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"I don't know how you manage to avoid temptation with such a tasty little treat around," he said, shaking his head. "I would be distracted as fuck by that sexy ass and... let's check..."
He pulled on Sally-Anne's skirt, eliciting a gasp from her when he revealed her stockings held up by a garter belt.
"Knew they weren't just tights," my father chuckled. "She knows how to dress, too, doesn't she?"
"Please, Mr. Windsor," Sally-Anne whispered, but she wasn't looking at my father.
She was staring at me, eyes wide in a silent plea.
"You can go, Sally-Anne," I finally said, looking away from the scene in front of me.
She managed to gather herself enough to walk out of the room with her eyes downcast and her head hung. Like a defeated animal, she retreated to her desk, and my father's eyes followed her form, savoring every move of her curves.
"Like I said," he went on. "No idea how you stay focused. And what's so special about Violet, anyway? I'm not a monogamous man myself."
"Don't I know it," I said bitterly.
The memory of the years he spent cheating on my socialite mother was all too clear in my mind.
"Now don't get all offended on me," he laughed. "Tell me about Violet. She's staying with you?"
I nodded, refusing to give him more details.
"You know, she is pretty," he went on thoughtfully. "Always has been. I wonder why I've never taken her."
"Don't you dare." This woke me up, and the words were just a warning hiss. "She's mine."
"Not until your name is on her," he grinned. “Not until she’s yours.”
"It might as well be," I told him, feeling cocky. "She signed the papers."
"The contract?" My father's eyebrows shot up. "What a naive little girl. Does she know she's at your mercy now? That she's essentially your toy, your captive?"
"She does," I replied.
"And she has no problem with that?"
"That's none of your concern," I bit out. "Now I'd appreciate it if you let me get back to work, Dad."
"Of course," he grinned darkly. "But just remember, Devlin. You want her Dad out of jail, you come and talk to me. You're not going to be able to do it any other way."
"We'll see about that," I ground out. "I have my resources, too. You used to own this city, Dad, sure. But a lot has changed. There are new players ready to push you off the battlefield. You're getting too old for this shit, don't you think?"
I watched the rage set in his eyes. He hated being reminded of his age, probably because he was still living the young playboy lifestyle even his son had outgrown before him.
"I think you're as naive as your pretty captive," he told me. "If you think I'll let you take over, you're sorely mistaken. There are two things that keep me alive, Devlin. Pussy, and business. And until the day I stop breathing, I'm going to get my fill of both."
"Bye, Dad," I said, clearly showing him he'd outstayed your welcome.
"You know where to find me." He winked at me, saluted, and closed the glass door behind me.
On his way out, I watched him slip his business card to Sally-Anne, who blushed fiercely at the sight, and chat to at least four of my employees. None of them showed him animosity - not because he was friendly or particularly likable, but because he incited fear in every one of them.
But not in me.
Not anymore.
My father had found his match.SeventeenVioletI had been alone for at least twenty-four hours—possibly more. The cage was my nightmare. It was my prison. It was my breaking point. I hated the darkness. I had spent time alone at Cabot Estate, but nothing compared to the loneliness of the dark cell. Belle brought my meals and placed them outside of the cage, and I begged her for some form of contact—a word—a timeline for Devlin’s return. All I got was silence—silence until the cage finally unlocked and I was free for a couple of minutes. I used the bathroom and devoured my food, but I was careful not to drink too much water, even though I was thirsty. I watched the timer tick down, trying to find the courage to go in the cage again—begging myself to ignore the timer and run.
But I can’t. I have to get back in that cage if I want to save my family.
I walked back to the cage and dropped to my knees so I could crawl into it. I pulled the door closed and then the lock sounded that sealed my fate. That lock—the click—was the only thing that told me time passed. I knew I had spent twenty-four hours in the cage because of it. The pain in my joints made it feel like more. There was simply no position in the cage that could be considered comfortable. It was definitely punishment. No matter which direction I shifted, there was always a bar pressed against something. When I shifted, I put pressure somewhere else, but the bars were cold until my body temperature warmed them. I couldn’t even fall asleep—all I could do was collapse into exhaustion and close my eyes. It wasn’t true sleep. It was just my body shutting down until I had the energy to open my eyes again.
