Page 36 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

“As I’m sure you’re aware, we’ve been questioning your father for some weeks about his involvement in an organised crime ring,” Brax began, scowling down at her.

Kate looked away at the reminder that she shared blood with a man who had helped bring misery to so many people. Not just blood—hisname. “I imagine you’re helping him to repent.”

Brax grinned maliciously at that. “I think it’s fair to say he’s quite uncomfortable, yes. But he’s been, shall we say, reluctant to share any knowledge that he may have about Graves or his operation.”

She snorted. “I would have thought the drug and alcohol withdrawals would have him singing like a canary.”

“Not in the way we wanted.”

“Is it possible that he doesn’t have the information you need?”

Brax shook his bald head. “We’ve searched every inch of your family home, including his laptop and phone. He was conversing with Graves regularly—at least three times a week. The navigation history on his phone has demonstrated that he’s been to sites that we know Graves has operated from. Other leads have all confirmed that your father and Graves were close partners, working together to feed trafficked girls and women into your father’s club. Your father knows much more about Graves than he’s let on, Miss Charlton.”

Her face screwed up at the name like a bad smell had descended upon the room. “Do you know if I can change my name? My last name, I mean.”

Taken aback by her question, Brax quickly recovered. “Off the top of my head, you’re able to change it by deed poll for a fee. I’m not sure what it is though.”

A fee. Everything always had a fee.

“I do think you’re able to help with the investigation, however,” he said.

“How?”

“Your father doesn’t know you’re here as a guest.”

Was that what she was? A guest?

Brax carried on. “He thinks you’re being held and questioned, as he is. Given his reluctance to provide the information we need…” He hesitated. “One of my team members suggested that your father may be more likely to answer our questions if he actuallysawyou suffering the consequences.”

Her panicked eyes darted to the unlocked door, pondering her chance of successfully escaping. “You want to torture me in front of him?” Did Warren know about this?

“We would use special effects make-up to give the appearance of torture. You would not actually be harmed.”

“So it would all just be pretend? Like acting?”

“Exactly,” Brax’s gruff voice was the deepest she’d ever heard. “Like acting.”

Kate wasn’t convinced. She was never very good at acting. “But what if he still doesn’t talk? What if you go to all that trouble and then he sits there?”

Brax raised his enormous shoulders. “We’ll take you away and apply heavier make-up.”

Her nose creased as she scrunched up her face. “And if he sees through the make-up?”

Digging into his trouser pocket, Brax pulled out his phone. A few swipes later, he held it out to Kate.

An album of gruesome photographs was displayed. Some were clearly Halloween inspired, with black eyes or horns. Others were straight up gruesome, with peeled skin, acid burns, or exposed bone. “These are all fake, right? The injuries?”

She wouldn’t put it past Brax to have a trophy album of his most grisly exploits.

“Right.”

“Good,” she said faintly. “That’s good.”

Thankfully, Braxton turned the phone away. “So you’ll do it?”

Her lips parted when she saw movement on one of the screens. Saffron sat down on the bench in front of the koi pond, her shoulders visibly shaking as she sobbed.

“I’ll do it,” Kate decided, thinking of Saffron’s mother, who had died imprisoned and prostituted. She thought of Saffron’s sister too, a little girl in a terrible situation. “When do you need me?”

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