Page 73 of Curvy Dirty Omega

My hands shook for an entirely different reason then and I smoothed down my skirt before sitting down to focus on Melinda Valor.

“If you don’t mind, I have a few questions for you.”

Melinda was a completely different person when Liam wasn’t in the room. She didn’t exactly glare at me, but it was something close.

This omega was flawless even in person. Her nails were perfectly manicured and her skin was clear and smooth without a single wrinkle to be seen. Her eyes though…they reminded me of a siren and her beach blonde waves only added to her strangely exotic look. If someone had told me she’d stepped out of a giant clamshell and was actually Aphrodite reincarnated, I’d believe it.

I didn’t have my sketchbook or my latest crochet project to keep my hands busy, so I picked at my cuticles and forced myself to maintain eye contact with her.

“I didn’t kill my husband,” Melinda stated, popping a red grape into her mouth while still looking like the epitome of grace and femineity.

For some reason, it infuriated me to think Liam had chosen red grapes for me just because another omega he knew liked them, but I shoved that irrational feeling down and pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“Even if you did kill him, I don’t care.” I placed my phone on the table and watched that mean look in her eyes fade to shock. “I’m not here to convict anyone. That’s not why I was hired.”

Surprisingly, Melinda didn’t have anything to say to that.

“I was hired to get answers and then deliver them to Nicolette Valor. I am not working with the police and will not be turning any of the evidence I find in to them.” Tapping my phone forced her gaze to it just as I’d hoped. “Even if you confessed to me right here and now, I still wouldn’t say anything to Mrs. Valor because I’d need to find the evidence first to corroborate your story. Do you understand?”

Melinda recovered from her shock faster than I anticipated and picked up another red grape but she didn’t eat it. She just looked me up and down as if reconsidering where I stood. Was I insignificant trash or a threat?

I smiled shyly and looked down at my phone to keep her guessing. I wasn’t as good at this as Frankie, but I had studied psychology as well as body language. Profiling wasn’t my area of expertise either, but I was good at picking up on stuff most would miss.

My phone was already recording audio, but I needed more if I was going to protect myself. “Would it be all right with you if I record our conversation? I don’t have many questions for you if I’m being honest. You may be his spouse but you weren’t anywhere near Gideon when he died.”

Which meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but I didn’t need to tell her that.

“Fine.” Melinda eyed me suspiciously though. “But would you indulge me for a moment?”

My instincts warned me not to give in, but I had no reason not to agree. “Go ahead.”

“Did you get this job because you’re fucking my brother?”

I’d expected this question, just not from Melinda.

The shaking in my hand was obvious as it hovered over my phone. Should I turn off the recording? This was getting personal and I didn’t really want someone else getting their hands on this audio, but if she said something even more reckless…

“Who’s your brother?” I asked, playing stupid to buy myself some time.

“Liam.” Melinda didn’t roll her eyes but it was clear she thought I was a special kind of stupid.

“Liam Valor?” Interesting that she called him her brother and not her brother-in-law.

“Who the fuck else would I be talking about?” Melinda snapped, losing her patience with me.

Well, that hadn’t taken long.

“I got this job because I’m the best in my field,” I told her truthfully.

Something icy slid down my spine but I didn’t look away from my phone even when Liam set down a glass of orange juice in front of me with ice cubes dancing in it. “Would it matter if she got this job because she was fucking me?”

The question sounded deceptively calm, but the tart orange on my tongue was a reminder that he’d just told her what he would do if someone bothered me. I was such a petty bitch sometimes because all I felt was satisfaction when Melinda paled.

“I was just trying to look out for you, Lee.” It was a nice recovery, but I doubted anyone would believe that had been her true intention.

“Now, state you’re willing to have this conversation recorded with video.” Liam’s command was just as soft as his threat and yet I had no doubt that Melinda would do exactly as he instructed.

His voice must really be fucking with my head because I was starting to feel a little sweaty.

---