Page 34 of The Prodigal

The phone in my room rings for the eighth time in the past five minutes. I don’t need to answer to know who it is. Eden is the only person crazy enough to interrupt me when theDo Not Disturbsign hangs outside the door. If she didn’t annoy me so much, her tenacity would make me proud. No man needs a docile woman. It makes life dull and the sex vanilla. Not that I plan on having sex with Eden. I’m simply making a point that submissiveness is overrated.

And so is a landline.

“No,” I clip out, finally answering the phone, “I’m not coming to the lobby.”

I can hear the smile in her voice when she returns, “No one asked you to leave the throne, your highness. I simply have a question.”

“I’m not in the mood to answer any more of your questions.”

“I knew that when I called. But guess what?”

Damnit. I smile. I already know what she’s planning to say. “What?”

“I’m asking you anyway.”

See what I mean? She’s ballsy as hell. No one instigates my wrath like she does.

I give her a minute of silence to rethink her move—but it doesn’t deter her. “Who are we seeking revenge on? You told me before that it was for your friend. That he died. Did the person we’re going after kill him?”

My heart speeds up as the decision to include her in this plot churns my stomach. When all this is over, and she learns the truth, she’ll hate me, and any friendship we develop will be over.

But I suppose that won’t matter.

I won’t be coming back to Georgia when this is over anyway.

“You said you had one question, not many,” I bark, my eyes rolling behind my lids. “Is everything with you exaggerated?”

“Is everything with you moody and hormonal? I’ve heard of man periods, but I think yours is extreme.”

“Don’t get brave, love.”

The term slips out before I can catch it. Thankfully, it seems to silence Eden for a moment, so I can regroup and change the subject. “Before I tell you this bedtime story, I want you to promise me something.”

“Okay.” Her voice doesn’t sound so sure, but she’s braver than I thought. “What is it?”

It’s the most vulnerability I’ll ever give her. “Promise that no matter what you learn, you won’t let it change you.”

“Why—”

“If you need an explanation every time I say something, we can’t be partners,” I snap. “Now, do you promise or not?”

It takes her a moment until I hear her hushed whisper, “I promise.”

“Good.” I pull in a breath.

I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Remington.

I don’t, but that’s never stopped me before, and it sure as hell isn’t stopping me now.

Exhaling, I look to the ceiling and begin. “Once upon a time, a villain far worse than me chose money over morality. He and his closest colleagues conspired together for the sake of political appearances and ripped a newborn away from his loving parents.”

I can feel the anger growing inside me as the old wounds tear open, freeing the poison for the first time in years.

“This villain hid the child in the arms of a stranger—another monster with his own agenda.”

I swallow and take another breath, steadying my voice.

“That monster paid for his sins with his life. And soon, so will Congressman Albrecht.”

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