Page 66 of Deadly Rival

Wade snaps back into doctor mode, explaining the regular checks everyone in the Compound undergoes.

“It's really important that the Brothers and their Wards stay healthy. I'll have to check with one of the Brothers, but I'm surethey'll be glad to have you assist here, if you like. It's always easier for them to use talented people within the Compound than go through the hassle of bringing in external staff.”

There would have to be a lot of background checks done. But sneaking people through background checks is one of my father's particular areas of skill.

He recruits people who are one hundred percent clean, draws them in with the promise of huge payouts, then keeps them on the payroll, under the radar, living their normal lives, until a job comes up where he can use them. It takes patience and the commitment to spend money, sometimes for years, before seeing results.

Most criminals don't have the foresight, but my father does. An odd sense of pride tugs at me. My dad might be harsh, but he’s smart, and he came from nothing. I’ve always thought of him as an old-school gangster. Savage, but with his own moral code. He wouldn’t condone trafficking. There’s no way.

Wade wraps things up quickly now that Jacob is watching and promises to speak with someone in authority to see if I can work at the clinic if Sebastian agrees. All decisions have to be filtered through him, of course. It's a niggling frustration, but not a new one. My whole life has been the same. At least this time, I'm confident Sebastian will say yes.

“Sebastian said he might be a while,” Quinn chirps as we exit Medical into the watery sunshine. I’m right on the edge of chilly in my tiny outfit, but it doesn’t seem to bother Quinn, who wears less. She hasn’t even got a bra on, and I don’t think she gives a crap about it.

She tugs on Jacob’s arm. “Let’s not take her back right away. She has to be sick of being stuck inside. Let’s go to the park.”

“I’ll check with Sebastian.” He pulls out his phone as Quinn rolls her eyes.

She leans in as if to whisper, then hisses loud enough that anyone in a ten-foot radius will hear, “He’s such a goody two-shoes.”

I stifle a laugh at the look Jacob gives her. He’s a terrifying giant, and yet I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for him. A message comes back only seconds later, and Jacob nods. “We need to have her back in an hour.”

An hour in the fresh air. It’s pathetic how good that sounds, even though I’m not exactly an outdoorsy type. I have to ask, though. “What’s going on with Sebastian? He left in a hurry.”

“Just a work problem.”

It’s a rote response, and I don’t buy it for a second, but there’s no point pushing Jacob for answers. Has my dad done something? Or my brother? Wade said Harrison was furious, but I wouldn’t kid myself that he’s concerned about my welfare. He’s pissed Sebastian is soiling a valuable family asset.

Quinn keeps up a steady stream of distracting chatter as Jacob leads us into a pretty shaded park. After the restaurant last night, I should be getting used to the place, but I still can’t make it make sense. Benches sit around ornamental ponds and fountains, and trimmed shrubbery creates artful little private spaces.

I can’t imagine the upkeep. Even our garden back home has two full-time gardeners to keep it in check. This place must need an army of men. How do they do it? How do they keep this place so secret and protected when every single day, the grass has to be cut, the sidewalks swept, the trash emptied.

I look at it through the lens my dad instilled in me. Wide open. Ripe for the taking. No wonder he has spies in here—how many more does he have? Wade has access to a lot of personal details about the Brothers, but I’ll bet as a doctor, he doesn’thave access to go anywhere except Medical and the communal spaces.

A cleaner, though? A cleaner could get right into the heart of the place. Someone has to clean the big boss’s office. If I were trying to infiltrate, that’s what I’d do.

“Ophelia? You home?” Quinn snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I jump out of my reverie.

“Sorry. I was miles away.”

“Clearly. This is my favorite spot to get some sun.” She stretches out on the edge of a massive fountain with a sigh. In the center, old-fashioned cherubs pour water out of huge carved jugs.

I take a seat on the edge. Jacob parks himself on a bench, tense as a security guard at a presidential address. Does he think I’m going to make a run for it? Probably. I’d bet my life Quinn did.

My mind strays back to my conversation with Gabriel. It’s a thorn deep in my brain. I can’t stop returning to it. I should ask Eve, but it might be a traumatic memory for her, and I don’t want to make her relive it. I gather my courage and tap Quinn on the foot.

“So, Gabriel said something the other day. He said Eve was abducted and my family were going to sell her. I know it’s not true, but I want to know what happened.”

As soon as the words are out, I wish I’d phrased it better. It came out harsh and confrontational. Defensive, even.

To my shock, it’s Jacob who answers, and his rough voice is gentler than I’d have thought possible. “It’s true, love. Sorry. I know how it feels when people you trust let you down. Your family has a lucrative sideline selling women, and it’s what they planned for Eve once she’d outlived her usefulness as bait.”

“No. My father wouldn’t allow it.” The shrill note in my voice matches the rising heat in my chest. Quinn sits up, gaze flicking between Jacob and I, face tight.

Jacob’s sympathetic look hurts more than anger would have. “They got a spy in as Gabriel’s assistant. If you think someone could have pulled that off without your dad knowing, maybe he was in the dark about the whole thing. Otherwise…” He shakes his head. “Maybe your dad isn’t who you think he is.”

Twenty-Eight

Sebastian

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