Page 110 of Sinister Intentions

“I’m so sorry. I really thought I’d covered all the tracks. But it looks like an inside job,” she said, her face grim.

Each word felt like a knife twisting in my gut. An inside job? What the hell? This was even worse than a bad movie. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t expect the news, but… “Really?”

She nodded. “I’m trying to find out more, but here’s the kicker—the auction winner wasn’t even on our radar. It’s someone we didn’t target at all.”

I gripped the edge of the jacuzzi, my knuckles turning white. “That’s…that’s not possible. How would they know, and why would they…”

Isabella shook her head. “I don’t know, but it’s incredibly suspicious. And dangerous. We need to be careful, Jemma. Very careful.”

I nodded. We needed to be careful…or disappear entirely, which had been my plan in the first place.

Five more days until my new ID was ready. Five more days until I could disappear.

“Very careful about what?”

I looked up at the same time as Iset’s gasp registered in my brain. I turned and stared into Vince’s grim face.

He was holding up another water bottle for his sister.

Fuck.

We were screwed.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Iwalked back inside, still feeling the lingering sensations of Jemma’s skin on my lips. What would I’ve given to be the one in that Jacuzzi with her?

Jemma, naked, and all wet, riding me in the hot water must be the hottest thing ever. And something I definitely intended to experience in reality very soon.

I ignored the twinge of annoyance prickling my skin when my eyes met Matt’s.

Of course, it would be my siblings showing up first thing in the morning to prevent round two. Even though Jemma must be sore, so maybe it was divine intervention. Because one thing was damn sure, I was obsessed with her, now more than ever.

But duty called. Always.

Matt’s jaw was tense, his eyes filled with concern—a stark difference to how he’d kept the mood light and teasing before—for Jemma and Bella’s sake, no doubt.

I sighed, bracing myself for whatever information he had to share. I’d spent half the night poring over the dossier on Ivan Zotov, searching for what I’d missed before. The number that had called me had been dead when I called back, which was suspicious. I was still waiting for Michele to get back to me with the details.

Maybe it had been Zotov.

Because something about that bastard didn’t add up.

The Zotov brothers had their grimy fingers in a dozen seemingly unrelated pies, but they didn’t seem hellbent on keeping the upper hand once the initial chaos—they caused—subsided.

If not to build an empire, what was the end goal? Stirring up shit, only to abandon it later on—for what?

Or who?

They seemed like teenagers looking for trouble, only their actions were…more like…well-executed sting operations. What the hell was the long game? Who or what was behind their actions? What bigger agenda lurked behind their seemingly random moves? I couldn’t quite see the full picture yet.

And I fucking hated not knowing.

“Alright, hit me with it,” I said, my voice laced with irritation. My leaving yesterday evening was the first time I’d put something—or someone else—over the business. It sure didn’t go over well with my father and his cronies.

Matt met my gaze steadily, unfazed by my dark mood as always. “Father wasn’t happy when you left.”

I nodded.

---