Page 16 of Broken Empire
“It’s scheduled for Sunday night.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to remain in suspense,” Leon said. “I really can’t tell you anything. I’m not even supposed to acknowledge that I’m a member to a non-member, but I think I can let this slide given the fact that you’ve been selected for initiation.”
I folded my hands together on the table and smiled thinly. “I think youcangive me information about the organization, and you will.”
Leon’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying, Killian?” he asked, voice taking on a distinctly chilly note.
I leaned back in my seat, still staring at him. “I know some things about you,” I said. “Things your wife has no idea about. I heard you’ve been quite careful to ensure she doesn’t find out.”
He bristled. “Whatthings?”
“I know you cheat on her once or twice a week with high-class escorts from an agency called Eve Models, and I know you take them all to Kingsford Tower.” I leaned forward again, brows lifting. “Now, you need to tell me every detail you know about the Schöneberg Group, or I’ll contact your wife and tell her everything.”
Leon’s neck and cheeks were slowly turning red. “You think my wife will take your word over mine?” he said. “She doesn’t even know who you are.”
“I have proof. I’m sure she’ll believe me when she sees it.”
He clenched his jaw and looked me right in the eye. “You’re bluffing,” he said in a low voice.
He was right. Iwasbluffing. He didn’t need to know that, though.
I pulled out my phone and unlocked the screen. “I’m not lying to you, Leon,” I said. “I’ve been following you, and I took photos of you last week when you went to the Kingsford. Let’s see. You were wearing a black Armani coat with a gray scarf, and the girl…” I paused and pretended to squint at a photo on my phone. “She had a pale pink wig. Very sexy.”
Leon’s cheeks were bright red now. “You... you photographed us?”
“Yes. How else would I know about the girl’s wig?” I said, lips curving into a smirk. “I can forward all the photos to you, if you want.”
“I… you… you bastard,” he spluttered, face twisting with fury. His hands were trembling now, and I knew I had him. He genuinely believed that my phone contained an album filled with photos of him with other women.
I locked my phone and put it flat on the table in front of me. “I have all the pictures backed up on the cloud, so even if you dunk my phone in your drink, I’ll still have all the proof I need to rat you out to your wife. It’s Marion, right?”
Leon slowly shook his head. “Why are you doing this?” he asked. “What have I ever done to you to deserve this?”
“I told you why I’m doing it. I want information, and I want it now.”
“I… I can’t tell you anything,” he said. “That’s the truth, Killian. I swear. I would give you information if I could.”
I sighed and picked up my phone again. “I guess I’ll have to call Marion, then.”
“Wait. Just wait.” Leon held up a palm and fished in his jacket pocket with his free hand. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. I heard it ring three times before someone picked up. “Hi, Marion,” Leon said. “Sorry, did I wake you?”
I sat back, forehead wrinkling. What the fuck was this guy doing?
I heard a faint feminine voice on the other end of the phone. Leon listened and murmured another apology before going on. “There’s, uhh… there’s something we need to discuss,” he said. He paused and cleared his throat. “I really don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to say it. I know you’ve heard rumors before, and I know I’ve always denied them, but the thing is… they’re all true. I had an affair. No,affairs.A lot of them. Usually with women I hired from an escort agency, but occasionally others.”
The voice on the other end was louder now. I couldn’t make out any words, but I could tell by the general tone that Marion was shocked and furious.
“I understand if our marriage is over,” Leon went on. “I’d like it if you’d come to a counselor with me so we can try to salvage things, but if you don’t want to, I understand.”
There was more shouting on the other end of the phone for a minute. Then everything fell silent. Marion had hung up.
Leon put the phone down and stared at the table, lips pressed into a pale slash.
“You just blew up your marriage,” I said.
“Yes, I did,” Leon replied, looking up at me. “Now you have nothing on me. Nothing to use against me.”
I stared at him, slowly shaking my head with disbelief. “What the hell is the Schöneberg Group hiding that’s so incredible?” I asked. “You were willing to destroy your marriage to protect it, so it must be pretty fucking great.”
