Page 67 of Brutal Prince

“Ollie, what’s the time?”

“What’s your password?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“We shouldn’t have secrets from each other,” I half joked, “considering that we’re accomplices in an undercover op.”

“What?” she laughed. “Trust me, I’m not interesting enough to have secrets.”

“I need to know that I have your back fully,” I continued. My tone was jovial, but the meaning behind was deadly serious.

“You have my back,” she swore. “Do I have yours?”

“Right from the start I made a pledge to protect you and I stand by that statement.”

She hesitated and I could feel her drifting away from me. “Good,” she finally said. “Make sure you stick to that.”

“I will. I promise,” pressing my lips against her cool skin, “my redheaded minx.”

THIRTY TWO

Gretta

I’m disappointed by the abruptness of our evening. To prove to you that I did no wrong, I’ve attached footage from my security camera of our date. I hope this is enough to convince you to see me again.

I hesitated before clicking on the link in the email. It was from the man who calls himself Dominus. The man who blatantly dates other women even though the entire state knows he’s dating the senator’s daughter. Am I just another side fling to forget once he’s bored with me?

I clicked on the attachment and watched the whole boring fiasco play out. He helped me undress into a negligee, sweeping his eyes over my nakedness. I expected him to grope my pussy or something else utterly inappropriate; instead he lay me down on the couch and covered my body with a blanket.

I got a little choked up when he stroked my chin gently with the back of hand and smoothed my hair over. It was intimate touching. Soft, gentle. I retraced his touch with my fingers wishing I was awake when he did that. Maybe I was, but was too drunk to remember.

Once he was satisfied I was okay, he took the couch opposite, planted his feet on a leather ottoman and watched TV for a while sipping wine and munching on peanuts.

He did not touch me once sexually.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Was I so undesirable that he didn’t even try to touch my boob or stomach or ass.

Two questions before I decide whether I will see you again.

Does your GF know you see other women?

I take a deep breath to find my nerves, before I write the second question

Why me?

This was all part of the game I was playing. Of course, I’d see him again, because I needed to get damn confessions out of him. I needed to hear from his own lips that he murdered my father and then I will ask why.

Why. Did. You. Kill. My. Father?

The girls in the protection squad know nothing about our history and no nothing about my hidden agenda. I kept this secret close to my chest. I let them believe that I stepped into the dungeon to get Dominus to confess about being the governing force behind the After Dark Club.

It’s going to take a lot of visits for him to confess that to me, however, murdering my father was a different story altogether. He sent me the bullet as a parting gift from room 23. It’s been made crystal clear to me that he knew that I saw him that day.

I was still staring at my screen when his reply came.

We have an arrangement.

You infuriate and excite me in equal amounts.