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“Always.” He knows what I mean and what I can’t say in more words than that, but his one-word reply tells me he understands.
“Now get back inside and wrap your arms around that girlfriend. No way I’d be letting her out of my sight in a room full of old men. They’re like vultures.” It brings a laugh out of me, because he is pretty accurate.
“Yeah, yeah. Call me as soon as you have something,” I say, starting back toward the ballroom.
“You’ll be the first to know.” Then the sound of silence in my ear tells me the call has ended. Sliding my phone back into my jacket pocket, I feel stronger than when I walked out here.
Striding down the winding corridor that I had slinked away into, I can hear familiar voices ahead from a side corridor. Stopping just before it and leaning back into a recessed doorway, the words I hear burn me up instantly.
“He might think he can buy his way out of the drug charges, but if I can’t get him, I will destroy that little toy bitch he has on his arm, and it will hurt him just as much. Nobody speaks to me like that. She had no right to even be in that boardroom.” Jocelyn’s voice is one that haunts me, and there is no question it’s her talking.
“You can go wherever you like when you are fucking the big boss,” a second voice says, and I recognize it as that guy Theo. “Don’t worry, I will set her up nicely to fall when I talk with my stepfather. I’m sure he won’t want the company name pulled through the mud with one of his staff sleeping with a client. Especially a client that has pending drug charges hanging over his head. That job should have been mine anyway, so the sooner I get rid of her the better.” His words are a bit slurred, and he obviously ignored Rem’s suggestion of easing up on the drinking.
“Between the both of us, she will never work in this town again or the industry. The only rebranding she will be doing will be of her own image.” Fucking bitch, I knew she was quiet and up to something tonight. There is no way she would have taken me reprimanding her without a fight. But I wasn’t expecting she would attack Victoria. If she wants a fight, then come at me and leave her out of it.
“Did you bring my packet?” Jocelyn’s voice is a little quieter now, and the shock of what I think she is talking about falls over me. Surely not, I would have suspected something by now.
“Have you got my money? I’m not a charity. My trust fund is big but not big enough.” I want to charge around the corner and catch them both in the middle of what I suspect is a drug deal, but I can’t be caught anywhere near this. Two against one, they could twist things to look like I was somehow involved.
“Little prick, you have more money than I will ever have thanks to the jerk who stole my life. So much for family, he doesn’t give a shit about me.” The bitterness in her voice is sharp.
“Oh, suck it up, princess. If it wasn’t for him, I would have fucked her that first night I took her for work drinks at the club, but he stepped in and ruined it. The drugs I put in her drink were just starting to take hold, but he picked her up and took her away. If I took her home, I would have had the naked pictures I needed to blackmail her to take all the credit for her work and get the promotion I deserve. The bitch of a boss I tried to get before her took off on leave and hasn’t returned. I got screwed over. He owes us both, and we will make him pay for taking what’s ours. I hate pricks who get everything handed to them on a platter. Now get the fuck out of here before they see you with me. I don’t want to have anyone sniffing around my operations because you are fucking sloppy.”
“Listen here, you little shit. I was in this world, running these hotels, long before you were out of nappies, so shut your mouth and make sure you have my next package when I message. And if anyone asks me, I don’t know any lowlife that sells drugs, I’ve never touched a pill in my life.”
His scoff and the sound of movement has me pressing myself as hard as I can back into the alcove and not breathing until they have turned the corner and continued down the corridor away from me, separately, turning in different directions at the next intersection of hallways.
I press my phone hard to my ear instantly. I’m so close to exploding.
“Car to the front doors now!” I growl, before hanging up and storming into the ballroom. Not looking sideways at anyone, I just zone in on Victoria and the rest of the table. Thankfully Jocelyn hasn’t made it back to the table yet.
“We are leaving. Now!” I hold my hand out to Victoria, and thankfully she doesn’t even hesitate. “Flynn, get Lou out of here, and you two don’t let that bitch out of your sight for the rest of the night. I will fill you in later. I can’t be here.”
Almost dragging Victoria through the room toward the front door, I know she must be worried what has made me snap, but I can’t say a word here. I can’t trust anyone, plus once I open my mouth then there won’t be any stopping my anger from escaping.
If they touch her in any way, then there is no stopping me. He already tried to fucking drug her. What the fuck!
I should have beat the shit out of him when I had the chance earlier tonight. Thinking back to how out of it she seemed that night at the bar, being drugged explains her sound sleeping in the car and how she couldn’t remember much the next day. I’m going to nail this guy to the fucking wall. He has no idea who he has just taken on. Nobody messes with the people I love!
I open the car door before the driver even has time to get out of the driver’s seat as he pulls the car to a stop. Ushering her in and following her, I slam the door and tell the driver to take us back to the apartment.
I can’t touch her, otherwise I know I will be too rough. I need to take my anger out on something, and Victoria will push me into trying to release the stress on her instead. It’s not happening. There is a difference between domination in sex that is fun, and losing control to the point that she gets hurt in some way. I’ve never been this furious around a woman, so I don’t want her to see me like this.
“Nicholas.” Her voice tells me she is scared, and I can’t explain to her what has happened. I need to tell Broderick, but I can’t do that when I’m with her.
“Fuck!” I yell, thumping my fist into the seat beside me.
“Talk to me, don’t shut me out,” she begs me, but I can’t, I just can’t.
“Not now.” I take her hand in mine to try to reassure her that it’s nothing to do with her. “Just give me time.”
Nodding at me, she won’t let go of my hand, needing the connection with me to know she will be okay. To be honest, I need the connection too, but for me it is to stop me from exploding.
The rest of the car ride is made in silence, and as we pull up to the apartment building, I hand her the key.
“Go to bed. I will be home later.” My words are blunt and with no emotion.
“What, why?” I can see tears in her eyes, and she has every right to be upset. I’m acting like the asshole she knows me to be, but this time it’s worse, and I can’t stop it.
