16. Dom
16
DOM
O nce Corey was in the shower, I put on my dressing gown and sat on one of the chairs near my bay window, looking out at the snowy courtyard. I’d slept, really truly slept for six hours. Hard. Too hard for someone who needed to be on alert. I couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.
I texted Beatrice and asked her to bring breakfast for me and Corey to my room. I expected her to question me, but all she said in return was be right there.
She might say something to me about Corey’s presence in my bedroom in private, but at least I knew she wouldn’t spread the word around. Besides, for all she knew he was just here to talk over further plans to keep him safe. Right. Because that couldn’t have happened in my office, and I always invited my guests to use my shower.
When she arrived moments later, the shower was still running. She glanced toward the bathroom and smiled.
“You don’t need to make any comments.”
Her smile grew wider. “No comments about someone—presumably Corey—using your shower. Does his need maintenance?”
I scowled at her. “No.”
She set down a tray with a selection of pastries, a coffee carafe, cups, and a covered plate. When she lifted the top I saw it was piled high with bacon. “Will this do for now? I know you’re likely very hungry.”
“Beatrice, that’s enough.”
“I only meant because you had a scare last night.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you know about that?”
“Enough to be even more alert than usual for trouble.”
“Roberto is no longer with us.”
She raised her brows. “In a permanent sense or he’s returned to Lucien’s household?”
“He’s in hell where Lisa belongs.”
“Ah. Right. Well then, if I see him, I will certainly alert you.”
I huffed. “Do that. Six and Muffin are here now. I expect they will do a better job protecting the house.”
She smiled. “I hope so, and thanks for telling me. I’ll double what I’d planned to make for lunch. Those two can really eat.”
“True. I trust you won’t mention anything about my breakfast arrangements.”
“Of course not.” She gestured to the tray. “There’s cream and sugar here, Corey?—”
“Likes both. I know that.”
“I see. You’ve obviously been watching him closely.”
I snorted. “I watch everything closely, you know that.”
The water turned off, and I heard the shower door open.
“I’ll be on my way,” Beatrice said. “I don’t want to interrupt…whatever business you have with each other.”
I pointed at the door, and she laughed as she made her way out.
When Corey stepped out of the bathroom with his hair wet and curled from the steam, wearing my robe, my cock stirred, and I almost ordered him back to bed.
He noticed me staring and twirled around, showing himself off. “You like me in your robe?”
I scowled at him. I couldn’t give in to his flirtation. I needed to tell him the rest of the truth about Lisa. He needed to know the type of woman he was up against, and how serious it was that he let me take the lead in protecting him.
“If not, I could always take it off.” He started to let the garment drop from his shoulders.
“No.”
“No?” He stuck out his lip as he pulled it back up.
“Not now.”
“That’s better. I’ll save that for later.”
“Sit down.” I gestured toward the chair on the other side of the small table. “Have some breakfast.” As he did so, I picked up a coffee cup, filled it, then added cream and sugar.
When I held it out to him, he laid a hand on his chest. “You know how I like my coffee?”
“I watch people. It’s a useful habit in my line of work.”
“Thank you.”
I tensed. I hadn’t realized it was such a big deal to him. I wanted to object to his thanks. Instead, I said, “You’re welcome.”
He took a plate and chose a pastry and some bacon while I poured my own coffee.
“You take yours black, right?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Except on the rare occasion when I indulge in a cappuccino.”
He frowned. “That’s not much of an indulgence. You should have one every morning.”
“Too much fuss. I got used to traveling a lot and taking whatever coffee I could get.”
“Just because you were used to it doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself now. You can have anything you want.”
If only that was true. “No, I can’t.”
“But—”
“Let me worry about my coffee habits. That’s not what we need to talk about now. There are lots of things I didn’t tell you about Lisa.”
He startled and looked up. “You’re ready to tell me more?”
“Yes. She wasn’t just a bitch who cheated on me and betrayed me, the story is a lot worse than that, but the main thing you need to know is that she’s the one who wants you—and me—dead. That’s why X sent you here.”
His eyes widened, and he made a strangled noise. “What?”
“The woman you saw talking to the senior partners was Lisa.”
“No way. She’s the one sending inferior medicines out? She’s the one who…?”
“All of it. She’s the one leading the whole enterprise.”
He reached out and took my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
His reaction startled me. I thought he’d be angry or at least freaked out. Why was he comforting me? “That I didn’t track her down? That I didn’t find her and kill her as soon as I was able to?”
He frowned. “No, that she hurt you. And now she’s hurting you again—and a lot more people.”
“She’s spent her whole life hurting people. And I haven’t done a fucking thing to stop her.” I squeezed my eyes shut as pain cut off my ability to breathe. I wasn’t sure if it was psychological or physical, but it felt real as hell.
“Dom, are you okay?”
“No.” I made myself look at him.
“At least you were honest this time.”
His words forced a laugh from me. Damn, he was so unexpectedly fucking refreshing. This was ridiculous. I wasn’t going to turn into a sap over a man like my sons had.
“I convinced myself she had what she wanted after she left me. I thought she would take her money and go live a nice life on an island somewhere. At least I wanted to believe that.”
“Why would she come back now, and how did she get involved in something so disgusting?” Corey asked.
“I assume she ran out of money or met the right person to be a partner in a new scheme. Maybe she got herself in trouble and needed to do someone a favor, though I doubt it. I’ve never met anyone as slick as her, and if you think I’m cold, she makes me seem like summer in the tropics.”
Corey set down the piece of bacon he’d been about to bite into. “What else happened? What did you keep back last night?”
I could tell from the look on his face that he knew it was bad. I would get there, but I had to move into it slowly. I refilled my coffee cup before I spoke. “I told you our marriage was more of a business arrangement than anything else, but I never suspected Lisa was evil, despite knowing how to observe people and determine when they were lying. She played the vapid rich wife so fucking well. And now I know she loved the number she did on me. I was…legendary in some circles. Never been caught. Never made a mistake.”
“Shit. You missed who she was when she was right there every day. I know you have to hate that so much.”
His words hurt but I didn’t let him see it. He was mostly right. “I spent as much time away from her as I could. I was still taking contracts and traveling nearly nonstop. We were apart more than we were together, but I forgot my number one rule: always watch your back.”