CHAPTER 15

Nicole

I woke up the next morning with a small headache. Yesterday's talk with Shane ran through my mind once again and I swear my head will explode soon with the amount of things I've been thinking lately.

Before I went to bed yesterday, I've made up my mind and I've made my decision.

I'm gonna give this new life a chance. I'm going to try my best to not let this people get to me just because I'm their enemy's daughter and I certainly wont let anything get in my way if I wanted it to happen.

My life is no longer the same anymore so there's no use over thinking about it and I've taught myself to cope with the new changes that's happening right now.

I may have gone through a lot when I first got here, but it had only taught me to become stronger then I was before, and to always keep my guard up.

As I sat there on the bed, staring at the sunlight that's filtering through the curtains, the door burst open causing me to flinch and I stared in shock and annoyance at the person who walked in, ruining my mood early in the morning.

"Rise and shine parish!" I glared at Shane who stood by my doorway wearing sweatpants only and a plain black T-shirt. He looks quite different from the cold jerk who always wears a suit those past couple of days I last saw him.

"Knock much?" He smirked while folding his arms across his chest, making his muscles flex underneath the thin T-shirt he's wearing.

"I don't need to knock darling. This is my house." I rolled my eyes at him while getting out of bed.

"What do you want?" I asked while glancing at him and found his eyes staring at my bare legs that was on full display. I was only wearing shorts and a crop tank top, both bought for me by Sofia.

"Did you barge in my room to just check me out Ryder or you actually have something to say?" He cleared his throat and snapped his eyes back to mine.

"For your first question, I'll never do that in a thousand years, I mean, whats there to check out anyway? For your second question, yes I do have something to say. Get dressed and be downstairs in 10 minutes, since you work for me now, there are some very important people I want to introduce you to."

After saying that, he closed the door behind him and I stared at the door in total confusion and also in irritation.

I don't know why but there's something about Shane Ryder that always got me so tongue tied when he's around me. My comebacks are the only fast things that came out naturally in me, but with Shane around, it took me a whole minute to say something sarcastic or cruel back to him which has never happened to me before.

I think he's starting to have that effect on me and I have no idea why. Fuck you Shane Ryder! Whats his deal anyway?

*******

The living room was crowded with a bunch of people that looks like they just stepped out of a gangster movie. The men has tattoos running all over their arms and the ladies nearly has a piercing somewhere on their body.

Its scary enough that they all look so frightening and dangerous but the tension in the room was the most dangerous out of all.

Shane stood by my side while i stood next to him, in the middle of the room while facing the group of people gathered around us.

"Listen up everybody, I have an important announcement to make. This is Nicole parish. Some of you know her, some of you don't, but the thing is, she's gonna work for me as one of my baiters and I expect all of you to show her the amount of respect that she deserves as a women and get her any help she can get in order to settle in."

Shane spoke with a firm dangerous tone and I caught some of the people in the room glanced at each other before looking back at us. Or rather me.

"Even though she's drake parish's daughter and he's still alive out there, don't worry about any of it cos he's not a threat anymore. Why?" He made eye contact with me and smiled.

"Well his price is here with us, and if he tries anything funny, well he dies. If she tries anything funny, then she dies. No more funny business. That's all everyone. Toby, Sofia, Jeremy, and peter, stay behind for a minute. The rest of you, dismiss." He ordered immediately and the rest of the crowd walked out of the room.

Three guys stayed back with Sofia, who quickly stood by my side and smiled at me.

"Nicole, meet Toby. My head of security and personal bodyguard. He's in charge with my men and their own individual missions and monitor the locations of our targets during the job." The familiar guy that I saw when I was still locked up in the cell, who has the military haircut, stepped up to Shane's side and reached out a hand for me to shake while smiling at me.

"Nice to officially meet you Nicole." I shook his hand.

"Likewise Toby." He stepped back behind Shane after shaking hands with me.

"Jeremy is my man in charge with all our transportation. He's in charge of all our vehicles and decide on which ones we'll be using during missions." I nodded while smiling at the red headed guy who greeted me next.

"Meet peter. Former accountant, he knows his way around the bank and also ATM machines there ever is. A talented thief and a pick pocket genius." A small skinny guy with a snake tattoo on his neck came up to me and I raised a brow at him.

"Well helloooo, foxy." He greeted with a smile and I held back a chuckle. He definitely looks scary and intimidating but a small guy like him doesn't scare me that easily. He looks like Dwayne Johnson's talkative sidekick from that movie Jumanji.

"Leave." Shane said and the three guys immediately left the room.

"Sofia, you'll teach her everything she needs to know about being a baiter and any other important details. She needs to be ready for our next mission." Sofia rolled her eyes.

"A little please would be appreciated." He ignored her and looked at me instead.

"Training starts early tomorrow morning at 6. Be down at the gym early and don't be late." With that being said, he walked out of the room.

"Is he always that bossy?" Sofia chuckled.

"You'll get used to it. Anyway, lets get started shall we?" I glanced at her in confusion.

"On what?" She grins at me.

"On learning to be a baiter." I frowned.

"A what?" She sighs dramatically and pulled me down with her on the couch.

"A baiter is a job and a title around here, given to girls only. Their job is to fish for the target and make sure that they catch your bait, and the guys will handle it from there. Get it? Cos they're baiters?" I slowly shook my head while staring at her as if she's talking in another language.

She sighs again and leaned back on the couch.

"Okay in other words, you'll be distracting our targets and flirts with them and make them feel distracted making sure their attention is on you only. You lure them to the places where you'll take them to and then boom! We got them. Get it now?"

My jaw had dropped to the floor the minute she started saying that I'll be used to flirt with random dangerous people, and my eyes are wide open when her words slowly processed itself in my head.

"I'm gonna be a prostitute?!" She slightly flinched by my sudden rise of tone.

"No Nicole, not a prostitute. A baiter. You're not going to sleep with any of them that's like against the rules of being a baiter. You'll just flirt with them and lure them into our traps. Simple." She explained.

I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed out loud.

"Is there anything else I'll rather be?" She shook her head.

"Nope. Its what Shane whats you to be and there's no changing of his decisions. You don't need to worry though, I'm a baiter too. I'll help you through it all."

Well that's a relief.

At least Sofia is going to help me through this dark version of hell I've just decided to let it be a part of my life now. This is just a start, I can still handle the rest on my own.

If only they weren't so complicated

Hey guys, hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you do, than i would really appreciate if you can pop in a gem for me. It would really mean a lot to me because i would also know that you're enjoy reading what i write.