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And of course, Roth would understand it. He was a distant runner in line to England’s throne, and raised amidst the pomp and arrogance of European royalty. His parents were aristocrats, cold and brittle, but even they were wary of the child who hadn’t seemed to have an ounce of mercy, compassion, or warmth.
He’d poisoned his nanny when he’d been no more than five. At ten he had nearly killed a playmate, a boy several years his senior. At sixteen he’d been under suspicion for the murder of his lover, who had been pregnant at the time. At the same time he had been suspected of cheating on finals at the prestigious school he’d been enrolled in.
At eighteen his parents had died in a suspicious vehicle accident. Roth had believed he would inherit the vast fortune his parents were thought to have had, only to learn that they had been little more than paupers living on the charity of friends and family.
“I’m quite satisfied with the lover I’ve chosen,” she assured him as she took a seat in the corner of the couch, watching him closely.
His lips twitched as he propped his elbow on the arm of the chair and ran an index finger over his upper lip.
“He’s a bit common, don’t you think, my dear? He doesn’t exactly have upper-class connections or a background that could complement yours. There are surely men much closer to your stature.”
“Men such as you?” she queried lightly.
“Precisely.” His smile was knowing, condescending. “I would be a much better choice. We could move mountains with the power we could attain.”
“I can already move mountains.” Bailey could also feel her skin crawling at the thought of this man touching her.
His lips pursed as dark hazel eyes narrowed on her.
“Even out the playing field, Agent Serborne,” he ordered her, his voice lowering, becoming rasping, a serpent’s hiss of fury. “I don’t relish the idea of losing the particular contract.”
“The contract hasn’t been given yet,” she pointed out. “Warbucks makes the final decision, I only suggest the best man for the job.”
“The best man being that upstart Vincent?” he sneered. “He’s a worthless piece of white trash, and you know it as well as I do.”
“He’s worth quite a bit to me.” She eased to her feet, straightening as she watched him carefully. “The best man for the job is the one who can get the job done and done correctly. Unfortunately, your record doesn’t speak nearly so well for you as John’s does for him. You leave a trail of blood and a wake of suspicion in your path. We don’t need that.”
He pushed to his feet, a wave of red anger rushing over his cheekbones as he glared back at her.
“I get the job done.”
“John gets it done efficiently, without suspicion and without a mess. Sorry for your luck, but you’re falling way behind in the quality department here.”
She turned to leave the room. She’d had enough of his attitude and superiority. Landon Roth was known for his ability to get a job done, there was no doubt about it. He had the contacts and the reputation to make the sale. But he clearly wasn’t the best choice.
Turning her back on Landon Roth wasn’t the wisest move she could have made either. She knew his reputation, but she hadn’t truly believed he was stupid. Until she felt his knife at her throat.
“You’re a nasty little bitch,” he hissed at her ear as the cold steel caressed her neck. “I never did care much for you. Despite your vast fortune, you have no breeding whatsoever do you, you little whore?”
“Bitch and whore, your vocabulary is improving.” She drew in a hard breath as the razor-sharp blade bit closer to her flesh.
“I could leave you on this floor bleeding and go straight to dinner,” he snarled. “I’d relish the feel of it flowing over my fingers simply because you’re trash. Just as your whore-mongering little boyfriend is trash.”
Bailey lifted her eyes to where the all-seeing eye of the carefully hidden camera looked down on the library from above the door.
If security was watching, how long did she have? she wondered. If they weren’t watching, then she was simply just screwed.
“You won’t get away with it,” she warned him.
“Of course I will,” he laughed. “Warbucks can’t afford to have me arrested because then it would bring his own activities to light. And he would have to catch me to kill me, wouldn’t he, darling?”
“You’ll never make it out of here.”
Would she make it out of here? She felt the cold steel pressing into her skin and knew that if she even breathed the wrong way, then she was going to die.
“This is no way to convince me to use your services, Landon.” She kept her voice calm, cool. “Actually, it’s a damned good way to become a casualty to this game. Because I promise you, even if Warbucks allows you to live, John won’t.”
She felt him pause behind her.
