Page 57 of Dominated

He shook his head. “But there could be some in the club, which is why I didn’t want to discuss things down there.” He put his hands on my face, aiming my gaze up at him. “Let’s get to it before we run out of time.” He took a deep breath. “I told you that I was going to ask you a question that would require an immediate answer. That you wouldn’t have more than a few seconds to give me your response.”

“Ask me.”

No matter what came out of his mouth, I didn’t believe that this was the end of Bale and me.

That he didn’t want me.

That this was our good-bye.

His hands dropped from my face, and silence ticked between us, but his eyes were screaming as he looked at me. “Not until I explain why I’m here.” He glanced at the carpet, his hand raking through his long strands, gripping them like he wanted to pull them out. “I’m a watcher, Pepper. What that means is, people hire me to observe, to gather information, to provide the data they need and ask for. They pay me an obscene amount of money for my services.”

After my conversation with Scarlett, this news didn’t surprise me.

What surprised me was the emotion I’d heard in his voice.

That I saw in his face.

What I had known before he even said it, but I still had to ask, “You were hired to watch me, weren’t you?”

His chest rose once, twice, and then he finally glanced up and said, “Yes.”

My throat tightened. “What information did they want? And what are they going to do with it?”

More quietness filled the little space between us, but his expression was loud.

So fucking loud.

In fact, it was screaming as he looked at me. “Pepper …” His voice trailed off, and he sounded almost breathless. “Once they have access to your full client list, they’re going to bury you and take over your business.”

“What?”

His response was like an eighteen-wheeler without brakes, heading directly for me. I couldn’t prepare. I couldn’t react. I couldn’t move out of the way. All I could do was hold on with both hands and see my fate before my eyes.

“They know how much money you make. How much power you have over the elite since this is something you can dangle in front of their faces. They want what you have.”

“How? No! I don’t believe it. That’s impossible—”

His hand moved to my neck, cutting me off. “You need to believe that there are people in this world who are after blood. They won’t stop until they get what they want. And right now, their target is you. They’re not going to ask for it. They’re just going to take it.”

My pulse was vibrating so fast that I could hear it in my voice when I said, “How do I stop them?”

“You can’t.”

I … can’t?

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

I didn’t even know what to ask.

But I had to speak.

I had to know more.

I had to fix this.

Solve it.

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