Page 16 of Vicious Games

It was like I was possessed. All the questions. All the doubts. All the nagging fears regarding his involvement in my family’s demise came bubbling to the surface like hot, destructive lava. My rebellion had started with my short dress and then caught fire.

Roman’s eyes narrowed. “I’m warning you, Aurora.”

I recklessly continued. “Warning me that you’ll what? Ruin my life? Hold me prisoner in your house? Cheat me out of my inheritan—”

The waiter returned with a massive silver platter filled with ice. Nestled on top were over a dozen raw oysters with bright yellow lemon wedges.

I took advantage of the momentary distraction to pull my hand free from his grasp. “I need the loo.”

I rose and scurried around the waiter before Roman objected. Too angry to remember to not draw attention to myself, I stormed past the other dining patrons, ignoring their curious glances, to the back of the restaurant.

Grateful there was no one else in the ladies’ room when I entered, I tossed my purse on the black marble counter and took several deep breaths. Running some cold water from the tap, I soaked a linen towel from the small pile nearby and pressed it to my hot cheeks, all while silently chastising myself.

I should not have said those things. Roman was a dangerous man to cross and telling him I suspected he had a role in my being charged with murder had not been smart.

Plus, it had been childish and silly.

Of course, he couldn’t have been involved. It was an insane notion. It implied he had somehow been a puppet master, lurking behind the scenes of my life until just the right moment to pounce. The idea was ludicrous. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d known I would show up at his office and stupidly fire a gun, getting gunshot residue all over my hands. Or that he had some kind of magical power over the detective investigating the case.

And as for the embezzlement, I had overheard Alfred admit as much to my mother. It was unfair to say that Roman stole my inheritance. It wasn’t really mine. Alfred stole from one of Roman’s companies. It was perfectly legal for him to seek his own money back by any means necessary. To imply Roman deliberately took the money somehow to make me penniless and vulnerable so that I would have no choice but to rely on his kindness was even crazier than thinking he had somehow manipulated Alfred into pulling the trigger.

I wet the towel a second time and pressed it to my chest. I took several deep breaths.

I had to stop blaming Roman for my own misfortune. He had nothing to do with any of it, not the money or the murder charges.

I grimaced at my reflection in the mirror.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t blame him for everything else!

He may act like the dream boyfriend by showering me with expensive gifts and being great in bed, but that didn’t discount that he was overly possessive and controlling. Imagine implying that I needed to ask his permission to go to the Conservatoire?

Still, he had been trying to apologize. Well, sort of. It was a crap apology, but a man like Roman couldn’t be expected to be good at apologizing. Being good meant you got practice at it, and I doubted that man had apologized to more than a handful of people his entire life.

Once again, my mercurial mind spun, unable to decide if I loved or hated the man.

I tossed the wet towel into the bin.

Fuck. What had I done?

Here Roman had planned a special night out and all I had done so far was try to ruin it, starting with wearing this stupid dress purely out of spite.

I violently tugged down on my dress hem. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. It was far too revealing and short. I had been terribly uncomfortable in it from the moment I put it on. And then I had to go and pick a fight when he was trying to apologize.

I leaned over the counter and swept the tips of my fingers under both eyes to get rid of the watery black mascara marks my tears had caused. Grabbing my purse, I swept open the restroom door and exited into the dim, narrow hallway, running straight into the chest of some stranger.

“Hello there, sexy. Looking for a daddy?”

CHAPTER 8

AURORA

I was so embarrassed at colliding with someone, I didn’t at first hear what he said. “Sorry,” I mumbled as I lowered my head and tried to get past him.

The man stretched out both arms to block my way. “Not so fast. We didn’t have time to talk.”

I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. “I’m sorry, what?”

The man licked his lips. “You are a sweet piece, aren’t you?”

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