Broken Beauty - Stella Andrews Page 0,2

doing my job and I am so done with the lot of them. However, unlike the girl I just babysat, this one is all woman and the man inside me appreciates every fine curve of a body that’s been created to ruin men everywhere. I loved the way her chest heaved and her breath hitched as she trembled against me. The cool edge to her eyes intrigued me and her blank expression told me more than she realized. I wonder why she’s here?

Thinking about the past month makes me feel frustrated all over again. Ryder sent me to protect a politician’s daughter who was receiving death threats in the mail. I followed her around and chased up every lead until I found the people responsible. Kids, stupid fucking kids who thought they could get away with blackmail and take the easy road in life. Students at the university she went to and no match for me. Well, they are now facing jail and I’m off the hook. I arrived home late last night and crawled to my pit, glad to be home. The early morning run is my usual stress reliever, followed by a warm, willing whore to settle the beast inside me. However, this woman is no whore, unlike the ones who sleep within our steel-clad walls. I could tell that the moment I saw those cold eyes staring at me with no spark of interest. Who is she? I feel as if I know her; somehow, she is familiar to me. A nanny, she says, not fucking likely.

We jog into the yard and she places her hands on her knees and gasps for breath, giving me an impressive view to feast my eyes on. As she straightens up, she shakes her head. “Don’t you have clothes?”

Looking down at my bare chest and shorts, I shrug. “Listen, darlin’, I do my own laundry and because I hate it more than anything, I try not to add to the pile. Why, what’s it to you, anyway?”

“Nothing. If you ran naked, it wouldn’t affect me; I just wondered, that’s all.”

I take a moment to picture what she would look like running bare chested through the forest and grin. “You should try it sometime, it’s quite liberating.”

“In your dreams because that’s the only place you’ll ever see my naked body.”

Spinning on her heels, she walks away toward the rear of the compound and I follow her with interest, making her turn and snap, “You don’t have to follow me you know. I can find my own room without a guide.”

“Who said I was following you? I live here too, remember?”

She turns and marches quickly away and I follow, once again appreciating the fine view of her ass until she says over her shoulder, “Stop staring at my ass.”

I say nothing and carry on following until we reach the block where the whores have their rooms and then watch as she punches the code in the door and disappears through it without looking back. Just before it closes Millie heads out and squeals as she sees me. “Maverick, when did you get back?”

She jumps into my arms and as my arms fold around her, she wraps her legs around me and whispers, “I’ve missed you.”

Great, just what I need. Millie has made no secret of her liking for me and yet all I’ve ever done is have sex with her. I’ve never promised her anything but the usual agreement between the Reapers and the many girls who live here, with no strings attached and no commitment needed. Just two people taking comfort from each other when the need arises. So, I set her down gently and say coolly. “Good to see you, darlin’.”

Her face falls as she senses the barriers shutting her out and shrugs. “It’s good to see you, honey. Will you be in the bar later?”

“Not sure.”

Once again, her face falls making me feel like a complete bastard, but it’s how it must be. I’m not here to find love. I’m here to shut it out, and so I nod toward the door. “Who was that, I found her jogging in the woods?”

“Who, Sophia?”

“Yes, what’s her story?”

“She’s been here about a month, not long after you left. The Reapers rescued her from some guy who had her chained to a wall and beat the shit out of her. She won’t talk though. She stays in her room and just runs in her spare time. When she’s not running, she looks after