Page 13 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride
“Thank you,” I mutter, unsure how to take her compliment.
Upstairs, I open her bedroom door and push her inside. “You’ll stay in here, Belle.” Her room is right down the hall from mine.
It faces the ocean. The entire far wall is glass, endless views. She hurries to admire it and stands there, struck by it for a moment. Morning light is glittering over the ocean. It’s magnificent, peaceful. I’ll never get bored of that view.
But this morning I’m not watching the ocean—I’m watching her, her lips parting and her eyes wide with fascination as she takes it all in. She really is beautiful. When she turns to glance at me over her shoulder, I look away, pretending I was busy with something else.
I pull open one of her closet doors. “Jeans, tracksuits, slacks, dresses, shoes—it’s all in your size.” I close the door and point at the bathroom off the side of the room. “Your own private bathroom. Also stocked. If there is something missing, tell the guard when he brings your food. He will inform me or the housekeeper, and we will arrange to get it for you.”
“I’ve never lived near the ocean before. This is incredible,” she says, still looking at the view.
I knit my brows.Incredible. Why would a prisoner call their prison cellincredible?Again, that suspicion churns.
“I’m glad you like it, because you aren’t allowed to leave this room, Belle. Under no circumstances, unless I am with you. Do you understand?”
She nods, and for a moment I think she’s going to roll her eyes, but she doesn’t. What is it about her? Is she afraid? Why doesn’t it seem like she is?
I hesitate before I leave, standing with my back to her in the open doorway. Shaking my head, I push aside my worries and pull the door closed. It clicks, confirming the lock is engaged. Just to be sure, I wiggle the handle to check it. Locked.
There’s no point in askingherto ease my suspicions abouther. I should instead give Drake a call and see what he has to report since I left Las Vegas. He stayed behind to make sure things were going the way I wanted them to.
I walk away from her door, pulling my phone from my back pocket as I head downstairs to check that the housekeeper is putting together something for Belle to eat. I stole her from her dinner date, and she must be hungry.
In the kitchen, Tamia is making toasted cheese and bacon sandwiches.
“You’ll deliver one to our guest?” I ask.
She nods. “Yes, sir.”
“And you know the rules. Lock the door behind you. And you may as well find out now if she has any dietary preferences that the chef should know about.”
“Yes, sir.”
Satisfied, I dial Drake.
“Drake.”
“Boss. You back in LA? Everything goes okay?” he answers the call in his usual upbeat voice.
“We’re at the mansion. All good. What can you tell me? My suspicions about her being a planted target haven’t gone away. I’m hoping you can clear it up for me.” I’m eager to get right to the point.
“She was really easy to snatch. I know it makes it look suspicious, but nothing points to it being a planned situation on their side. Her brother is in a rage. He’s furious. Panicked. The kind of panic you can’t fake. He’s already started a search, and a lot of the allies are involved. No one has mentioned your name. They’re looking at some enemies from further south. There’s apparently a guy in Phoenix they suspect.”
I chuckle. “That’s good news. Leave two of your men in Las Vegas to keep an ear to the ground; you can come home.”
“I’ll leave tomorrow morning. I want to make sure the team I leave here is fully prepped before I go.”
“Good. See you then.”
It’s better than good news. It’s excellent. He doesn’t even suspect me, which makes this even more fun. It’s his own fault for continuing to underestimate me. He’ll go on a wild goose chase after someone else and come up frustrated. The best thing I can do now is torture him with my silence.
Now, I want food, then a shower, and sleep.
Tamia is no longer in the kitchen, but my toasted sandwich is waiting for me. Extra bacon. Perfect. I eat, leaning against the counter, thinking about the logistics of having Belle in the house. You can’t plan for everything, but I have enough security around to ease my mind.
Shower. Sleep. Your head will be clear after you’ve rested.I walk upstairs, passing her room on the way. The door is closed. It’s quiet inside. Glancing at my watch, I note that it’s almost six. If I can get a few hours’ sleep, I’ll be happy.
The hot shower eases my muscles and relaxes my body.
