Heart's Redemption (MxM)

Chapter 2 ~ Sam

As soon as I saw the guy at the bar staring at his untouched food like it was some kind of tragedy, I knew he was the one.

The one who will get me out of this shithole for good.

I can tell at a glance he's got just the kind of pain I need: some sort of hurt that goes deep and that wants to come out in bad ways.

I can work with that.

It was a stroke of luck, finding him, but I guess I'm due some luck, after all.

When I'd overheard Karin drawing up yet another contract for me, only days after I'd finished the last, I knew I had to get away. Or at least try.

I'd left with nothing—just walked away—curious to see how far I'd get before Karin set his dogs on my trail.

Not far, it turns out; but maybe just far enough—if I can only get this guy to take me the rest of the way.

For now, Pax and Roman have pissed off, though I know they're waiting somewhere nearby, ready to take me back as soon as I finish what they think I came here to do. As long as they believe my man here paid the price already, they know better than to interfere.

At the moment, the man in question is perched on the edge of the bed in his crappy motel room, looking tense as a cat in a rising flood. It makes me want to laugh.

"Do you want to call someone?" he asks me, looking at his phone. "One of these national hotline things? Or...your parents, maybe?"

That does make me laugh, and he looks up in surprise, ice-blue eyes startled and wide. He's got a nice face, now that I look at him—a bit like a ginger Chris Hemsworth. Kind of hot, actually. Maybe I can use that, too.

"No," I say, sitting next to him on the bed and shifting closer, putting a bit of purr in my voice. "I don't want to call anyone. There's no one to call for someone like me. I just want to get away from here. Won't you take me with you? I promise I can make it worth your while."

He stands abruptly and moves away from me, running his fingers through his hair and making it stand up in auburn spikes.

"Look, I wanna help," he says. "But I gotta understand what's going on here. You're in trouble, right?"

I nod, making my eyes as big as I can—the little lost kitten look. I smirk to myself as I see it gets him good.

"So who are those guys? Human traffickers? Some sort of prostitution ring?"

I shake my head. I can't lie, but he's so far off the mark I don't have to.

"They work for Karin. He owns me."

"Owns you?" he repeats, looking horrified.

"Well, he thinks he does. He paid my mom good money, after all."

"Oh, God." He covers his mouth with his hand and sits back down on the bed.

I'm kind of gratified by his reactions. Maybe he's not just a damaged tool after all.

"Don't let them take me back there," I beg and reach for his arm, not having to pretend the desperation at all. "Please, I'll do anything you want."

He stands again, almost leaping away from my touch.

"Let's get one thing straight," he says, "because it seems like you can tell I'm not. I don't want anything from you, and I'm sure as hell not into kids."

"Gross, I hope not," I reply, making a face. "I'm older than I look," I add. "I'm almost twenty-one."

In human years, anyway.