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“The less my mother knows, the better,” he said matter-of-factly. “As far as she is concerned, you are my fiancée. I’ll be telling her exactly what we told the police. And when this is all over, I’ll tell her we’ve decided to part ways.”
“I’m sure she’ll be ecstatic,” I muttered.
“Probably,” he said, not bothering to spare my feelings. “Call your mother. You can stay in the adjoining room next door. I’ve had some things brought in for you.”
“No way!”
He smirked. “You prefer to sleep in here with me, honey?”
His big hands went around my waist, and he pulled me close until my breasts brushed his chest. One hand dropped down to cup my ass.
He looked amused. “That might be very enjoyable.”
“Hell, no,” I shoved him away. “I am not sleeping with you again. And I am not staying here!”
“No? Then you’ll be next door. You’ll find the adjoining door open.”
“You wish!”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan, and once we see it through, you can leave.”
“I don’t have to stay here for that.”
“Oh, but you do. And make sure you play your part convincingly. My mother is nobody’s fool. Sleep well, little bird.”
Ignoring my protests, he left the room, locking the door behind him.
Chapter 10
BETH
The smug bastard had locked me in. I shoved his bedroom door handle hard, but it would not budge.
I went through the interconnecting door he had indicated into the next room, a beautiful cream and gold bedroom. To my dismay, the door leading out to the corridor here was locked too.
I slapped it with my palm, muttering, “You pig!”
I turned to survey the bed. It was large, the sheets all silk. Fresh-cut flowers were here too, beside the bed. On the pillow was a folded, slinky nightgown that was almost sheer. I knew the adjoining bathroom would be well-stocked with fluffy towels and toiletries. A lovely little prison.
I had no intention of staying. Mom would be frantic. The thought of phoning Bernie sent me into a panic. How was I going to explain all of this to her?
I went over to the window, which was thankfully openable, and sucked in some deep breaths of fresh air. I closed my eyes. Dolly was dead. It couldn’t be true.
And yet the reality of it echoed inside me, churning up my insides. I gritted my jaw against any tears. I would not fall apart. Not here.
Below was a courtyard garden. Looking down, I saw a dense foliage of ivy climbing up the brickwork. I gripped one of the thick stems and shoved it. It didn’t budge.
The drop below was onto grass. Maybe I could climb down. Get the hell out of here.
I phoned Bernie and apologised to her, saying I’d be home late. “Something unexpected happened at work,” I said. “But I’ll be heading back now. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”
I hung up and dialled Toby. He picked up immediately, demanding, “I saw police at the club. What the hell happened?” He sounded panicked.
“One of the hostesses is dead!” I said. “One of my friends. Dolly. What the hell happened?”
Now that I was saying this to him, my heart was tripping like a drum, furious. The tears I had been holding in poured down my cheeks.
“What do you mean that a girl is dead?”
