Page 37 of Royal Player
Five minutes later, a tall redhead with huge breasts brushes past me.
Charles calls out, “You can come in, Oscar.”
I swear this guy is a sex addict on top of being an asshole, and I don’t want him anywhere near Polly.
I march to his desk. First things first because I don’t trust this guy. “Did you cancel the auction like we talked about?”
He sighs. “Much too late for that. There’s a hundred people signed up for it with enough money to buy a small country. Maybe they could buy yours.”
I bristle. Villroy may be struggling economically now, but it’s on the rise and will be a powerhouse soon. “This is illegal. You can’t auction a woman, and she never agreed to it.”
“She will. I gave her until midnight, and she’s quite desperate.”
My hands form fists, rage building inside me. I want to beat him senseless, despite my earlier plan to pay him off.
“I’ll be bidding on her too,” he says with a wide smile. “Such a fine piece of ass is rare.”
I grab him by the collar and shake him. “Shut up! This is over.”
“I called security,” he says. “There’s a button built into my desk.”
I drop him and go back to my original plan. “You’ll get your cut. Cancel the auction. She won’t be there.” I pull the wad of bills from my winnings out of my pocket and toss it on his desk. Fifty thousand euros. “And keep your mouth shut about Polly.”
He glances at the money. “Not nearly enough.” He lifts a palm. “I can’t disappoint so many of the casino’s clients.”
I hear footsteps pounding down the hall. Security. I can’t chance the bad press for my family if I get hauled away by security. In that instant I know what I have to do. I know what my vineyard in Italy is worth, and I know I can get a quick sale.
“A hundred thousand euros,” I bite out.
He laughs. “A million.”
“Half mil, and I don’t go to the authorities.”
“Done.” His blue eyes gleam. Bastard. I’m glad we’re not doing business with him. That would’ve been a huge mistake.
I turn just as security rushes the room.
Charles pipes up in a cheerful tone. “Sorry, I must’ve pressed the button accidentally. I had a woman under the desk.”
The men stand down, smirking.
“I’ll be in touch,” I tell him and head out the door.
I’ve got a lot to do to pull this off. And I’m not going to tell Polly until it’s done because I don’t want her to worry any more about this. For once someone needs me, and I’m not going to let her down.
~ ~ ~
Polly
I didn’t see Oscar today. Adrian said he went to check on his vineyard, which isn’t far from here. He also passed along the message that Oscar “took care of it.” Adrian looked at me curiously, but I didn’t offer any explanation. Oscar took care of the Charles problem. He came through for me. A huge relief. I wish I could relax, but I still have Peter’s blackmail hanging over me.
I’m in bed, it’s late, and I can’t sleep. My mind is a jumble of thoughts, trying to figure out how to best Peter. I know Oscar said to leave everything to him, but I’ve never been a passive person. I need to take action.
There’s a knock at my door. I freeze, my heart racing. I’m alone here, and tonight was supposed to be virginity auction night.Okay, calm down.Vaughn is posted outside. I’m safe. Unless a mob of angry men denied their virgin conquest have quietly descended and took out my one lone guard.
I grab my robe and wrap it over my nightgown before peeking through the peephole. Oscar. All of me relaxes.
I open the door. “Hi.”
