Chapter 17 Nikki
“What is it you really want Bronson? You want me to be your charity? You want them to name a damn soup after you because you helped the poor homeless foster girl who can’t even get a high school diploma?”
“Nicole, there is nothing I want with you other than to help you. We do not have to tell anyone. It could be our secret.”
“Oh, so what you’re really after is sex.” I state but he doesn’t flinch. He must have guessed I would make my own assumptions.
“I don’t want sex Nicole. Trust me when I say, I wouldn’t need to bribe a woman in order to get that.”
I believe him. But that doesn’t mean I fully trust him. No one, especially someone as put together and wealthy as Bronson Fortworth, gives up his piece of mind and sanity by allowing a thief to live with him and better herself in the meantime.”
“I really just want to help you.” His words are soft, not hard and professional, but humane and kind. It’s a nice change to his constant need to always have it together.
“Why?”
“You saved my life Nicole and I always repay my debts.” I shake my head, ready to end this game of cat and mouse.
“Look, I’m sure somewhere deep down you really mean those words and want to help me, but it’s all for show. You would always be looking over your shoulder, judging my every move and neither of us need that.” I turn and head for the door intending on just explaining to Mick that the plan wouldn’t work on Bronson when his next words cut me off. I don’t expect them, they aren’t warranted, and if his sole point in all of this was to piss me off, he’s won the jackpot.
“You really enjoy living your life this way?” I turn narrowing my eyes on his attitude.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly what I just said. Do you enjoy living the way you do? Having no real home? Always being on the lookout for someone to scam, someone to steal from. Don’t you feel any sort of guilt for the people that worked for a living just to be able to come home with a small morsel of what they truly deserve.” Guilt rides me hard, but I refuse to let someone like him to dictate what I must do to survive. I’ve always hated what I do, he isn’t wrong about the reasoning, but he is in no position to point the finger.
“Oh, that’s rich.” I state walking closer towards him. My anger now covered with an expanse of guilt. He has no idea how much his words are hitting targets right now. “Coming from someone that has no problem stepping all over other businesses so that he could get more and more rich. You’re not the only one that has done their homework Bronson. I know exactly what kind of business you have and you’re no better than me or my crew.”
“I’ve worked hard for what I have. I didn’t just give up on life simply because my parents died, and I wanted to run away from my problems.”
The moment the words leave his mouth everything in the room changes. I can see the immediate regret in his face. The way his eyes move downcast, the way his jawline gets harder as though he were grinding his teeth with indecision. I don’t say anything, I don’t give him the decency to know that he has indeed destroyed something deep inside of me. For years I have fought to protect my heart from my past, and in minutes he has managed to destroy everything that I have worked for. I don’t tell anyone about my parents, it’s always given people a way to destroy me.
“Nicole, I’m sorry I–"
I turn and walk out of the penthouse, heading right for home.
There is nothing on God’s green Earth that will make me stay with a man like Bronson Fortworth. I don’t care what Mick or Charles or any of the other Bandits say. I can’t stay around a man like that. Someone that looks down on everyone else, someone that throws someone’s past into their faces.
Bronson Fortworth is not for me.
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