He knew her name.
“Let’s cut the crap, Drake,” she said.
“No formality with Mr. Eastwood?”
“What do you want?”
“On my last count, your brother owes me close to a quarter mil,” he said. “We can start with that, and I’m being generous without adding interest.”
She had no idea what her brother was doing with so much money. The shop wasn’t even worth that. She closed her eyes as another wave of sickness washed over her.
I can do this. I’m not upset. I’m not going to give in.
“Why would you even loan him the money? What the hell did he want it for?”
“It’s not my place to question the motives of my customers. I merely give them what they want and expect payment in return.”
“Are you stupid?” she asked.
His brow rose.
“There’s no good business sense in loaning out money to anyone who will have it. Nigel couldn’t afford to pay you back.”
“And you think I didn’t know that?” he asked.
Mira closed her mouth and watched Drake in case he did anything. He was a snake back in high school and time hadn’t stopped that viciousness from manifesting. He was even deadlier now.
Drake was rich, powerful, and feared.
She had to be careful.
“If you knew he didn’t have the means to pay, why did you lend it to him?”
“Do you want a drink?” Drake asked.
“Please, you’ve kept me waiting. I don’t want a drink.”
“Business ran on longer than I’d hoped, but as usual, I got what I wanted.” Drake stood and moved toward his drink cabinet in the corner.
She wanted to scream at him, but instead, she kept her calm.
“You know, everyone in this world has desires. They always want something in life that they might not be able to acquire. Some things are valuable and have a cost. I have an abundance of money, but what I want, I can honestly say cannot be bought.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Actually, what I want can be bought, but I like to have my certain brand attached to it.” He smiled, and it wasn’t a nice smile.
“Drake, just tell me what you want. You knew Nigel was my brother. Clearly, you wanted business with me. Stop avoiding. Just tell me what you want. You know I don’t want him to get hurt. Two broken legs is already too much.”
“My men do know how to carry out instructions. I told them to make him hurt.” Drake took his seat once again and continued to stare at her. “You were pretty in high school, but now you’re absolutely stunning.”
Heat filled her cheeks and she licked her dry lips. Compliments were foreign to her. She pushed some of her hair off her face.
“Tell me, Mira, what are you willing to do to save your brother’s life?”
“Anything.”
“You don’t want to take a minute to think about that?” he asked.
“Drake, you don’t have any siblings, so I get that you wouldn’t understand this, but I love my brother. I’ll do whatever it means to keep him safe. What do you want?”
He didn’t answer right away.
She gritted her teeth to keep the begs and pleads inside. This was a nightmare. Nigel’s life hung in the balance. Her brother would be pissed to discover her here, fighting for him, but there was nothing he could say or do that would stop her.
Drake leaned on his elbows, smiling at her. “I want you to carry my child,” he said.
“Excuse me?” She must have misheard him.
“I want a child. An heir. You, Mira, are who I want to fuck to get that. It’s simple, I’ll wipe out all of your brother’s debts. I’ll also take the pawnshop off your hands and even make sure your brother can start a life on his own. In return, you belong to me. Your pussy is mine to fill. I want babies, and I want you to be the mother of my children.”
****
Drake watched Mira’s reaction. On the surface, no one would ever have suspected what she was feeling. It was all in the subtle movements, the slight pinching at the lips, the fiddling with her hands. She wasn’t happy about what he’d asked for.
Out of all the women he’d fucked over the years, Mira was still the most expressive, and he’d never once seen her naked. Their only interaction had been at school, but in those days, he’d lived for each and every confrontation. Where most women threw themselves at his feet, Mira fought him.
She was not easily taken.
Over the years, as he’d built up his empire and his reputation, he’d always come back to thinking about the one who got away.
She was outraged but contained herself.
Clever.
He could have her hurt and no one would touch him. That was the benefit of being who he was.
Tapping his fingers against his thigh, he waited. She was incredibly beautiful, and he couldn’t wait to spread those juicy thighs and taste her sweet cunt. The background search he’d done on her before this meeting hadn’t given too much away. He didn’t know if there was another man in her life, or if anyone had even come close to winning her over. She’d worked so many different jobs that no one knew who the real Mira was.
“You’re crazy,” she said, getting to her feet.
“Am I?”
The moment Nigel had walked into his office asking for money, he’d seen an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. The money was no doubt a bad investment, but it wasn’t enough to make him lose sleep over, especially as it had achieved what he wanted. Mira in his office.
“You want me to have your children?” she asked.
“Yes.” He opened up his jacket and rounded the desk so he stood closer to her. Mira may hate
