Page 20 of Red Retaliation
They’ll dislike this situation even more when I explain precisely why I’ve just requested that wanker’s body be brought under our roof and who will be enlisted to remove Arianna’s rings lodged in his gullet.
CHAPTER
12
Arianna
ISTARE AT THE PACKAGES one of the casino staff has laid on a small table to the side of the bed.
Don’t get me wrong - as much as I don’t want to accept anything from Red Bateman, as it’s bad enough begging for his help in the first place, I’m grateful he’s got the decency to order me clothes.
I open the packages one by one: a collection of standard-looking tops, a couple of pairs of trousers, a skirt and... andunderwear.
I eye the sets of matching bras and panties. They’re not fancy, but look to be my size. I’m pleased I can finally change out of the none-too-clean underwear that I’ve been stuck with since coming here, but my cheeks still burn hot at the thought of Red ordering these. And worse - correctly guessing my size.
I pick up some of the clothes from the pile. They’re nice enough: nothing like the ludicrously expensive designer clothes I have in my wardrobe at home, but it’s not like I can return to collect them.
Wondering about my parents and my sister, I shudder involuntarily. My brother is still out of the country on business and unlikely to know what’s happened. My parents will purposefully keep Roberto’s death and my disappearance from him as they know he’ll cause big problems. But the rest of my family will be up in arms about where I am, what’s happened to me and why I haven’t answered my phone since disappearing...
I wonder if they’ve guessed it was me behind Roberto’s murder? Perhaps my attempt to make it look like I’d been kidnapped was pointless because the rings had already been discovered?
I return to the clothes in front of me. Fixating on those rings and my family won’t help or change my hopeless situation. It will just encourage my escalating panic.
I now realize that Red comforting me last night was only to lull me into a false sense of security. He hates me as much as I hate him. Pulling me into his arms and holding me close was part of breaking me down to control me. That’s what men like him do.
I know it;heknows it, but I’ll admit it felt nice for that short moment when I forgot who we both were.
Butthisis reality, and allowing myself to be so weak and scared to need comfort won’t happen again.
“They’ve arrived, I see?”
I swing around at the sound of that low, gravelly voice. My shock at seeing Red inside the room, leaning against the door, throws the contents of my head sideways. “What are you doing here?” My hand smooths my hair over the patch I ripped out for reasons I don’t understand.
Red strides across the room and picks up a pair of white panties and inspects them. He raises an eyebrow. “These aren’t too bad.”
“Whyareyou here?” I snap, it not sounding as effective as I wish because my voice is breathy. “Please leave.”
“Okay.” Red chucks the underwear back on the bed and heads towards the door. “I just thought you might want to know that your ‘issue’ with the rings is in hand.”
“What?” I gasp, moving forward. “What do you mean?” He’s not leaving until he explains. Pushing past, I block his exit, my back pressing against the hard wood of the door. “Tell me what you mean!”
Red laughs again, his eyes dancing with genuine amusement. It changes his whole face. I find myself wanting to touch the tiny lines around his eyes, but I don’t. Idaren’t.
“You think you can prevent me from leaving if I want to stay, princess?” His eyes twinkle. “I told you the issue with the rings would be sorted, and it is - or shortly will be. I also said last night that you need to trust me, so start doing so!”
In shock and for once, speechless, I don’t fight as he grabs me around the waist, picks me up and spins me away from the door like I’m a doll. He steps out into the corridor, and as the door shuts behind him, I sink onto the bed, purposefully avoiding looking at the underwear he just touched.
Could it be true? Could Red Bateman really sort out this disaster withthe rings?
I swallow dryly, hoping that for once, he’s not winding me up to score points.
CHAPTER
13
Red
AS I FLICK THROUGH outstanding paperwork on my desk, I’m still chuckling over Arianna’s reaction.
