A Debt Repaid Read online

  The sweet man downstairs who just seems to want to help. A trait you rarely find in the real world anymore. One I’ve come to take for granted.

  But not anymore. I will cherish this … for however long he’ll let me stay.

  Chapter 5

  Easton

  I sit behind my desk, watching the news while I send out texts to various employees. My fingers thrum on the wood as the world goes round and round while I’m still waiting for someone to give me a clue as to her whereabouts.

  I’ve sent out everyone I can spare. They’re all on the lookout scattered across the city in several locations. Hell, I’ve even got people employed all over the country and near the borders as a security measure. None of them have seen a glimpse of her. How hard is it to miss a pink-haired girl as gorgeous as she is? Unless she’s already dyed her hair a different color, but I doubt it, and still … I could pick her out from a crowd.

  If only I knew where to look.

  Jill walks in and places a plate with toast, bacon, and eggs in front of me, but I ignore it.

  “Sir … you have to eat something,” she says, scooting the plate toward me.

  “Not hungry,” I say. Glaring at my laptop, I’m hoping I’ll get an email soon. Anything would be good right now as long as it’s one step closer to finding her.

  My precious fucking princess … I never knew how badly it would affect me to have her disappear. I have to admit I underestimated her growing influence over my sanity. She’s been worming her way into my mind and heart, and now that she’s gone, she left a gaping hole I can’t otherwise fill. Not food, not sex, not even money can make me happy right now.

  Hell, I’d probably trade my soul to get her back.

  Am I that addicted? Yes, though I’d never say that out loud.

  “But you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday,” Jill says, grabbing the plate. “Please?” she begs. “It’d make me very happy.”

  I take a deep breath and stare at her before grabbing a piece of toast, taking a big bite, and then placing it down on the plate again. “There. Happy?”

  She nods and smiles.

  “Can you leave me alone now?”

  The smile disappears from her face. I don’t want to be so mean, and I don’t know why I always have to be. Maybe it’s in my nature. Or maybe I’ve grown into a sadistic asshole over the years. There’s only so much pain the soul can tolerate before it snaps.

  The same must be true for Charlotte.

  Maybe I pushed her too far, and my cruelty made her run away from me. Maybe Jill was right in saying I should’ve been more kind to her. But it’s too late to change what I’ve done now. Charlotte’s gone and so has my will to even fucking eat.

  I look at Jill and grab her hand. “Have you even eaten?”

  “Umm …” Her cheeks flush. “I didn’t want to if you don’t—”

  “Ridiculous,” I reply, releasing her hand. “Go grab some food. Just because I’m not hungry doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself. Go. Eat.”

  “Of course,” Jill says, taking the plate. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

  She hurries off as I simmer in my chair. Fiddling with a pen in my hands, I wonder if I’ll ever see my Charlotte again. I never imagined I’d get so attached to her. But she’s constantly on my mind, and it drives me mad with rage and fear.

  Fear of losing her forever … of her being in someone else’s clutches.

  The thought alone makes me clench my teeth.

  Someone knocks on my door. “If you don’t have anything new to report, I don’t wanna hear it.”

  “Sorry, sir, but I do.” It’s Nick, and I immediately turn around. He has a young adult with him, a boy probably barely of age with red eyes and a puffy face.

  “Who’s this?” I ask.

  “He responded to one of our online alerts. Said he had a tip.”

  “Well, what is it?” I ask as he fiddles with his dirty jacket.

  “Um … the alert said I’d get paid. Is that true?” the guy asks.

  I get up from my chair, still firmly clutching the pen, and point it at him as if it’s some sort of weapon. “Are you sure that’s the first thing you should be asking?” I shove the pen into his chest so hard, it leaves a dent.

  He gulps. “I saw her …”

  “Where?” I say through gritted teeth.

  “At the park,” he says, holding up his hands.

  “What fucking park?” I growl.

  “Vondelpark,” he says hurriedly as though he’s afraid I might puncture his skin with the pen. He isn’t wrong.

  “Well, I saw her lying on a bed in one of the abandoned homes under the bridge first, but she ran away from me.” He shrugs. “I think I accidentally chased her off.”

  “So? Where did she go?” I ask. “Was that it?”

  “No, I found her lying on a bench at the park, so I placed a blanket on top of her. Figured she needed a little help.”

  I pull the pen away and close my eyes for a second. “When was this?”

  “Last night.”

  “And you only came to me now?” I grab his shirt. “Don’t you know how important she is?”

  “Sorry, dude, I didn’t know,” he says, shaking me off. “Besides, I didn’t see any of your alerts on Facebook until this morning.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Facebook, huh?” I mutter. Guess the platform could be of some use to me in spreading the message of her disappearance and for getting tips.

  “Is she still there? Did you keep an eye on her?” I ask him.

  “No, she isn’t. I did come to check on her early in the morning, but she’d already gone off with some other dude.”

  “What?” I make a fist with my hand and grab his shirt again, unable to contain myself. “What dude? What did he look like? Where did they go?”

  “I don’t know, dude. He was black and tall … oh, and he had round glasses. But I don’t know where they went. I didn’t follow them.”

  I growl out loud and release him, then I turn around so I don’t have to look at him any longer. I don’t want to picture any other guy talking to her, let alone touching her. Charlotte is mine, and no one else will take her from me.

  “Can I get my reward now?” the guy says.

  I blow out a breath through my mouth. Then I snap my fingers.

  Nick fishes some money from his pocket and hands it to the guy.

  “Now leave,” I say, and the guy immediately runs off. “Nick, check that he’s gone. I don’t want him sniffing around the property.”

  “Got it,” Nick says and turns to follow him, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

  I can’t believe some other asshole picked her up and took her with him. I have to find out where they are … if they’re in his home. Just the thought makes my blood boil.

  But maybe he’s only offering her a place to stay without being intrusive. For his sake, I hope he isn’t. No one else but me touches her, and if he does … I’ll make sure he pays.

  * * *

  Charlotte

  “Well … go on. Take a look,” Deion says as he points at the tiny stairs he pulled out of the ceiling. Yikes. Do I dare to go up that thing? What if it breaks while I’m climbing? I don’t even wanna think about it.

  “I’ll go first then,” Deion says, and he goes up the creaky vertical steps as though it’s nothing. I can’t just stay down here while he goes up there to show me something, so I follow him. My legs tremble a little, but I ignore it as I climb up to where he is. He grabs my hand to help me up onto the hardwood floor. In front of me is a small room, both sides following the pitch of the roof. It’s impossible to walk there, but there’s enough room in the middle for a bed frame and mattress, a comfy chair, and a small cabinet for clothes.

  “If you want, you can have it.”

  “What? The room?” I mutter, alternating looks between the bed and him.

  “Yeah, for a little while,” he says.

  “But … I don’t …
”

  “Don’t talk to me about payment, Charlotte,” he says, cocking his head. “I don’t wanna hear it.”

  I don’t even know what to say to this. “So I can stay here for free?”

  “As long as you need to,” he says, nodding. “I know you’re in a rough spot right now, and even though I won’t ask, I’m not gonna put you out on the streets like that either.”

  Tears well up in my eyes, but instead of letting them run, I wrap my arms around him and hug him tight. “Thank you,” I whisper. My head rises, and when our eyes meet, the sudden realization that I have my arms around this man hits me so hard that I immediately pull back and clear my throat. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he says, smiling. “But I’m glad you like it.”

  “It’s perfect,” I reply, walking around the room and running my fingers along the bed. The fabric is so soft, and this room feels as cozy as the whole house. It’s not warm up here, but these thick blankets will definitely help.

  “I know it’s probably not what you’re used to, but it’ll have to do. This is the only other bed I have.”

  “Used to?” My brows furrow.

  “Well, I mean, that dress you were wearing was expensive, so I figured …” He sighs out loud. “I assumed, and that was dumb.”

  “It’s fine,” I say, the left corner of my lip tipping up. “But I didn’t buy that dress.”

  “Right.” He scratches the back of his head. “You’re not some dangerous criminal, right?”

  For a second there, I’m flabbergasted, but then he bursts out into laughter and points at me with both hands. “Just kidding! You should’ve seen your face.”

  I shake my head. “A real jokester, I see.”

  “Can’t help it.” He shrugs and winks at the same time. “Truly, I honestly don’t care where you came from or what you were doing out on the streets. As long as you’re chill and you don’t steal from me, I’m good.”

  “I won’t.” I hold up my hands. “Promise.”

  He smiles with shimmering teeth. “Good.”

  “So do you always take in homeless girls?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Not always … just the pretty ones.” He licks his lip and winks again, and then turns around and goes down the stairs again. “I’m gonna go out for a moment. You’ll be okay, won’t you? Feel free to make yourself at home.”

  “Got it,” I say, waving when he does.

  When he’s gone, I lie down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. There’s a window right above me, and I lean up to touch the sky. It’s as though I can hold the entire world in my palm. All I need to do is take it.

  But do I want to leave this comfy room, this nice little home, for the unpredictable, savage outside world? Anyone could take advantage of me there and make me do things I don’t want to in exchange for simple things such as food, water, or even clothes.

  Deion doesn’t do that. Not once has he asked for anything since he brought me to his home. As though I was a damsel in distress he needed to rescue. And honestly, it felt nice to be helped even though it’s far from the life I’m used to.

  I don’t mind … this tiny home has its own charm with lots of memories etched into the wood. Even right here, where I’m lying, someone has scratched a name into the boards. “Ashanti,” I murmur, touching the letters.

  Cute name. I wonder who it is. Does she live here too? Or was she the owner of this house before Deion?

  Not that it matters. I don’t need to know everything there is to know about him today. I’m already happy he gave me food and a place to stay. That’s all I could ever ask from someone, and right now, that’s enough. I don’t need anything else for now. I’m content where I am, so I’m going to enjoy this house and Deion’s kindness for a little longer.

  Chapter 6

  Charlotte

  A few hours later, I wake up to the sound of a door slamming. I sit up straight in the bed and only then do I remember I’m in Deion’s house and not Easton’s. My heart did a somersault, and now it’s back to normal … but for some reason, I’m still on edge.

  I push the blanket off me and get up to peer down the staircase opening. Should I pull it up and close the hatch, pretend I’m not here? I don’t know who just came in. It could be anyone. For all I know, it could be Easton searching for me. If he finds me here, he’ll probably hurt Deion.

  That thought causes shivers to run along my spine.

  No, I won’t let it happen. Besides, Easton doesn’t know where I am. Barely anyone does. I’ve only spoken to two people since I disappeared—one of whom was a drugged-out boy who I didn’t give my name to and bolted away from. So how would Easton ever find me here? Impossible.

  I take a deep breath and then go down the staircase. No point in hanging out in the attic room if someone’s here.

  “Charlotte?” It’s Deion, and a smile appears on my face the moment he peeks up the staircase from the hallway downstairs. “I’m back.”

  “Hi,” I reply, grabbing the tiny stairs and pushing them up because it’s blocking the rest of the doors, including the bathroom. I close the hatch and pull down the pullover that somehow made its way up my neck.

  “I brought lunch!” Deion calls out from the kitchen.

  I go downstairs, but on the way, I pause and stare at the pink boots by the doorway.

  What the …?

  I don’t recall Deion wearing those. Or him having such small feet.

  Do we have another visitor?

  I go farther down the stairs, toward the fishy scent coming from the kitchen. My breath falters a bit when I spot the little girl sitting at the table. She smiles when she sees me, and her frizzy hair bounces a little as she waves. “Hey, Charlotte!”

  She pronounces my name in such a strange way with the emphasis on the o and the t … but I like it.

  Deion makes a face and gives me an awkward smile. “I’ve got fish, want some?”

  “Um … sure,” I say, still clutching the doorjamb.

  “Ashanti, pak eens een bord,” Deion says.

  Ashanti … why does that sound familiar?

  The little girl immediately runs to the cupboards and grabs another plate and a glass of water, which she places on the table right beside her plate. “Kom bij mij zitten,” she says, patting the chair.

  “What is she saying?” I ask, confused.

  “She wants you to sit with her,” Deion explains, smiling. He glances at her as one would look at his most prized possession. The same way Easton would look at me. Is she his … daughter?

  I do what she asks, albeit with a little hesitation. Deion throws some fried fish on my plate, and says, “Kibbeling.”

  “What?”

  “That’s what it’s called. It’s fried codfish. You eat it with garlic sauce.” He grabs a clear plastic cup that contains a white sauce and places it down in front of me. “Here, try it. It’s delicious.”

  “Thanks,” I say, and I pour some on the fish and take a bite. “Mmm …”

  “Good, right?” Deion says.

  “Mijn favoriet!” the girl says, and she stands up straight while stirring the fish through the cup.

  “Ashanti …” Deion sighs, tugging at her arm. “Zitten als je eet.”

  I can barely understand what they’re saying, but I won’t ask them to speak English either. This is their home, after all, and I’m only a guest. And a happy one too because this fish is delicious.

  “Ashanti, als je wil, kun je je Engels oefenen,” Deion says. “Charlotte spreekt alleen Engels.”

  “English?” Ashanti mumbles, gazing at me as though I’m an alien. “Okay!”

  “I told her she can try out her English skills with you,” Deion tells me, winking. “So help a girl out.”

  I grin. He’s only trying to make it easier for me, but he’s pretending it’s for her. Cute.

  “I can speak English,” Ashanti says. “Good, huh?”

  “Awesome,” I say. “Because I don’t understand a word of Dutch.”r />
  Both of them laugh now.

  “What? It’s the truth,” I say.

  “So you’re not from here?” Ashanti asks.

  “Nope. America,” I reply.

  She plays with her fish. “But what are you doing here?”

  What a curious little thing. And unfortunately, it’s now piqued Deion’s curiosity too.

  “I was here for … a man.” It’s not safe to mention the debt. It could get me into trouble. But I don’t want to lie either. Not when Deion’s been so kind to me.

  “A man? And he left you out on the streets?” Deion raises his brow. “That’s no man in my books.”

  “Exactly!” Ashanti says, chewing with her mouth wide open.

  “Ashanti, mond dicht als je eet,” Deion says, and the girl immediately shuts her mouth. “Sorry, I’m still trying to teach her manners,” Deion tells me, swinging his fork. “But I bet you know how hard that is.”

  “Actually, no,” I say, stuffing a piece of delicious fried Kibbeling into my mouth. “I don’t have kids.”

  “Hmm … interesting,” he says, taking a bite too while gazing at me as though I gave away crucial information. But none of this will reveal who I am or where I came from.

  “Do you want kids?” Ashanti asks point blank.

  I’m a little flabbergasted with my jaw practically hanging on the table right now. “I … I—”

  “Ashanti,” Deion grumbles. “That’s rude.”

  “Rude?” She glances at him.

  “Ja. Te direct.”

  “Oh,” she says. “I just want to know.”

  “Maybe someday,” I reply because I don’t want them to argue over something like this. “But right now, I don’t know.”

  “Don’t feel pressured to answer her questions,” he says. “She’s a little too curious sometimes.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” I say with a wink, and he smiles.

  “Do you have any family?” Ashanti asks.