Page 38 of Pretty Little Threats

“The body,” I prompt. “Don’t you have people to take care of things like this?”

“And why would I have people, Rose?”

My mouth parts, ready to call him a beast again, but the warning look in his gaze is enough to steer me away from that. “Because you’re rich and powerful.”

“In that case, why don’t we call Daddy, hmm?” Dare tugs his phone out of his pocket and taps on the screen a few times, showing me my father’s contact information before hitting the call button.

“What are you doing?” I hiss.

He puts the phone on speaker. The first ring makes my chest clench. The second makes my stomach drop.

That call can’t go through.

Placing my palms on the marble, I start to push myself off the counter—glass-covered floor be damned—but Dare is suddenly there, his giant body preventing me from getting down. Electricity wraps around me, an alluring leash drawing me closer.

Why does he have this effect on me?

I glare up at him, a red flush of anger blooming across my face. He gazes down at me, a keen awareness in his eyes. My reactions are giving him too much power. The phone rings again.

“What do you want?” my dad snaps. The harsh tone makes me flinch. Dare notes the reaction with a simple blink.

“Joseph.” Dare purrs his name. “I want to talk about your daughter.”

I shake my head, grabbing Dare’s arm, pleading with my eyes.Don’t tell him. Please, don’t tell. I’ll do anything, please.I don’t want Dad to see me as anything other than his good daughter.

Dad sighs. “What about her?”

Dare has no heart. No sympathy. He’s going to tell my father that I killed Eric. He’s going to tell Dad that I went behind his back and tried to use my information against Dare. Dad told me to leave it alone, and I didn’t listen.

I kept so many secrets from him.

My mouth parts, ready to cut in, but Dare’s finger presses into my lips, shushing me. The scarred eyebrow twitches. I relent and press my lips closed. With a nod, he ghosts his finger from my mouth, over my cheek, and pushes my hair behind my ear before gripping my chin. When I try to pull away, he holds me in place.

“She was rude at the board meeting,” Dare says.

Scowling at him, I try to convey my hate, but it only makes his smile widen.

“I know. The outburst was unacceptable,” Dad says.

My gaze snaps to the phone, my anger redirected to the man who sent Eric here.

“I want an apology.”

Focus zooming back to Dare, I furrow my brow. An apology? Really.

Dare nods at me, face coming close, fingers tight around my chin.

“She won’t do it again.”

“I don’t care, Joseph. Your daughter insulted me in front of the board.” Dare’s voice has gone dangerously low. His forehead rests against mine, the phone held up beside both of us. “She needs to apologize,” Dare murmurs. His breath washes over my face, minty and warm.

“And I assume you want a public apology?” Dad growls.

Great. Now I’m on his shit list. My eyes burn with shame, and Dare takes it in, his expression unchanging.

“Actually,” he begins, “in private will do.” Brushing his lips over mine, he seals my fate with a threatening kiss. “Monday. In the office.” And then he hangs up and tosses the phone aside, crushing his lips to mine.

I suck in a sharp breath, and he slips his sinful tongue between my lips and kisses me until I moan, falling into thesensations he inspires, but as soon as the sound leaves my chest, he rips his mouth away, leaning back to stare at me.

---