Ruthless King

She was so innocent. So sweet.

There was no way she could handle any of his needs and desires. He knew that.

Just as he knew, there was no place for someone like her in his life.

But finding out how reckless she was with her safety . . . well, that had ensured that he would definitely be checking in on her more often.

“Everything all right?” Jose asked from where he sat in the driver’s seat.

“Not exactly.”

“What is it?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with Ms. Crane?”

He’d noticed that she’d flinched earlier when he’d used her full name.

It made him wonder what The Crane had been like to live with. He’d assumed he was made from the same cloth as Regent’s father. But perhaps he hadn’t been.

Laurent Malone had never touched his children in anger. He’d never touched them with love either.

However, he wondered if the same could be said about Orlando Crane. Damn it. Wouldn’t he have noticed something like that? If he’d been physically abusive to his daughter?

Not that being emotionally abusive wasn’t bad enough.

Perhaps he’d missed something, though.

And he didn’t like missing things.

She was a loose thread he had to keep an eye on.

“Nothing that I can’t figure out. But I want her boss looked into. It sounds like she’s been bullying her.”

He’d gotten a bit more information out of Jilly. Her boss had kept her back to give her more training tonight. Although he had a feeling there was more that Jilly wasn’t telling him.

Something she was embarrassed about.

“Get someone in there undercover for a while. They can pretend to be a patron, get some books out, get a feel for what is going on.”

“Not sure we have anyone who is going to blend in,” Jose pointed out.

Fuck. He wasn’t wrong.

“But I do have an idea of who you could send in,” Jose added.

“Who?”

“What about Gracen?” Jose asked.

Was he fucking mad?

“Gracen? Not happening. Victor would lose it.”

“It’s not dangerous, though, right? It’s a library. Or is her boss threatening to harm Ms. Crane?” Jose asked.

Was she threatening her? Surely, Jilly would have told him that.

“I don’t think so.”

But he should know for sure. And it annoyed him that he didn’t.