Page 107 of Emperor of Corruption
“JesusChrist, Lyra. I’m not a monster, and I’m not father material. Whatever I ask for won’t hurt you or the people you love. Short of that, anything’s on the table. Agreed?”
I feel faintly like I’m making a deal with the devil, but I don’t have the standing to refuse Tommy’s help.Here goes nothing. “Agreed.”
“Good. Listen to me very carefully. You will send both exposés to the email address I’m about to text you. I will take it from there. Unless you tell me to release the exposés or you disappear, they willneversee the light of day.”
I worry my bottom lip. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I’mthatgood,” Tommy says drily. “They’ll be in the most secure digital vault in existence—one that nobody but me knows about. Unless you want them out or you die, they’ll stay there to rot. Oh, and they’ll auto-delete in the case of a breach of my servers.”
I blow out a long breath, nodding even though he can’t see me. “Okay.”
“Okay.Fuck. Can’t believe I’m doing this for a girl who won’t even offer me a quickie.” Tommy’s tone is coated with bone-dry humor. “Send it forward and I’ll take care of the rest. And, Lyra?”
“Tommy?”
“Be careful.Please. You don’t know what you’re up against—even I don’t know all you’re up against, but I can tell you it’s big, and it’s fuckingbad.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Killian
Note to self; put out a hit on any paparazzi members that try to swarm me ever again. I could probably ask Carter to do it—he hates reporters even more than I do, which raises questions regarding his interest in a certain blonde slip of a thing who caught his attention. What was her name—Annabeth? Annalia?
It certainly doesn’t matter. I don’t care what Carter does with What’s-Her-Face, but I will soon be putting out the word that Lyra is officially andpermanentlyoff-limits. Anyone who touches her or evenlooksat her for too long is inviting my wrath… and my wrath destroys lives at best, ends them after months of agony at worst.
After watching my Little Bird fly awayagain, courtesy of the swarm of reporters, I promise myself it’s the last time I’ll let her do such a thing.
I’ve caught her. Soon, I’ll trap her. I’m certain she’ll come to love the comfort of her cage, and themanyfreedoms found within, but it’ll be quite the steep mountain to climb to get her compliance.
Ironically, I can’twaitfor it. Her defiance has always turned me on—imagining the lip she’ll give me once I move her in with me makes my cock stand at attention.
As soon as I manage to shake off the paparazzi and get into my car, Locke glances at me through the rearview mirror. “Sorry about that, boss.”
“Don’t let it happen again,” I warn. Lyra’s tricky and she’s too smart for her own good—she’ll take careful managing and a watchful eye to tame. If Locke proves he’s not up to the task, I have few issues replacing him.
“I didn’t even see her disappear.”
“I don’t even give a fuck,” I snap.
Locke bows his head in acquiescence, accepting his mistake and my reprimand.
“Do you want me to grab her?” he asks mildly.
I think on it for a moment before shaking my head. “No. Give her a final night of freedom.” I can’t imagine she’ll be capable of getting herself into horrible trouble during a single night unsupervised… then again, I’ve underestimated Lyra to my own peril more than once. It’s a mistake I ought to stop repeating. “Wait outside her apartment building to make sure she doesn’t do anything crazy—” her MO, apparently, “—and report back any suspicious activity.”
“You got it. She’s excused from the gala tonight?”
“For the first and last time,” I confirm.
I call Lyra six times before I manage to finally get a hold of her at 8 P.M., when my chauffeur is pulling up in front of the gala.
“You will pick up the first time I call you,” I say in lieu of greeting, irritated. I’m about to enter a room with dozens—hundreds—of women would give their vital organs to be on my arm, yet the one I want won’t even answer the fuckingphonefor me. There’s much work to be done between us.
“Yes, oh benevolent Lord Commander,” Lyra snarks. A smile tugs on the corner of my lips. She is… profoundly refreshing. Being surrounded by Yes-Men has somewhat spoiled me, and it’s a treat to have someone who talks back. Agreeable people are also some of the most boring.
“Are you home safely?” I know the answer, of course, I’d just like to see what she’ll tell me.
“Safe and sound,” she confirms. “And I won’t be leaving my home to move into yours.”
