Page 46 of Bad Duke

“There’s a man outside this door who I know, for a sure fact, has killed people in order to do his job to the best of his ability,” I tell her “I will pay that man to be your protection for as long as he needs to be. He’ll stand outside your home. He’ll stand in it if you want him to. You don’t even have to go home. We can put you in a hotel and he’ll stand outside the door there too. But I need to know who did this to you so I can protect the other girls and make sure he doesn’t do the same to them. I failed you once but I won't do it again,” I promise her.

She nods at me before her trembling hands pick up the list.

“I know these men. It wasn’t any of them.” What she’s telling me makes no sense.

“Okay, can you describe him to me? What did he look like? Did he introduce himself?”

“No, but he said he knew you, he told me that while he was…” Her eyes close as if she’s reliving it. “He was missing a finger.” Suddenly they open again. “I remember now, he put his hand over my mouth and he was missing a finger.

“This guy, he was young, younger than me, reddish hair?” I think about Danny, I don’t know how the hell he’d have gotten in here and it makes no sense.

“No, he was much older than you. Dark hair balding on top, long at the back and sides. He was at least in his sixties.” I scan my brain going through all the men who have paid the same price for stealing from me. There’s been a few of them over the years.

“Nicolas Talbot,” I say the name out loud and picture him in my head talking to Olivia at that party a few weeks ago. It had me on edge then, and whatever he’d said to her had spooked her.

That son of a bitch.

“Was this him?” I take out my phone and go to the email Elizabeth sent me with all the professional pictures that were taken that day of the party. It takes me a while but eventually, I find one with him in the background.

“Yeah.” She nods her head and wipes her tears.

“Thank you. Now, you let Marina know what you need and she’ll take care of it.” I leave the room and head straight for the exit so I can deal with the problem.

“Alex.” Marina stops the staff meeting she’s having in the bar lounge with all the other girls when she sees me walk past the door.

“Alex!” she calls again, coming after me.

“I know who it is and I’m going to fix it,” I tell her, not wanting her involved in what’s about to happen.

“Who was it?” She frowns.

“It wasn’t a member. And it was personal. Call Riggs and ask him for more men, we need to make sure the girls feel safe, but there's not going to be a problem after tonight,” I assure her, leaving her looking concerned as I barge my way out the doors and head for my car.

OLIVIA

“Well, I think it’s a girl too.” Leah studies the scan picture with a huge beam on her face before she places it down and gets back to work.

“Sit with me.” I pat the space beside me, needing a distraction from thinking about where Alex is right now. I know what women see when they look at Alex and him being at that club among men who freely cheat on their wives makes me anxious.

“I’m supposed to be dusting the shelves.” She looks at the hundreds of books that fill the walls in the library room we’re in, seeming overwhelmed.

“Dust adds character.” I smile. “Besides, Alex is always telling me I should be more authoritative with the staff. I demand you sit and talk to me.” I make a failed attempt at his voice which makes us both laugh.

“So, just three weeks till the wedding, you must be getting excited.” She grins.

“I’m nervous, Alex is insisting we make it this big show and I’m scared of how people are going to judge me,” I admit, feeling a little better for getting it off my chest. I can’t have conversations like this with Alex, he doesn’t understand what it’s like and it makes him mad that I let other people’s opinions affect me.

“I get that, guess I’m lucky with Will, huh? No judgement there.” She starts to relax.

“Will’s a great guy and I see the little kisses you steal when you see each other around, it’s cute.” I elbow her and make her cheeks flush red.

“He can be very cute,” she assures me. “And he’s been much happier since Alex came back. I think he really missed his best friend.”

“Do you think you and him will ever…?”

“Get married?” She laughs, “I’ve only known him for six months.” Her hand immediately slams over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You and the duke are…”

“Stop.” I burst out laughing.

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