“Okay. Thanks,” I say.
“Let me know how it goes,” my father adds. “I’d love to see his reaction myself.”
I paste on a smile, even if he can’t see it. “Yep. Will do. Thanks, Dad.”
I hang up before the conversation can drag on even more.
My hand is thankfully steady as I lower the phone. Not weak at all.
I lied to my father and somehow pulled it off. I have no idea if I’d have been able to pull that off in person, though.
“You get what we needed?” Asch asks, his voice as bland as his expression.
“Yeah. I know who to get in touch with.” I look to Pandora and River, expecting similarly disapproving looks.
Pandora is simply smiling. “You’re so hot when you’re being a manipulative dick.”
“Not the word I’d have used,” River says, “but that was good. Nice thinking about Ezio.”
Pandora moves off the couch and back over to me. “Doyouwant a reward for all your hard work?”
I snort in amusement. “I’ll take sex, but I don’t need a reward for a simple phone call.” Then I sigh. “And I’m not done. I need to call Tim and sell him some story about why I need to know where Samantha went.”
Pandora pouts, but she nods too. “Fine. More planning. We’ll save the sex for after we return victorious.”
Victorious.
I love how optimistic she is.
But she’s not wrong. We’re going to do this. I’m not going to let Zayden’s ghost—or Ezio—ruin what I have with Pandora.
I said Pandora deserved everything she wanted, and I meant it.
Starting with this.
31
ASCH
The suit I’m wearing itches.
I don’t think it’s the quality of the fabric; Blaze would never get me anything low quality. But I don’t feel right wearing it.
At least I don’t have to wear a tie.
“You look more like a bodyguard without the tie,” Blaze had said when he’d helped me get dressed.
I’ve been waiting for so long to be acknowledged as a bodyguard, but now that I know the truth behind the family business, it doesn’t sit right.
Pandora had mostly said we looked hot. …and ready to buy a sex slave to rape.
How flattering.
“Do they card you at the entrance?” Pandora asks through the earpiece. “Is there an age limit for when you’re allowed to stroll in and pick your flavor of woman?”
“No age limit, just a financial minimum,” Blaze responds cheerily as he approaches the front door of the hotel.
It really doesn’t bother him at all.
