Page 62 of Bad Duke

“Hang on, you're telling me this isn’t the reason why you killed Talbot?” She stares at me confused.

“No, I killed him because he raped one of our girls. You knew that, already.”

“A girl that bears a resemblance to your wife.” She proves she doesn’t miss a thing.

“I've never been one to control my temper, you know that. There’s something else.” I take my drink and knock it back.

“Go on.” She massages her temple like she can feel a headache coming on.

“I think whoever did this, also killed Olivia’s brother,” I admit to her. I’ve been scratching my head over it ever since we found his body and it’s too coincidental not to be linked.

“Of course, we have a dead brother to contend with, too.” Marina takes off her glasses and pinches the top of her nose.

“Yeah, and I didn’t see it at the time but that was the first message. Whoever this is, knows how important Olivia is to me and they want to ruin it.”

“Poor girl, she loved her brother very much. She spoke fondly of him. She must have been devastated.”

“She doesn’t know,” I admit, already knowing that it’s going to make her mad.

“You haven’t told her?” She stares across the desk at me as if I’m a monster.

“No, Marina, I haven’t fucking told her because that dead, little thief is the only reason she’s with me. I made a deal with her, her life for his.”

Marina rests back in her chair and closes her eyes.

“I know it sounds insane.”

“It doesn’t sound insane Alex, it is insane.” She shakes her head and reaches for the whole bottle, sliding it across to me.

“I don’t know what it is about her, but I knew from the second she came into my office and begged for his life that I had to have her.”

“Well, you certainly did that,” she points out, looking far from impressed.

“If I tell her he’s dead, she will never believe that I didn’t do it. Whoever did this wanted her to know he was dead. They killed him in her apartment and left him there for her to find.”

Marina shakes her head and looks over the plan that's in front of her again.

“Whoever did this knows you, they want to get in your head and fuck with it, and it seems to me that you’re letting them.”

“How can I not? They are threatening to take from me the only thing I value. And she’s suffering for it. I’m driving her crazy because I won’t let her leave the house. I’m not sleeping, She needs to feel secure and calm and I’m none of those things, right now. I have to find out who this person is and kill them.”

“There has to be someone you suspect.” She hands it all back over to me.

“They stabbed Trent, he’s a strong guy and he’s fast. We’re not dealing with just anybody, here. I don’t know anyone who’s ever pulled a knife on him and lived to tell the fucking story.” It hurts to think of him and how he died and knowing that it was my fault only adds to my anxiety.

“So, take all this and go to the police. That DCS Winslow practically resides in your asshole, as it is. You must tell me what you have on him.” She narrows her eyes at me.

“That's not how I work, I don’t want this person locked up, I want them dead.” I feel my temperature rising just thinking about it. I swear I will put this person through fucking hell for what they’re doing.

“And where is Olivia now, why aren’t you with her?” Marina asks me, looking confused.

“Because Leah has organised a baby shower for her, she has a couple of her friends over, and I thought she deserved a day without me hanging over her shoulder.”

“Why do you see yourself as a burden to people, Alex Stanley?” Marina’s face goes unusually soft.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” I look back at her.

“You're so hung up on this mother and father bullshit, you're missing the fact that you're nothing like either of them. Your mother may have walked out on you and never looked back, but that's not who you are, you've never given up on anything. You’ve never let someone tell you you can’t achieve something, and I can speak from experience because I’ve been that person and you’ve proved me wrong, just like you did all the others. Stop doubting yourself, Alex, stop comparing yourself to two individuals who don’t matter.”

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