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“Love can’t be denied when it fills your heart.” She easily moved into a perfect nadu position; her eyes lowered submissively. “What kind of woman would I be if I didn’t accept the emotions you awakened inside me?” She gazed up at him. “I didn’t ask to fall in love with you, but I did. Why can’t you see how much value I can add to your life? A king with his queen by his side, ruling their slaves with loving dignity and joy.”
“A king with his queen? Ruling their slaves? I’m afraid you have completely lost your hold on reality, Leigh. If that is how you see me and my role at Castle Sin, you just confirmed that you can’t be trusted.”
“No! It’s not true!” She jumped up and flung herself into his arms. “I love you. So, so much and will do whatever you tell me to do.”
Stone caught her arms and forced her back. A darkness crossed his face, the smile twitching his lips was one of pity.
“I never gave you reason to believe you meant more to me than any of the trainees or castle subs, Leigh. In fact, I made it abundantly clear on numerous occasions that I don’t appreciate your candor at forcing your attention on me whenever I was in the dungeon.”
“I never meant to overstep, but I hated watching you choose other subs to scene with. You belong to me. We belong to each other. Why can’t you see that?”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed as he detected a shift in Leigh’s demeanor. Her body language belied the pitiful, lost woman she presented. Behind her syrupy voice etched a sharp determination. The glow in her eyes was a look he had seen before. Greed.
“Truly, Leigh? Love? Or is it something completely different? Why don’t you tell us what you’re really after?” Hunter’s voice brooked no further lies and neither did the grim expressions on Stone and Hawk’s faces. Both had caught onto Leigh’s ploy at the same time he had.
“There isn’t space at Castle Sin for deceivers. Because of that, I can’t allow you back on Seven Keys Island,” Stone bit out between clenched teeth.
“Let me remind you, Leigh, you signed a legally drafted, signed, and certified NDA,” Hawk interjected. “If you believe we won’t use it, should you continue with your lies to that reporter, you don’t know us very well.”
“Hawk is right, Leigh,” Stone rasped. “No matter that you were a valued castle sub for the time you were there, this is not about you. It’s about protecting the Masters of the Castle. It’s about the members and the livelihood of the fifty castle employees and castle subs. The truth I can live with but the lies you’re spreading? I’m afraid you proved why Castle Sin is off limits to you.”
“I didn’t tell her lies!”
“No?” Hunter’s one eyebrow formed a question mark. “Are you saying a reporter known for only placing articles based on truth lied when she said you told her that I find destitute women and take them to Castle Sin, where they were locked in a dungeon and forced to become sex slaves?”
If at all possible, Leigh turned pastier. “I didn’t… I might have…” With a determined lift of her chin, she glared at the three men. “It’s not up to me to prove what I told her, but we all know she won’t stop digging until she finds something to print. One thing I do know for sure is that you wouldn’t want the prestigious names of your members to come to light. How about that?”
“How about that?” Stone’s one eyebrow lifted sardonically, mocking her for the liar she proved herself to be.
“You obviously have no concern that you could ruin lives.” Hawk took a step closer to lean forward, his voice dangerously dark. “Three million dollars. Is that enough to detract your allegations and disappear from our lives for good?”
Leigh gaped at him with dollar signs glimmering in her eyes she couldn’t hide. “So, now you’re trying to buy me off?”
“You have no real desire to go back to Castle Sin, Leigh. This is what it’s all about, isn’t it? Money?” Hunter shook his head. “Why now? It’s been a year. Why resort to distortion now?”
“Because you owe me. All of you. He said… I mean…”
“Who said what?” This time, the danger blasted toward her from all three men.
“No one. I misspoke. If you want me to disappear, it’s going to cost you more than three measly million dollars,” she sneered. Finally, the true nature of the meek woman surfaced.
“Ten million, but be warned, Leigh, if I ever hear from you again, you will wish you never set foot on Seven Keys Island.” Stone turned to Hawk. “Pay her. Now, and make sure she signs those documents.”
“Documents?” Leigh watched him warily.
“A sworn statement of exactly what you were doing at Castle Sin for the period you lived on Seven Keys Island. It also stipulates that the details you have shared with a CNN reporter are lies. This is the second time you attempted to force my hand by going to the press. It’ll never work, so I suggest you remember what I said. I don’t ever want to see you again.” Stone walked out, his footsteps sounding as dark and angry as the man they carried toward the car.
“You will also retract your allegations made to CNN,” Hawk said once she initialized every page and signed the document. He sat down on the sofa, opening the banking app on his tablet. He looked at her. “Before I make the transfer.”
Leigh couldn’t grab her phone quickly enough to make the call to Peyton Jackson. She kept it short and to the point, refusing to discuss her decision, and ending the call quickly.
“Now, you will confirm the discussion by sending her and the editor of CNN a written detraction with a BCC to Hunter, Stone, and me.”
“This is ridiculous. You heard me speak to her on speaker phone!”
“Do you want the money or not?” Hawk’s patience was rapidly and visually running out.
Grumbling, Leigh fetched her laptop and typed up the email. Once Hawk was satisfied with the content, they watched her send it.
