“I did what was necessary. She revealed Onyx to me.”
“What was necessary, huh?”
“That’s right.”
“How about you calling her beautiful?”
“What?”
“I’ve never heard you call anyone that before. Not a single one of your string of girlfriends over the years. You know, before you went the whole celibate route.”
“You mean all those media whores who used me in a bid to gain their own celebrity? All those fucking liars?”
He grinned.
Fucking bastard.
He’d gotten a reaction from me and he was loving it.
“Getting testy there, B?”
“Shut the hell up.”
He laughed. “It’s fun seeing you this way. It’s not like talking to a robot then.”
“You don’t want to provoke more from me, believe me.”
“Does she?”
“Does she what?”
“Provoke more in you?”
I shoved a hand through my buzz cut. “You know I just don’t like change and that’s what she represents. Especially with Caspian’s intentions toward her. This is just the process, part of reeling in a volatile element, then streamlining and keeping things in line.”
“If you want me to step in earlier than planned and—”
“No!”
He smirked and I caught myself.
“I mean, I’ve got it. I’m handling it.” I always fucking handled it. Just because this was turning out a little stranger than normal, didn’t meant that was going to change, that I was gonna let it get away from me.
“Well, whatever you did certainly got under her skin, seeing as though she’s yet to show her face at Luxe since.”
“All part of the process.”
He nodded along.
Before anything more could be said, my phone buzzed in my pocket. And Cal’s a moment later.
“Oh shit. Looks like your psycho of a big brother has just upped the ante,” he groused.
I took in the message that had come through to us both via an old group chat Damien had roped us into.
Damien: Look who just walked on into my domain.
There were two pictures attached and I opened them to see none other than Skylar, her blue hair pulled back into a high ponytail, a studded black hoodie zipped low and revealing a vibrant-blue sports bra beneath, along with a pair of shapely black yoga pants.