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Chapter 12 - Laying the Bet

Chapter 12 - Laying the Bet

“His girlfriend?  Haha very funny Mr C.  That’s not funny.  That’s insane!  You can’t be serious Mr C.?  Me Josh’s girlfriend?  No? No. No!”

Marcus just sat and watched as Patience had her moment of panic.  He smiled and drank his coffee while he waited for her to take a breath.  His eyes met with Josh who was still leaning against the wall.  Josh’s face looked conflicted but he wasn’t going blue like Patience.

“No!  I can’t!  No!  Loyal will kill us.  It wouldn’t be right.  I don’t... I can’t...”  Patience finally inhaled, fell into a chair and looked at Marcus with large frightened eyes.

“I will talk to Loyal,” Marcus smiled in a gentle way, “Don’t worry Petal I not suggesting you sleep with my son.  Your virtue is safe.  You do still have your virtue, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Patience said before she realised what he was asking.  Once she did she quickly clamped her mouth shut and blushed. 

“Good, good, then my son will date you, he will treat you like a lady and he will protect you.”

“Protect her?  Protect her from what?” Josh scoffed. “Patience doesn’t need protecting! C’mon dad it’s not like her books are going to come to life and attack her. She’s in no danger...”

“Isn’t she?” Marcus interrupted him without turning his hard eyes from Patience, “I have returned to find her house full of men.  She cares about you enough to defend you but do you care for her enough to defend her?  What have you done to protect her son?”

“Protect her?  Those guys aren’t going to hurt her,” Josh scoffed.

“Hmm,” Marcus tapped on his chin, “I think you are wrong, wrong on a number of counts.  I think that at least one of those men will wound her very deeply if she isn’t cared for.   Isn’t that right Petal?”

“I... I don’t... I don’t know what you are talking about?” Patience stuttered.

“Well since you have been direct with me little Petal, I will return the favour.  I am surprised and quite pleased that you are still a virgin.  Especially considering you are sleeping with one of those men, aren’t you?”

Patience’s mouth dropped open as all the blood in her body pooled at her feet.

“Dad!  Please!  This is Patience we are talking about not Serenity!”

But Marcus kept his cold eyes focused on Patience.

“You can’t lie to me Patience, no one can.  I know.  I must keep my son safe so I keep a close eye on him and his friends.” Marcus raised an eyebrow, “So tell me if you are not having sex with him, what exactly have you been doing with the boy who climbs in your window every night and leaves before dawn?”

“That’s ridiculous!  Patience, tell him that’s ridiculous?”

Patience couldn’t.  She sat there trapped in his eyes.

“Patience, my Petal, I only want to protect you.  Tell me what you have been doing?”

“He just sleeps.” She blurted out, “He just needs a bed while they convert the garage.”

“He... It’s true?” Josh’s voice was quiet.

“Is that what he told you?  Hmm, interesting.  And what do you talk about?”

Patience dropped her eyes to her hands unable to look at both men who were staring at her, “Nothing much, it’s only been two nights and he doesn’t touch me.  He doesn’t like me like that.  It’s just a bed to him.”