Page 39 of Vicious Seduction

I grabbed him by the hand and led him over to my sewing area. “So how will this work?” I asked quietly, hoping he got the drift that I’d prefer my roommate didn’t know I’d been coerced into dating him.

“I’ll pick you up for Wednesday dinner at the club. In the meantime, I’ll explain to Wellington how circumstances have changed. You don’t need to say or do athing.” Meaning I wasn’t allowed to communicate with the man.

“It’s still going to be awkward as hell. You know that, right?”

“If anyone can get herself through an awkward situation, it’s you.”

Was that … a compliment? I wasn’t used to those and felt horribly out of my depth.

“Yeah, well. We’ll see,” I muttered.

He started to turn toward the door but pulled up short, tugging me close against him, my thighs intertwined with his. His lips feathered over my ear. “Night, baby. And be good. I’ll be watching.” With that, he left, taking my equilibrium with him.

Jesus, what had I gotten myself into?

CHAPTER 19

ORAN

I wasn’t jokingwhen I told Lina I would be watching her. Cameras, GPS, spyware on her computer—I was locked in where Lina Schultze was concerned. She wouldn’t be able to sneeze without me knowing.

So why did I feel like I was minutes from losing my shit after only a few days away from her?

I was going insane. Why else would I have already developed such an intense need to be near her? I had a sneaking suspicion I wouldn’t breathe easy unless she was within reach or until Wellington was dead. Neither of those options aligned with my plans, which meant I’d had to make some adjustments.

Originally, I’d wanted to save my big revealthat Lina was mine as part of the grand finale—my way of kicking Wellington when he was down. Instead, the news was served as an appetizer with a full five-course meal of devastation to follow.

We needed to touch base one more time about the arrangements for our first shipment transaction. He didn’t want to meet in public, so I stopped by his office and used the opportunity to share the big news of my engagement.

Considering how blasé the man had been about sharing Lina, he grew surprisingly agitated when I told him. He fidgeted in his seat—a very uncharacteristic action—and a pulsing vein bulged from his forehead.

“I hope you understand,” I offered disingenuously. “Sometimes two people are just meant for one another. It’s just one of those crazy things. I might have worried, but after our initial talk, I knew you were a businessman through and through. Besides, I’m sure you keep your options open anyway.”

Crimson blotches crept up his neck like steam overtaking a bathroom mirror.

“So that would explain her absence and excuses over the past two weeks.” He lifted his chin, clearly battling over whether it was better to look unaffected or to defend his claim. In the end, the weasel in him won out. “No matter. I’ve always been of the opinion that the dependence on any one person is a detriment. Where women are concerned, the supply is unending.”

Pathetic.

It was that same callous mentality that allowed him to continue working with traffickers.

Get ready, asshole. Judgment day is coming.

Soon.

“Glad to hear it.” I stood and extended my hand. “Youknow where to reach me if anything comes up before the shipment date.”

“And Donati? He’s still on board? I haven’t heard from him or any of the Morettis.”

This time, my smile came easily. “I spoke with him yesterday. He’s just as committed to this joint venture as I am. I promise you that.”Committed to fucking you over.

Wellington had navigated the first of his misfortunes, but two days later, I planned to put his pride to the test by taking Lina to Wednesday night dinner at the club. And not long after that, his entire world would begin to crumble.

“Take it off. Find something else to wear.”

Lina gaped at me. Hell, I was internally gaping at myself.

“Why? You were the one who told me to wear the damn dress.” She was right. I had.

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