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“Why didn’t you call me?” Tension leaked into his voice. “Why did you wait until now to tell me he was in our house?”
I looked away. My bubbly mood was fading fast. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever tell anyone about the conversation we had. Your father... he doesn’t need poison or weapons to destroy someone.”
“No,” he said softly. “He doesn’t.”
We didn’t speak for a long time.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
“No.” I rested my hand over his. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Jaw tight, Rafael shook his head.
“No.”
Chapter Five
“I always knew a beautiful woman would be the death of me one day.” Rafael draped the blankets around my shoulder, squeezed, and hauled me up. He kissed me slow and deep until a soft, moaning noise escaped my lips for the first time. Not the second no matter what Victor imagined he heard. “At least you’re worth it, Cloud Girl.”
Rafael was back to his grinning, devil-may-care self by the time we returned to the Gallery. That was until Wilder outed me to Lucien, Rafael, and Cato at the dinner table. In less than two minutes, we were holed up in his room behind half a dozen locks and soundproofing. Victor wasn’t home yet, but Wilder wasn’t taking chances.
“Let me get this straight,” Lucien began. He propped himself against Wilder’s door, twirling his cane. “You accused them of murder, confessed you were behind the attacks, and said they wouldn’t stop until one of them gave up the Phantom. And that guy would live while you killed the others.”
“Sums it up,” I said.
“Then, yes,” Lucien said calmly. “We’re all going to die.”
“What’s with the negativity?” Dropping back, I curled up on Wilder’s bed. The man kept it way too cold in his room. Gave me the perfect excuse to curl up under his covers. The sweet, spicy smell of him enveloped me. “Who says we’re going to die?”
“At least one of them is going to try to kill you,” Rafael said. “The one that killed Ashton Scott for sure. Since no one is getting to you except through us, we’re going to meet with our own accidents. They’re coming for us. Have your bags packed and by the door, gorgeous. Levi’s getting his boys together for another burning.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Why is that?” Wilder spun around in his desk chair, narrowing on me. “Did you get something off those security tapes that we can use?”
I shook my head. “Dead end. I know dozens of drunk, naked college students who did not attack and try to frame me for murder, but I have no clue who did. The only thing I got out of that slumber party from hell was our first step toward finding the T.O.D. Club.”
The four of them moved on the cage. Cato kept coming and slipped under the covers with me. I squeaked when his hand found itself between my legs.
“What do you mean?” Wilder demanded.
“I... uh— I— Oh!”
Cato snuck past my flimsy, cotton defenses. I flushed hotter than a house fire as he caressed my lower lips, circling my opening. I was getting better at understanding Cato’s unique way of communicating.
He was daring me to stop him.
“What I—I mean is...?” I shivered as he bit my neck, then licked it in apology. Apparently this was happening right there, right then, and the guys were just going to watch.
Wetness dampened his teasing fingers. Why does that turn me on?
“What I mean is Gabriella is meeting me at the bench where all this started for us. I told her I’d delete the photos of her and Giovanni if she tells me everything she knows. I’m going to get her to spill about the club.”
I scooted a bit away from Cato and he growled low and deep in my ear. My nipples hardened to pebbles.
Yep. There was definitely something wrong with me.
“How can you be sure she knows about the club?” Lucien asked.
“Mr. Dumont said—”
“Mr. Dumont?” Lucien and Wilder sliced in.
Cato stopped nibbling on me in an instant—hand disappearing from between my legs. “Papa?”
“Ah, right. I didn’t get a chance to tell you everything that happened today.” I glanced at Rafael. He nodded, gesturing for me to go on. I spilled my entire conversation with Leon Dumont. Well, I spilled most of it. I left out what he said about me going against Winter’s wishes. I also didn’t share what he said about keeping his secrets to protect his sons. That was something he needed to say to his boys to their face.
An I love you should always come from the person who said it.
“Gabriella has to know,” I said. “Annika and Giovanni were not in an open relationship, or she wouldn’t have gotten her face punched in. Giovanni had to give his girlfriend an explanation for why she should look the other way while he seduced and slept with my sister. Don’t you think his side chick wanted an explanation too?”
