Page 72 of Bad Duke

“This wasn’t part of the original plan but I’m a problem solver.” She takes a seat on the mattress next to me.

“Where are we?” I search around us and try to get my bearings. My mouth is so dry I can barely talk and I need to know if whatever she gave me, or that fall I had, has hurt my baby.

“We are at your husband's sex club, sweetie.” She grabs hold of my jaw and laughs in my face. “We’re closed for renovations, so we won’t be disturbed.”

“What is this? Where’s Alex?” I start to cry. Willing for my baby to move inside me so I know she’s okay.

“Alex is off doing what he does best. He’s wasting his time chasing that silly mummy’s boy who’s obsessed with you.” She rolls her eyes theatrically. “What is it about you that does that to them?” she questions me. “First him, then Alex. You even got into Nicolas’s sick head. Did you know that you’re the reason one of my girls got raped?” She watches for my reaction.

“Nicolas, who’s Nicolas? Marina, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My head is too scrambled to make any sense of what she’s saying.

“Me and the Stag.” She laughs to herself. “He came up with that name himself, he saw himself as noble and majestic.” Her head shakes.

“The Stag?” I must still be drugged because she’s taking gibberish.

“He had some vendetta against Alex, so I used him as part of my plan. I, of course, was going to end him before he got to hurt Alex, but turns out he couldn't resist himself when it came to you, either.” She chuckles to herself again as she strokes her hand through my hair.

“He saw you at the party and he added some extras to our plan,” she informs me.

“What plan?” I fidget to try and get her hand off me.

“The plan to kill you.” She smiles at me as her words put dread in the pit of my stomach. “You’re lucky Alex killed him, because, wow, the things that old fucker wanted to do to you were brutal.” Her eyebrows raise high on her forehead.

“Marina, you're scaring me.” I feel my baby fidget inside me and my heart soars with relief, but it’s also a reminder that it’s not just me in danger here.

“You should be scared, but you brought this on yourself when you came into his life,” she tells me, her soft hand suddenly scrunching into a fist as she pulls my hair.

“You may have a ring on your finger and a baby in your belly, but Alex is mine, bitch!” She shocks me when she spits at my face, then slaps her palm hard against my cheek. After she’s pushed herself away from me I try to remember not to panic and to breathe.

“You just came from nowhere, and he fell for all that innocent stupidity.” She shakes her head as she paces the floor at the end of the bed.

“I’d done my dues. I’d let him spread his wild oats and bided my time.” I listen to her rambling and try to think of how I’m getting out of this.

“But he met you and you ruined everything!” She grips at my ankles so tight that I’m scared she’ll break them.

“Did you and the Stag kill my brother?” I ask, suddenly thinking about Jamie. He was murdered at our home. He must have gotten one of my messages, telling him that it was safe for him to come back.

“That could have been what saved your life. You were supposed to find him, blame Alex, and run away for good. But no. Alex had to keep you in the dark, he had to protect you, and then he put that fucking baby in you and there was no way he was going to let you find out.” Her voice turns vicious as she points her finger at my stomach and when I let out a pathetic squeal, she closes her eyes as if she’s trying to contain herself.

“And Trent, did you both kill him too?” I ask.

“No, that was just me.” She straightens her back and smiles like she’s proud of herself. “Alex was right, it would have taken someone strong to take a man like Trent down. Or someone who he was used to getting very close with.” She creeps her fingernails up my leg and smirks.

“You and Trent?” I never knew Trent all that well, he was part of the life Alex kept me separated from, but I know how much he meant to Alex.

“He was useful for a while. I thought maybe he’d confide in Alex about our little encounters, and it might have provoked a reaction. I wasted a lot of time and effort on that theory.” She shows no remorse as she shakes her head thoughtfully.

“And now, what? You have me tied to this bed. What's the plan? Are you going to kill me too? Because Alex will never forgive you if you do,” I point out, needing to do something to save us.

“You know, I was married for twenty years, and we were never blessed.” She ignores me as she rests beside me again and I squirm when she places her hand over my baby. “I often wondered how it might feel to be a mother. I know, like all men of power, Rodger wanted a child of his own. Maybe that's why he cheated on me so many times.” She looks deep in thought as she stares at my round stomach, then laughs to herself.

“He got what he wanted, he divorced me after he got one of his whores pregnant, and while he focused on his new family, I put all my efforts into making something of myself, and I met Alex.”

The ache in my body keeps coming in waves and it’s starting to distract me from what she’s saying.

“He was such a bright spark, even at that young age. He just needed that little influence of maturity. Do you know what he said when I first came to him, in that shitty office he was renting in Camden?” She smiles fondly. “He said, ‘Mrs Gibson, I can’t understand why your husband would cheat on you. You're a fox.” She laughs so loud it makes my head rattle.

“I’ve watched all the bitches try, Olivia, I’ve let him enjoy his wild parties, knowing that one day when he was over it all and ready to commit himself, he’d notice me.” She’s got a dreamy look on her face that doesn’t match up to the woman I’ve come to know and try to think of the best way to handle this. Maybe there’s a way I can talk her down.

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