Page 40 of Rebellious Reign

Wryn’s head rises to mine, her eyes blinking against the water droplets falling down her forehead. I place mine against hers, breathing, my hands stilling.

But maybe I am. I crave control since I’ve had no access to it.

“What can I do to help?” I whisper to Wryn.

She cups my cheeks with her hands, letting her towel fall down her body. “I don’t know that anyone can help, but could you make me forget?”

I nod, bending down to pick her up, and then I carry her into my room and lay her on my bed before reaching to undo the front of my wet clothing.

13

CONNOR

Afew days later, without anything needing my immediate attention, I pummel a punching bag with one hand to get some of my adrenaline out. My damaged hand is still too injured to smash into a hard bag, but I’m surprisingly effective with the method I’ve got going. My muscles are screaming for relief when, out of the corner of my eye, I see Brigette hovering at the open door to the gym. I slow, grabbing the bag to stop it from swinging, and then turn to face her.

She’s wary, skittish, and I can instantly sense that something is off with her. She’s always been a rock here, steadfast, so I don’t like her acting this way.

“What’s wrong?” I say.

She steps inside, shutting the door behind her. She has one hand underneath her apron, and my instincts put me on edge, knowing that a hidden hand is never good. She could pull anything out, and my first thought is to disarm her. But she shows me what she has before I can do that. She’s holding a phone.

I frown.

“Sorry to bother you, sir,” she says, glancing back over her shoulder before stepping closer. “I wanted to show you this.” She holds her hand out, and I walk to retrieve it. “I found it in Francesca’s things.”

“What were you doing, going through her things?”

I watch a few emotions flit across Brigette’s face. Fear. Guilt. Resolve. She settles on the last.

“She’s been off since she arrived. Not exactly like when she was here before. She’s been giving me weird vibes, and I started to get suspicious.”

“Why didn’t you come to me?”

“I didn’t want to throw the poor girl under the bus if nothing was wrong. I know she’s been through a lot. I thought I would do a little digging on my own, and I found out she had two phones. That one and a burner, which is the one that she openly uses.”

I look down at the phone I’m holding. It’s a newer model, touch screen with a camera. This one is a personal phone.

Why would she need a burner when she has this one?

I did think it was weird that she took so long to come here after the night Fernando was beaten up. And then to be kicked out and not return home? She was waiting around for something.

My pulse pounds—and not just from the workout I put in.

“Thank you for bringing this to me.”

She nods, then turns abruptly and walks out, headed back toward the kitchen. I spin the phone in my hand, trying to decide what to do about it.

It might be nothing. Maybe she brought her phone with her and then realized she shouldn’t use it in case she could be tracked and bought a burner phone?

I need to ask Wryn which number she contacted her on. This is too fishy to be normal. And now, she’s living under my roof. I knew I had a bad feeling about the situation, but I foolishly thought it was because she was running from the Leonis and an arranged marriage.

Anger flares as I wonder if there is even an arranged marriage or if it was a sob story to get close to us, to win our trust, to infiltrate our lives.

Is Fernando in on it?

No, he can’t be. He’s loyal to me. I hope.

I clench the phone in my fist as I stalk to find Geo. He’s not in any of the places I generally find him. Come to think of it, usually, he would be in the gym with me.

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