Free Maid For The Tycoon: A BWWM Billionaire Romance by Lacey Legend Page B

book.”
    “That ain’t your business, girl. Your business is to study hard, stay afloat and do something with your life. You keep doing that I won’t break my promise to you.”
    Jenna felt a tear at the corner of her eye. She missed Leon. She loved him, but she wasn’t in love him. She just loved the way he cared about her. The way he saw the best in her. That he thought she’d have a better chance in life if he was absent from hers forever.
    “I’ll keep doing that,” she assured him. “And you’ll keep your promise to me.”
    “I will. I’ll be out of here soon enough. Finished up my apprenticeship in here so I can get myself a proper job with a steady wage and work my way up. Keep my head down and my nose clean and you won’t ever find yourself near one of these places again. You won’t have to hear any stories round the neighborhood about me becoming a regular visitor of these kinds of facilities.”
    “That sounds fine.”
    “You gotta work hard too, Jen. Do your best to stop kids like me picking this route in life. Then everything will have been worth it, right?”
    She nodded.
    “I told you what I thought you should know about this prissy Brit. You oughta know what game he’s playing at, and those kinds of stunts can only come from a man with a plan. Be aware. Get yourself out of here now. Scoot, girl.”
    Before he could stop her, Jenna leaned over and kissed his forehead chastely.
    “It wasn’t all bad, was it, Leon?”
    “Jenna, when we were little, too young to know how poor we were, too silly to know what we were missing out on, we had the best time ever. Trouble is people like us don’t get to keep their childhoods. Father’s walking out, drink and drug habits rife in the family, scrounging for food and money – you can’t keep your innocence in that environment.
    I thought crime was the way out. Seemed joining a gang was a quick fix. Thought it’d get us the best in life. Didn’t get us anywhere. You saved my life though, Jen. I was busy trying to play the big man to look after you and I didn’t realize you were looking after yourself. You had your head buried in a book. I thought you may as well have had your head in the clouds. You picked the hard path, but it’s getting you to a better place and for what it’s worth – you saved my life, Jenna. I can follow your example. Took me longer, but I see yours is the right way, the best way. I’m proud I know you.”
    Jenna screwed her eyes tight, knowing it’d stop the waterfall of tears.
    “But Jen,” started Leon as she made her way to the exit door.“It definitely wasn’t all bad. When we were little kids, we had the best time ever and growing up with you was a privilege. Took it for granted at the time, but those memories are the best for me. You make better memories now, even if it is with some wealthy white boy.”
    Going through the mundane process of pat downs, security checks, retrieving personal goods and signing out, when she finally stepped out into the light Jenna could feel the sun on her skin and see the beautiful brilliant blue of the sky.
    She had got out. She’d got out on her own and she was proud of the woman she was.
    *
    Jenna groaned as she approached the Supreme Cleaning Services building. Her rucksack was weighing her down and Zada was less than impressed being carted round New York in a rickety red pram in the rush hour.
    “I’m sorry, baby girl,” she apologized as she used the fob to open the main entrance to the building. Immediately as she was on the premises, the security alarm started. Zada was screaming. Jenna was punching the code into the panel. It mightn’t silence Zada, but at least it did halt the siren. She sat on the stairs, close to Zada’s pram.
    “I’m really hoping this won’t be forever, angel,” she cooed. Rocking the pram a bit, Zada’s cries softened to whimpers.
    “Shall Aunty Jenna start from the top down or work her way bottom up,” voiced Jenna aloud.
    The quiet of