Page 46 of Beautiful Cruelty

When this charade is finally over, will there be somethingelsethat I want?

Or rather, someone.

13

VADIM

Queen Anne'stree-lined streets are still quiet by the time I return to Nathan's apartment. Lacey's purse lies where she dropped it, its content spilled out on the floor. Several notifications light up the screen of her phone—all from someone named Megan Huang. I make a mental note of the name before pocketing both items.

It doesn't take long for me to find her car and unlock it.

My suit jacket is sprawled across the backseat. When I look at it, all I can see in my head is the picture she sent me. Pale skin against dark fabric, her endless legs spread open, the way her fingers are splayed between them.

My cock stirs to life, recalling that she'd been pinned underneath me not too long ago. My fingers tighten on the car door until the metal bites into my skin.

Focus.

I snatch the jacket and fish through the pockets until I find my list. The paper feels crisp between my fingers as I tuck it into my breast pocket.

Back in the apartment, I conduct one final sweep. Nothing of note in the kitchen or living room. The bedroom yields no additional information beyond what I already discovered during my earlier search.

The gray sky rumbles overhead, portending the resumption of rain as I drive back toward Pankration. But my mind keeps drifting to Lacey, to the way she felt pressed against me when I caught her, and how her body arched into mine.

Upon return to my office,I plug Lacey's phone into my laptop, fingers dancing across the keyboard as I launch the decryption program. The screen flickers and a few minutes later, it grants me access.

No other messages save for the ones from Megan Huang. My jaw clenches as I read through them:

Where are you?

Call me when you get this

Seriously, what's going on?

Getting worried, sis.

That last one gets my attention.Sis? I thought her name was Lacey McKinney?

Opening up Google, I type in Megan's name and phone number. The first result is a social media manager working for the Seattle Voice podcast.

Why the hell is a social media manager for a podcast calling Lacey sis?

Just then, another text from Megan comes in.

Are you going to Dad's tonight?

Whatever Lacey's relationship with this Megan Huang is, I can't have her poking around. Slowly, I start composing a message:

Hey, can't make it to Dad's tonight. I need some time to process everything that's happened. Thinking about just getting away from it all for a few weeks. Get my head on straight.

Megan responds almost immediately.

Are you sure? Where are you staying these days?

Growling, I continue the conversation. Slowly, I weave a convincing sounding enough story about Lacey returning my suit, and then going on a trip to Paris by blowing up her honeymoon budget.

Technically all truths, which means if Megan starts poking around, she won't find anything out of place.

Finally, I get the text I need to see:

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