WORK FOR ME

Cassandra was caught between two men whom she didn't want to provoke. She was sure that Apollo would retaliate if Eros did something to her and that would be the end of everything. Apollo was no match for Eros when it comes to violence. If he ever finds out that Apollo was there in disguise, he will kill both of them and rip their flesh from their bones, so she was going to keep it cool with Eros, at least now, she has something to live for. At least she was sure of one thing now, Eros won't force himself on her if she didn't want anything, Lucia was right about that.

They followed Bully to the dining where the table was set for two, Eros was already there seated, stalking her with his grey eyes that reminded her of the sky. She didn't hide the surprise on her face, and she looked at Apollo, his face was expressionless, she hopes he doesn't make a fuss about this later.

"Sit," Eros said with authority, waving her to the chair opposite him.

Cassandra obeyed without hesitation. She flopped down on the seat and waited for the next command. Apollo and Bully stood silently behind her.

"You may leave us alone," Eros said to them. "I want some privacy."

"Yes, sir." The men turned and left.

Cassandra hid her quivering hands under the table so that Eros won't see them. They were not quivering because she was really scared but she was thinking about what he was trying to do. Eros' gaze was boring holes in her forehead, but her eyes remained on the plate of food in front of her.

"Eat your food before it gets cold," he said, but she shook her head. "What? You don't like the food? I could tell them to prepare something you like."

What was going on? What game was he playing now? "I can't eat with you." Her voice came out in a whisper.

"Why? You know they taught us table manners when we were younger, they said we should not speak while eating but I found out that the most interesting discussions are held over meals." Cassandra said nothing to that, her eyes remained on the plate in front of her. "Meet my gaze."

It was a command Cassandra obeyed by impulse. She looked into his grey eyes, and they held a lot of questions.

"I have some questions for you, but I won't be comfortable asking them if you don't eat."

"What do you want from me?" Cassandra managed.

"I want your body; I want you to be mine." His answer was raw and careless. He knew what he wanted from her, but she didn't want the same thing.

"Am I allowed to ask questions?"

"That is why I set up breakfast."

"What if I don't want the same thing?"

"Why? You don't find me attractive?"

That was it. He thought everything was about his build, physique, or wealth. "No..."

"Or you think I can't pay you enough to be my whore?" he interrupted.

Anger and embarrassment warred inside her, but she bit her lower lip to push down the anger. These were slippery grounds and she needed to tread carefully. "I am not a whore... I can work, I can work my ass off and pay you back every dime my father took from you, I promise."

He cut into the meat on his plate in a way that told Cassandra that he was trying to control his anger. "How long will it take you to pay me back every dime and the interest?" he spoke finally after some seconds of silence.

"Honestly, I don't know, I don't know how much my dad borrowed from you, but I am willing to pay you all of them, I promise I won't run away."

"Work for me then," he blurted.

She looked at him with wide eyes, was he offering her a job? But she knew the kind of jobs his kind offers. She didn't know the luck that brought her this far, but she was going to push it one more time. "I can't do the kind of jobs you want me to do..."

He dropped the cutleries on the plate, and they made a noise that made Cassandra jump. Now she has provoked him. He ran his fingers through his hair and huffed. "Cassandra, you are driving me crazy. What do you want?"

That question came out of frustration than anger.

"I want to work, but I don't want to sleep with men to get the money, I don't want to go... I want to be free; I don't want dangerous work. I can work decently, I can mop floors, serve at a restaurant, and do a lot of odd jobs to get the money to pay you back."

"Then mop my floors."

"What?"

"You want to mop floors and do those menial jobs to get paid, you can mop all the floors in this whole mansion," he spat. He was angry but he didn't want to channel it to her anymore.

The door flung open, interrupting them. Dimitra and Javier walked in; Dimitra looked from Eros to Cassandra as she walked in.

"What do you want?" he asked them, his hold on the glass of juice tightening.

"We got a call from those clients," Javier began walking up to them. "They weren't sure you and Dimitra were a couple..."

"Javier, no business talks when I am having breakfast, get out!"

"Alright." Javier raised his hands in surrender and started walking out.

Dimitra stood behind a chair adjacent to Eros and glared at Cassandra who tilted her chin and kept her eyes focused on Eros to spite Dimitra. She could lower her head and gaze at Eros, but not Dimitra. Eros looked at Dimitra.

"And you, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need to speak with you."

"I am busy, can't you see that?"

"You are busy with a slave?"

"Dimitra, she is my guest, now leave, I want some privacy."

"We need to bond for tonight's appearance..."

"I said leave, or do you want me to throw you out?"

Dimitra glared at him for a moment and turned to Cassandra who still looked unruffled by her presence. Cassandra has never been a loser anyway. When she was done eyeing Cassandra, she stomped out of the room, her heels clicking on the floor, she opened the door and banged it so hard when she left that it shook on its hinges. When she was out of the room, Cassandra looked away from Eros, whose eyes have returned to watching her.

"I..."

"Eat," was all he said.

She slowly picked up the fork and the knife and started to eat. They ate the rest of breakfast in silence. Eros left after he ate without speaking a word to her. Immediately after he left, Apollo came in and waited for her to finish up. They went back to the room that Eros has confined her to.

"What did he say this time?" Apollo demanded once they were in the room.

"He wants me to work for him."

"What did you say?" Apollo sat at the window. He didn't want to seat near Cassandra because Eros has ordered that the door to the room should remain unlocked, except when he went out of the room. Eros could barge into the room at any time.

"I told him I can't..."

"You did what?" Apollo cut her.

She was confused. What was wrong with him? Was she supposed to work as his whore? "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Apollo jumped down from the window and walked up to Cassandra. "Are you so dumb or do you just enjoy staying here? That man has his eyes on you, and you know that."

Cassandra's brows furrowed. "Okay, first, I am not dumb, if I was, I would have spread my legs wide open for him to enter, and what do you mean he has eyes on me?"

"Come on, Cassie, don't tell me you don't see the way he looks at you?"

"He wants my body, Apollo, he is lusting after me."

"Of course, he is. You can grab this opportunity, take advantage of this."

"Apollo, the plan was to find out ways to get out of here, what is all this?"

"So, you don't know f*cking him is gonna be an easier way? Look, dear, there is a thin line between lust and love, and I don't think that guy only wants to sleep with you. There are tons of girls throwing themselves at him, but he wants you. Make him fall in love with you, a man is always foolish when he is in love, when he is deep, we can attack."

"Attack? Apollo, we are just planning to escape."

"Do you think he will stop looking for you? A man like Eros will chase you to the end of the earth, so the best thing to do is to get rid of him."

"Apollo."

"Come on, Cassie, he killed your father.

That was a great reminder but how would she even look at him and let him touch her when she would always have it at the back of her mind that he killed her father? How was she going to pretend to feel anything for him apart from hatred?

"This is ridiculous," she said and relaxed on the chair.