Ruthless King

Victor nodded. “I’ll stay here. You’re going to Jilly?”

Yeah. And he wasn’t looking forward to it.

Jilly shook her head.She couldn’t believe this.

“There has to be some mistake.”

Regent had come home ten minutes ago to tell her what they’d found. She was sitting in the solarium, her laptop openin front of her, sticky notes everywhere, along with a really dull book from the library that she’d been attempting to read.

Yet she could see none of it.

All she heard were his words.

Sasha was the blackmailer.

Sasha.

Sasha, who’d helped her become a stripper in the first place. It had been her plan.

“But she was my friend.”

“I know, baby. Come here.” He sat beside her and drew her onto his lap so she faced him.

God, she felt so stupid. “There has to be some explanation. Why would she do this? She’s the one who got me the job. Who helped me with my routines. She came up with the whole plan. And she knows why I’m doing it. I have no money! I was living on ramen noodles. Why . . . why . . .”

His face was dark and cold. “I don’t know. But I will make her pay.”

“Was it something I did?” she asked.

Regent grasped hold of her chin. “No, baby. It wasn’t you. It was all her.”

“But why?”

He drew her against him as she shuddered. She thought she would cry, but she couldn’t. Her mind was racing with possibilities.

One thing kept coming back to her.

Pulling back, she stared at him. “I want to see her.”

He shook his head. “Not happening.”

“Please. I have to, Regent. I think . . . I think I can get her to talk. Please.”

“No. It’s dangerous.”

“You’ll keep me safe. I know you will.”

He still shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want you upset!”

Strangely, his anger didn’t upset her. She just breathed happily. “I’m already upset. And I don’t think I will feel better without closure. Please let me talk to her.”

He glanced away, but at least he was thinking about it.

He ran a hand over his head and picked up his phone, tapping on it. Finally, he put it down. “Fine.”