Page 82 of Skin Trade

“Oh, indeed she is. Do not think I will forget how you have crossed me with her, but maybe it is better if she knew the truth. She can make her own mind up then.” As if to demonstrate his power. He ran a slow finger down the side of Payton’s face.

Payton tried to move, pushed his hand away. “Like I was saying, Seth here loves science. He is a very clever man, wastes his talents, hides them. Did you know he can speak over ten languages? Can play a number of instruments? What else is there you can do, Seth?”

“Let her go.”

“He’s getting touchy. Doesn’t like it when we highlight his accolades. I wonder if she’ll be interested in your greatest one to date.”

“I am only interested in my father,” Payton said, trying to get herself free. But Alexander had put both hands on her shoulders now. He wasn’t hurting her as he did, but his grip was tight, clear. She wasn’t getting away.

“You want your father, yes we know. I am getting to that part.”

“He’s not here,” Seth said, blurting it out. “Your father isn’t here.”

“Oh, but he is. He’s right here.”

“She doesn’t need to know. Whatever you’re planning with this, you’ll not get what you want.”

“I don’t need to know what?” Like hell she didn’t. If they knew where her father was, then she wanted to know, had a right to know.

“Do you know that Seth specialises in molecular science? Did you know that Payton? He can tell you the breakdown of any living organism there is. How long is it since you’ve practiced? Ten years? Fifteen? The number escapes me. Must be more than that.”

“Stop it. Right now. This has nothing to do with Payton.”

“Really? I thought it had everything to do with Payton. Do you think she’ll want to stay with you when she knows the truth? When I tell her?”

“Tell me what?” This time she did try to move, and Alexander let her. She put herself between them, closer to the desk again. Not Seth. It felt more like a safe base for her to hang onto for whatever it was Alexander wanted Seth to tell her. “Tell me, Seth.”

Alexander laughed, “I should have brought snacks for this.” He closed his eyes, pursed his lips and gave a delighted shake of his head. He was filled with so much cheer it leaked from him. “So, I guess if Seth didn’t tell you the work he did for science, he also didn’t tell you he used to work for your father. Mmhmmm. What do you think about that?”

Chapter Forty-Five

Alexander might as well have thumped Payton in the guts for what it was worth with his words. For a second, her mind couldn’t comprehend what he had told her, but then, when she looked at Seth, there was no denying what Alexander had just said as anything but the truth. He didn’t deny it. Didn’t try to move away or offer her anything that could take away the hurt inside her. He’d betrayed her.

“Is this true?” she asked him, already knowing the answer, but some part of her hoped he’d be able to give a logical explanation. One she hadn’t thought of yet. “Did you work for my father?” A pause. “I don’t understand. When I was looking for him, you asked me who he was. Why I was looking for him. Why did you ask me that if you knew? Was it a lie? A cover?”

“Not like you think,” Seth said, his voice a low warning, but not aimed at her. No. It was aimed at Alexander who was standing behind Payton, no doubt loving every moment of this.

“But you did work for him?”

Seth stared at her, deeper than before, but still with that same cool look he’d given her in the bar kitchen. Something he wasn’t saying. Something he was keeping back and hiding from her. That would be the key to whatever it was she was feeling.

“It was a long time ago,” he said finally.

“But you knew he was my father? When you asked me about him, you knew?”

Seth raised his gaze to Alexander in a none too friendly look, before answering with a slow nod. “Yes. I did.”

He’d never lie to her, that was what he’d said, what he’d promised, and it was true. He hadn’t lied to her. He’d done something far worse than that. At least with a lie it was outright deception, but this … playing with her in this way. It was not okay.

She’d almost forgot Alexander was there, but he patted her shoulder again, clasped his hand down on her again. “My, my. Makes you wonder what else he is hiding, doesn’t it? Like, oh, that one again? What did he do with your father?”

An icy spear in her body.

“Nothing,” Seth said. “He’s playing you.”

“How can I believe that now. How can I--”

“Because you know. Inside you know. I have done nothing to your father.”

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