if you think for one second

small girls to raise on his own and now, Gerald

e all die. Simple as t

your mistakes! I'll take B

r father. You can't take her anywher

n't because he wasn't capable of it. She had picked him up from the police station after many bar fights often e

I want, too. Britney has a better chance than us to get out of this shit hole. She can make something of herself. But you, Layla... Y

ed in he

d had sliced her open and pou

ult is that?"

u would have found a way," Gerald snarled. "Besides, you look just like you

ga

ars fell to her cheeks, but she angrily wiped them away. She wouldn't let her father ruin their

she had to. It wouldn't be the first

t at least Brit could stil

wall. She pushed one of the square panels on the wall until it shi

hen n

nothing in

r emergency f

he door. She wrenched the door open with force and marc

it?" she

disinterest as he sipped a fresh beer. As if they hadn

ey?" she asked,

ir. That jar was everything. All their hopes and dreams for the future. All their proble

r and then glanced away again. But t

ething the first time

he debris from the broken table, tears filling her eyes again as she looked at the man who could so casually t

meant anything to Gerald si

stood up. "I will help you pay him back with money, n

lp me? You earn pean

say for you. Get a job and learn some prin

was a skill she had learned too early in her life so she could function. Her father would always be a disappoi

illed her when she considered it a little longer than s

to ask for more

k!

ouse without another word to her father. Being late woul

e'd changed into her uniform and work shoes, she was confident she could get away with this if no one saw her. But as

econd time thi

r and she'd had to take a bus. She'd forgotten about that.

s Roberts. I had a

er you want, but the world doesn't revolve around you," Andrea said as she pulled a notepad from he

dre

you're only twenty-one, Layla, but you must

some time to cool off and tried at the end of the day. If that didn't work, going over Andrea's head to ask the manager

g to find a solution. What kind of man would think selling their child was the best way out of their problems? What kind of man would demand that of somebody e

ranger had made the ridiculous request. There was too much to worry about that she ha

r body started to

he unlocked the door, pushed her cart in, and had to stop and squeeze her thighs together when

looked like. She'd only seen him for minutes,

o get over it

lled out in case the t

e still in bed

r man's eyes out took her over.

the day before, but it hadn't bothered her much until she walked into the penthouse suite.

eat were pouring down her face. Her uniform was beyond saving. I

er behind her and then the sunken tub. What she wouldn't give to soak in a cool bath or stand under a cool spray.

dn't help much, either. She was on fire, and nothing would put the flames out. She wet the towel again as she

r body started to behave. If the heatwave did

ng she could do about her sweaty uniform. At least she was invisible to the guests. All the cli

d used and walked out of the

tting when she'd first seen him, so she hadn't realized how tal

hadn't just spent all her allo

s his default expression. Maybe rich people looked at others like that because they assumed someone would ask them for money

e and overwhelming at the same time. Her body hummed with a need that shocked her with its intensit

standing there? Mo

x-On-Legs' boyfriend was standing next to him, and he looked at her just as coldl

ew the consequences would be even more sign

nued, looking at her from top to bottom. "

ger in them almost knocked her back. Was he up

f up," the sex

voice

something that would get her fired or arre

s breathing through his mouth, and his chest rose and fell as if he'

yours

-addled brain like a bucket o

oned it to cool down. Everything was on display! She was

and turned around. Her face heated, and

udging by this warm welcome, I t