speed around the winding road, moving so quickly, I could see smoke as they turned the corners. It was almost picturesque, the way they shined in the sunlight, such a juxtaposition to the surrounding nature.

“Ms. Darling.” Xavier’s voice was close now and much more commanding. “You both need to go inside with Archer immediately.”

“Inside?” The question tumbled from my mouth as Archer jogged over and tried to take Franny’s hand. I gripped it more tightly and pulled her close. If my children’s parents weren’t present, I was their guardian. I stayed by their sides. I kept them safe. It might not have been what I was told, but I felt it all the same. So much so that I’d overstepped at my last job and almost been fired.

And still I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Archer narrowed his dark eyes at me, his brows slamming down. “We’ve got a safe space inside. Out here, you’re exposed and …” He glanced down at Franny, who was listening intently.

“Okay.” My voice shook, but I tried to keep calm even though their stances suddenly seemed on edge. “Franny, we’re going to play inside for a bit. Mr. Archer here will show us where to go. We’ll play a fun little game of hide-and-seek for a bit, right, Archer?”

I shoved my loose chestnut waves away from my face while I shuffled Franny ahead of me, keeping hold of her while Archer hustled us in from behind. He explained, “Yes, hide-and-seek is my favorite game, Franny. And there’s a secret spot I want to show you. You’re going to be very quiet in there, okay? Because we only want your daddy to find you and no bad guys.”

“That’s weird.” Franny wasn’t convinced. “Daddy doesn’t like games. He likes to get home so we can have dinner.”

“Oh, today, he will love this game,” I said with conviction, even though I had no idea. Jameson Knight, although beautiful and open with his daughter, was a locked box with me. I’d only gathered he was a creature of regimented habit by observing he was always on time to pick her up. He also wore a different version of the same suit every day. I guessed that he owned dozens of that specific style. They were impeccably tailored for him, too, draping flawlessly over his massive shoulders and hitting his wrists at precisely the correct length while tapering nicely down his torso. Plus, someone must have advised him on the color selection as well with how each suit always complemented the deep ocean-blue hue of his eyes.

Not that I was looking.

I was simply his daughter’s teacher. I didn’t care about how his powerful jaw flexed every time he glanced at me or how those blue eyes seemed to hold judgment. Instead, I was happy he smiled genuinely at his daughter every single day and said in a clipped tone, “Always a pleasure, Ms. Darling.”

Truly, I didn’t believe it was a pleasure for him to see me at all. And from those chilling glances, I would guess he’d hate any sort of game.

“He also doesn’t like bad guys,” Franny continued. She was right about that. With the love he showed his daughter, he’d despise any bad guys coming her way.

“It’s just a game we planned, Franny.”

“He didn’t tell me about it. I would have brought my binoculars,” she pouted. It was the one game Franny really enjoyed like a kid. She’d pretend to be a spy, observing things in the distance with her binoculars some days.

“Well, today, he’s the spy. He knows to find you right away, okay?” Archer said in a soft voice he used only for the kids.

I’d gotten to know the guards this summer, saw how they played with the children and how they talked with the parents. They were sweet and trustworthy, but when I glanced behind me one last time, I saw Xavier pulling an enormous gun from behind his back. I knew they always carried them but didn’t pay much attention after the first day because things didn’t go wrong here. This couldn’t really be happening.

The first bullet whizzed by, precise and powerful in the air, like a knife cutting through the wind. One of the arched windows shattered just a room over as my heart rate skyrocketed.

Darting into the great hall, Archer slammed the door behind us right as Franny cried out, “What was that?”

He was speaking in his comms while pointing across the room. I felt my breath coming faster and my body starting to shake. But Franny’s hand squeezed mine tighter. I knew she’d see panic if I didn’t contain myself. I took a breath again and said, “Part of the bad guys coming in the game. They’re just trying to scare us. Ready to hide? There will be a prize later if you win!”

“This way. Let’s hustle. Your dad is almost here, Franny,” Archer said, giving me a small nod as I glanced back at him. He motioned us to the right, where we ended up in the formal living room that boasted wood floors, cathedral ceilings, and paintings over the fireplace that I knew were expensive. With the vast amount of space, I’d always felt overwhelmed with how to utilize it. Now, all I could do was seek out where to hide.

Every day, I’d bring students in here to read to them while they sat on the ornate Persian rug, drinking homemade lemonade. There was a grand piano and a fireplace, but nowhere to hide. Not until Archer rushed forward and yanked the rug back. He knelt and dragged his hand across the wood, where he found a groove. When he pulled at it, the boards swung up together like a small door, but the underside of them had a lining of pure, thick metal. It was a sort of small panic room.

Never had they shown me this feature of the academy. Shouldn’t I have been trained for this, given a warning about the likelihood of it happening while I was teaching, or maybe tipped off that my children’s lives were at stake? I would have prepared. Or at least tried to.

When I took the job, they had glossed over emergency procedures. I was only told that there would always be guards as a precaution and that they would be up to date on all mandatory protocols. I could rely on them in case of an emergency. With a substantial salary and their protection, I didn’t ask questions and reassured myself that we were safe, that nothing life-threatening would actually happen, even when the children made comments about their parents doing extremely secretive things.

He waved us in. “Fun, right, Franny?”

The small room was lined with metal, and nice oak chairs along with a table were set up a ways in. Six chairs, like they’d planned for me and five children specifically. There were also tablets with headphones and snacks. He pointed. “Want to watch your favorite show while you wait for your dad?”

She hesitated and looked to me. “Heart-in-pinkie promise it’s all okay?”

There are pivotal moments where a person has to make life-altering decisions. They’re made after analyzing every single aspect or in a split second, based solely on a gut reaction. Right then and there, I knew Franny was a kid who could read a situation better than most, and she didn’t trust easily.

Throughout this month, we’d built a bond deeper than I had with the other students. It may have been partly because she stuck by my side most of the day, but also, she’d told me once that promises were easily broken, so she didn’t believe in them. When I told her I put my whole heart into promises when I kissed my pinkie and she could count on that, she didn’t seem to believe at first.

Yet, trust is built one promise at a time. And every heart-in-pinkie promise I made her, I kept.

Promise by promise, our bond was formed, and I wouldn’t break it now.

My gut made the decision for me then. “Heart-in-pinkie promise, Franny. It’s all okay.” I would have to make sure of it, even if it literally killed me.

My little student was all smiles as Archer put her headphones on and pressed a few buttons. Once she was situated, he pointed to the wall of monitors. “Watch these. There’s a lock on the door. When I swing it shut, turn it and don’t move it for anyone but Jameson. You understand?”

“Should we call the police or …? What if Jameson doesn’t make it?” It was the only thing I could think of.

The popping of bullets flying sounded nearby. Not just one, but so many this time. Hundreds over and over so fast, like my beating heart. “He’ll make it. Just stay here.” He was backing away.

“But you’re leaving? You can’t stay in here with us?” I said fast, sounding pathetic as I glanced between him and Franny. How could I protect her by myself? I didn’t have a weapon or even know how to use one. I was a teacher, not a trained assassin.

“I have to get outside to hold them off. Jameson and his crew are five minutes out.” He was looking at Franny and then I was looking at her, too. She was smiling at the show, completely unfazed.

“Five minutes?” I squeaked. That felt like a lifetime. But I could do it. Would have to do it.

His face was grim. “You’ll be okay. Reinforcements are coming.”

I cleared my throat and tried to take one breath slowly so that I didn’t scream accusations at him. I smoothed the worn fabric of my dress and nodded. “Right. We’ll be fine. Just hurry.”

Another round of gunshots rained overhead, and Archer scrambled out quickly. The last I heard from him was, “Five minutes, Ms. Darling. If I don’t hold them, you better.”

I SHOVED THE LOCK as hard as I could right as Archer closed the floorboards over us. The clicking of metal seemed so secure and final, but the sound of guns firing didn’t leave me with much reassurance.

Hurrying over, I sat down by Franny, who was already deep into a show. She glanced up at me as I folded my hands in my lap. They were shaking uncontrollably, and I didn’t want her to see.

Still, she leaned in and grabbed one before she spoke loudly over her headphones. “Don’t worry, Ms. Darling. Daddy will find us. Right? He doesn’t like games, but he’s great at hide-and-seek.”

I nodded while she kept rambling on like any seven-year-old would, wanting to share all the information.

“Did you know my daddy’s a doctor? He always saves good guys. The bad guys are the only ones that should be worried.”

“Of course, of course,” I agreed while I patted her little hand. I wasn’t going to disagree with a second grader right then, but there was no way her dad was a doctor. Unless it was for the cartel or something.

Jesus. What if he was in the cartel?

I took a deep breath and pointed to her tablet, trying to get her to focus on that. She was the child, I was the adult. I had to shield her from whatever this was. Her gaze shifted, and I was able to look behind her at the security camera feeds.

I’ll admit, for the past few years, I was voluntarily sheltered. Maybe even abnormally so. My parents were still married, living their best life in the small town I grew up in. Not that I wanted to go back there or that I would talk to them if I did. My older sister knew why I left and why I couldn’t come back.

Her and my parents. But my parents had stopped listening a long time ago, and even still, I tried to make them proud by Bubble Wrapping my life and living out my days watering my plants with not even a pet to commit to and a career that was a safe and noble profession. At least that was what my advisor told me.

Kids couldn’t be monsters, right? Yet, I forgot that parents could be and would be. It was really the only reason I took this job. The public schools weren’t going to have me back any time soon after what had happened.

This job may have been a little different with the abundance of background checks done before I started. Yet, the summer salary was good, good enough that maybe I’d have enough to tide me over for a year and even help my sister out if she ever chose to leave her mess of a husband.

It was supposed to be an easy summer job.

Instead, I was committing to a heart-in-pinkie promise, locked away in a panic room while I watched security feeds, hoping no bad guys would come for us.

One camera showed the horizon we’d been looking at out front. The driveway now had more SUVs flying down it. I squinted and hoped they were Jameson’s. Even if they were, I didn’t know if they’d be fast enough for the yelling I heard above us.

There was thumping of footsteps before I saw one man fly into view, weapon raised as if he were ready to shoot at anything. His boots sounded heavy and large, like he could crush our little panic room below.

Then, Franny giggled at her show. I swung my gaze to a small air vent and then the screen. My breath caught as I winced at him stopping suddenly. And my heart jumped into my throat when his boot thumped one step toward us. As quietly as I could, I tapped her shoulder and put my finger to her mouth, signaling to be quiet.

She shrugged and looked back at the cartoon while I stared at the monitor, stared at that large man with a mask on. I was still staring when I heard a small, almost soft thwack, then his whole body crumpled to the ground.

I frowned at the screen and saw that behind a couch, Archer had hidden. He now looked like a man trained to kill rather than talk sweetly to a child. He didn’t move an inch as he waited for the second and third men to enter the room.

None of them he had to touch. He dropped them with the same precise aim. The blood splattering onto the camera lens only looked a dark gray, the black-and-white screen shielding me from the brutal scene.

Archer didn’t drop the fourth man as quickly. He waited, like he didn’t want to kill him immediately. The popping of bullets sounded in the distance, but Archer wasn’t using his gun now. He waited and waited until the fourth masked man walked near his couch, and then he lunged for his weapon. They both fell to the floor, grappling right above our heads.

I glanced at Franny, but those headphones must have been the best soundproof, noise-cancelling kind since she was still smiling.

And just as that masked man was disarmed, Jameson Knight walked into the camera’s view.

I heard his muffled voice talking to Archer and the man as he unbuttoned his navy suit jacket. He placed his jacket on the couch before he took his time folding up each cuff of his white collared shirt, one fold perfectly bending into place before he started on the next. “Who do you work for?” he asked the man.

The man shook his head even with Archer holding a gun to him. Jameson motioned for Archer to lower his weapon, and as he did, Jameson pulled a knife from his pocket at the same time.

“This is my daughter’s school. The only person I care about. You get that?” He stepped close to the man and pulled the mask from his face. “Did you come for her?” he asked.

The man’s eyes widened, but he didn’t admit to anything.

Jameson was professional and cold, but I knew how he was genuinely kind to his daughter. There was no way he would hurt this man, I told myself.

Yet, he murmured one more sentence I couldn’t make out before he shoved the knife into the man’s stomach and then wrenched it up toward his throat so hard there was no time for the man to reply. He dropped to the floor with another loud thud.

Then, Jameson’s cold gaze turned directly toward a security camera like he was peering into my soul as he unrolled his sleeves and put his navy suit jacket back on. He was covering up the speckles of blood on that white shirt and was careful as he stepped over the bodies. He walked over to the rug and pulled it up. “Unlock the door, Ms. Darling,” I heard from above.

I shouldn’t have hesitated, although my body froze for a second. I was either opening the door to killers or I was staying locked inside.

“Ms. Darling?” I heard again.

All it took was a flick of my wrist to move that metal and for Jameson to lift the floorboards.

Light shone in as he opened the hatch, and Franny peered up, her blue eyes filled with happiness as she said, “Daddy! You found us. Told you he would, Ms. Darling.”

He walked down the steps and knelt at her side, his arms open wide and that smile just for his daughter back on his face. When he looked at me over her shoulder, though, his gaze was cold. “I’m taking Franny outside to her grandma. Archer will escort you out.”

With that, he scooped up Franny and told her to keep watching her tablet. I heard her laugh fading away while I stared at Archer. “I don’t think I should go up there.”

“Just keep your eyes forward, and we’ll get you out of here, okay?”

“No thank you.” I shook my head, but I didn’t have much of a choice as he reached in and grabbed my elbow to yank me up the stairs. I hated that my first instinct was to squeeze my eyes shut, that I didn’t want to see in full color what I’d only seen in black-and-white on a screen.

“Hey, it’s okay. Just …” Archer had that sweet voice again, like he was talking to one of the students. “Focus on what’s outside the window, okay?”

He turned my body toward it and told me I could open my eyes. When I did, I saw a car toppled over in the distance but, more importantly, I saw Franny standing stoically beside an older woman. She wore a black dress, pearls, and sunglasses. Her dark hair was done up in a smooth bun, and she smiled wide at Franny like this was a beautiful day filled with rainbows and sunshine.

“She’s safe and happy, Ms. Darling. You did great. Do you have any belongings upstairs?”

Safe. Happy. Great. Words that couldn’t describe the day at all. “Belongings?” I said as I frowned, not comprehending exactly what he meant. “I mean I have my clothes and a dresser full of things. I have my plants. Ms. Prim needs to be watered daily, and my bonsai finally has decided it likes me.” I stopped myself from going into detail about my plant care routine.

“Do you need to take them all with you?”

“Take with? I’m … no.” I stepped back, glancing around the room. “No. I’m not going anywhere. I need to clean—”

“What’s going on?” Jameson cut me off as he walked back in and frowned.

“She needs a minute.”

Jameson’s jaw popped before he nodded at me. “Do you have important belongings you need upstairs? You don’t have time to dillydally, Ms. Darling. Unless you intend for Franny to witness something she can’t come back from.”

“Can’t come back from?” I said in a high-pitched tone as my eyes jumped around the room, taking in the destruction. “Mr. Knight, I would never intentionally harm Franny.” I breathed out, feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

“I know.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just … We can discuss everything later, okay? We have about eight minutes until four more SUVs come flying up the road. So, I’m trying to be understanding, but we don’t have time for you to go into shock right now. We need to get you out of here.”

I glanced at Archer, and my question sounded shaky even to me. “What if I don’t want to go with you?” He rubbed at that strong jawline of his in irritation. “I have a car. I’ll just go my own way.”

Now, Jameson closed his eyes for a brief moment, like he was actually annoyed with my antics. “You have nowhere to go, Ms. Darling. I know that because you wouldn’t be teaching my daughter if you did. You’re coming with us.” He looked at Archer then and said, “Get her in the vehicle while I grab her things.”

Jameson turned his back on me for a second, and that’s when instinct kicked in. I moved to run away, but Xavier walked in right then, clocked me, and was faster. He raised his gun and pointed directly at me. “Don’t make me shoot you, Darling.”

I gasped and Jameson spun around. “What the fuck are you doing?” He paced toward Xavier, moving directly in front of his gun and pointing his own at the man’s temple. “Don’t threaten my daughter’s favorite fucking teacher. She’s the reason Franny smiles every damn day. You cause her trauma, and I’m gonna kill you. Understand?”

“Jesus Christ. We don’t have time for this,” Archer grumbled, stomping toward the stairs and leaving Xavier and Jameson in a stare-off.

Suddenly Jameson’s hand gripped Xavier’s wrist and twisted. The man yelped while his gun fell to the floor. “Stand down, dumbass.”

“Fuck, Jameson,” Xavier bellowed, the grown man kneeling to the floor to alleviate the awkward position of his wrist before Jameson let him go.

“My men think before they pull their weapon. Or I blow their brains out. Understood?”

Xavier winced and nodded immediately. The man was using brute force and everyone was just going to listen to him?

“Search the house and pack up her essentials,” Jameson told him, and I saw Archer pick up the pace as he rounded the corner to go upstairs with Xavier following.

I tried to counter Jameson loudly, though. “Don’t get my things. I’m not going.”

Jameson lifted a dark brow as he turned to face me. “You can’t go off on your own or stay here, Ms. Darling.”

“Actually, I can.” My tone was shaky, but I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to seem confident. “I’m your daughter’s teacher. Nothing to you, nothing to anyone else. Whoever came here doesn’t care about me. He—” I pointed and glanced over at the man lying on the ground. Blood was still spreading across the wood floor, that thick red liquid seeping into the cracks, staining the ground where my students had played just hours before. I whispered, “Oh, God. Should we help him? Aren’t you a doctor of some sort?”

“He’s dead.” He said it with finality, but he also stepped into my line of sight, blocking my view so I couldn’t focus on it longer. “We need to go.”

I closed my eyes, trying to erase the scene from my memory. “They don’t know me. Just let me go, and you’ll never see me again.”

I felt his hand on my cheek, a thumb brushing across my skin. I opened my eyes to see how close he was, to see that his gaze looked concerned rather than annoyed with me now. “That’s the point, Ms. Darling. My daughter and I want to see you again. So you are coming with us.”

I licked my lips to keep them from trembling as I breathed out. “And if I don’t, Mr. Knight?”

He sighed, his jaw ticking as he stepped back, breaking our connection. “You either come willingly or I drag you unwillingly. You understand?”

My eyes were drawn back to the pool of blood as he stepped away. They were stuck on the fact that he’d done that, that my class and summer were now tainted.

I couldn’t go with a man like that. I wouldn’t be forced to stain the sheltered life I’d made for myself.

My body reacted before my brain. I lunged for the back door, ready to sprint to my keys and my car. I wasn’t exactly a runner, but I could move quick enough if my life depended on it. I had a fighting chance, but I only made it three paces before Jameson’s hand was around my neck and he slammed me into the wall.

He’d gone for the most vulnerable part of my body, where he had me at his complete mercy. He moved closer. So close that I had to look up at him, but I could also feel his strong body against mine. “Don’t make me use force, Ms. Darling. It’s something I enjoy too much.”

My breath came fast now, adrenaline going. I watched him glance down, tracked how his gaze lingered on my lips, and wondered if he felt my pulse racing under his hand.

“Seems you might enjoy it too. And this isn’t the place or the time for it.”

He had some audacity to insinuate that right then. “Are you kidding me? I’d never—Let go of me,” I seethed. At that moment, I didn’t care if he killed me, I was so mad. I slapped at his wrist and then said, “I knew you were all corrupt. I should have never taken this job.”

“Too damn bad.” He shrugged like this was a normal conversation, like his hand wasn’t still tight around my windpipe. “Franny loves you. You make her happy, which in turn makes me happy. Know what that means?”

“What?”

“I’m taking you with me, whether you like it or not.”

I narrowed my eyes now, ready to fight. “Want to bet?”

With that, he threw me over his shoulder, literally kicking and screaming. I clawed at his back and fought the whole way. He didn’t falter one step. It was like I was fighting a damn brick wall.

They had me in an SUV to his hometown within minutes.

He’d told me to act right or he’d drug me.

So, I was drugged.

And when I woke in the most beautiful bedroom I’d ever seen, handcuffed to a bed, I screamed like a banshee into the night.

But then Jameson came to the room and leaned against the doorframe. “I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse, Mia Darling. Still, if you do, I promise I’ll let you go. But be aware, they will kill you without my protection.”

THE PROMISE WAS EMPTY, and Mia Darling wasn’t an idiot either. She had to know I wasn’t letting her go. She was an intelligent woman who’d fallen victim to the brutality that was my life.

Or she’d chosen that.

She wasn’t an innocent bystander. The children of the academy, the salary, and the contract she signed when she started made it quite clear she hadn’t just taken a job at a normal school. There were NDAs, protocols, rules she had to agree to.

All completely necessary considering that now, she was a witness. A pretty, sweet witness who I’d tried my best not to notice all summer.

Had I known she was going to give me this much hell, I might have reconsidered bringing her here.

She yanked her wrists against the