Page 94 of Angels and Skulls
“Senator Ramsey paid for me. He owns me.”
“He thinks he owns you,” he sneers. “That’s the biggest illusion of all. They own you. They will always own you.” He leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers in front of his mouth. “That has me wondering why you’ve been protecting the senator as of late. Have you fallen in love with him? You know that is rule number one: never fall in love with your mark.”
Benjamin looks at my stomach, and my arms automatically wrap around my growing belly. When his eyes return to mine, he smiles.
“I don’t love him,” I tell him honestly.
“No? I guess I don’t blame you. He’s a pig.”
When I don’t say anything, he continues.
“If it’s not love, then it must be something else. Something small and vulnerable and in your womb.”
My heart begins to race because how does he know all of this? I’ve been so careful to hide my pregnancy.
He tsks. “So, that’s it. You’ve broken rule number two. Don’t get pregnant.”
“How do you know their rules?” I snip, standing from the chair.
“Because my father makes them.”
I’m so confused, and he laughs again.
“Sometimes things aren’t what they seem. The man you think is in charge usually has a shadow, a puppet master, if you will.”
“A-and t-that’s your father?”
He nods slowly. “My father is the “they” you’re referring to.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I begin to back away slowly. This is information that I definitely do not want to know.
Benjamin sighs as if I’m boring him. “You’ve been trying to convince Lily to run.”
“No, I haven’t. I promise.”
He jumps to his feet, pushing me against the wall. One hand wraps around my throat while the other rests heavily over my stomach. “You had a job to do here. It was not to give your handler meaningless tips about the senator, and it wasn’t to befriend his daughter, and it sure as hell wasn’t to have his baby.”
“I’m sorry.”
The baby kicks, and Benjamin looks down at his hand. His brows pull together as the little boy inside of me tries his best to karate chop the shit out of the asshole’s palm.
“It’s a feisty one.” He backs away, tapping his fingers over his mouth. “You know, keeping the senator’s love child a secret might be a good insurance policy for me to have. Especially when he sees how I’m going to treat his daughter.”
I hate to tell him, but the senator isn’t going to give two fucks about how he treats Lily.
Benjamin spins around, grabbing my cheeks in one hand. “As soon as you have this baby, you call me. I want to know where it goes. Do you understand?”
I nod, but there’s no way in hell I will call him.
“I assume you also understand that this conversation remains between us.”
I nod again.
“Your handler’s been too soft on you. I expect verbal answers. Yes or no?” He grips me tighter, his nails digging into my skin.
I struggle to swallow before speaking. “Yes, I understand.”
“Good.” He pats my cheek and then grabs me between the legs so hard, I cry out.
