The Debt

5) Deal

  I can't let myself mess this up.

  But damn, I really hate not knowing what's going on behind me.

  "Soña Grace," she repeated, and I'll be honest, the way it rolled off her tongue made me jealous that I didn't sound like that when I say it.

"I'm gonna be honest with you Soña."

Oh lord.

"You need a little work on answering questions correctly the first time," she told me coldly as her hands drew lower on me. "But luckily for you," her left hand landed on my ass with a loud smack.

  I couldn't hold back the gasp that came out of my mouth along with the flinch.

  She appeared over my right shoulder with a side of her lips quirked. "You have other redeeming assets."

I swallowed my pride but didn't hold back much on my sour face when I turned to her and gritted out, "Why thank you."

Oddly, her smile grew.

Well, okay then.

"So," she started as she leisurely walked in front of me, "you're asking to become my bitch?" She asked with a sparkle of entertainment in her eye. "That's the only service I can imagine you being any good at here."

Well I'm glad I'm entertaining you, I thought begrudgingly.

"I can do other things —"

"I'm not interested in your other things," she cut me off blankly. "I'm interested in if you can follow orders, directions, do as I say no matter what the task," she listed off with a raised eyebrow, "because that's the only way you're going to be allowed to stick around here."

I swallowed, yet again, "I'm desperate to keep my dad and I alive." I paused. "I'll do anything."

This time, both the corners of her lips rose, "So you're willing to do anything I want?"

"To save my dad," I took a deep breath. "Yes."

  She gazed down at me, doing her soul staring thing again.

  I tried my hardest not to look away, to meet her gaze head on.

  . . . Or should I look away? Is she gonna take this as a challenge?

  Not like a don't blink challenge(which I am the champion of), but like a you don't scare me challenge, which she most certainly does.

  I just don't know if she's gonna be impressed that I can meet her gaze, or pissed off, so I did the best of both worlds.

  I stared back at her head on and made sure the girl she saw behind my eyes was a strong one.

  Then a few seconds in I broke eye contact and looked down, just in case admission of defeat was what she was looking for, or something.

  "Sunshine," she said darkly, contrasting the nickname she gave me, "if I didn't wanna see your face, I'd have you turn around."

  "Oh," I said dumbly and popped my head back up.

Her hand came up to my face and I had to clench my fists to keep from leaning away.

She probably wouldn't take well to that.

So I bit my tongue and stood still as she grabbed my jaw and observed me. Her hold was surprisingly gentle. . . But still, I don't plan on making the mistake of testing how fast it can change.

She looked into my eyes a lot, so it helped keep my mind off the insecurities, but my stomach wouldn't stop turning, nevertheless.

She sighed and brought my face closer to her, "You've got a lot to learn, Sunshine —"