“I told you last time, I have no interest in selling Violet Cabot to anyone.” Devlin sounded annoyed.
I guess that’s good to hear—at least I know he was telling me the truth about a buyer and their offer. But why?
“Fine. I’ll hear your new offer.” Devlin exhaled sharply. “But twenty million isn’t going to cut it, and I certainly don’t want my father in prison.”
Twenty million dollars? Holy shit.
“Interesting.” Devlin’s tone changed. “You could do that?”
Do what?
“Tell me more.” Devlin stepped away from the door and I peeked through the crack in the door in time to see him sit down.
Wait, he’s getting comfortable? I know he’s not actually going to consider—selling me!
“I’m glad to see that you’ve learned to approach me with something besides money.” Devlin nodded. “An eighteen-year-old virgin—with a five-year contract—and she’s a redhead? That could be fun.”
I haven’t even aged a year and he’s talking about trading me in for a newer model?
“You should know that I have claimed every part of her body—the last drop of her innocence is still on my dick. Sure you’re still interested?” Devlin chuckled.
Well there’s the asshole I remember. Why did I ever trust him?
“You’ll have to honor the contract I made with her, of course. If we make this trade, you’ll have to get Hugo Cabot out of prison. Are you absolutely sure you can make that happen?” Devlin leaned back and kept the phone pressed to his ear.
He said he was the only one who could make that happen… Who the hell is he talking to?
“Okay, call me tomorrow. Let me think about it.” Devlin hung up the phone.
I ran back towards the bedroom as soon as he stood. My thoughts were in shambles. I crawled into bed and waited for him to return, but he didn’t come straight to the bedroom. I heard him walk downstairs and he was gone for several minutes before he finally came back. He crawled into bed and put his hand on mine as he slid into position behind me.
“Who was the phone?” I looked over my shoulder, trying to keep my composure.
“Just some—business stuff.” He pressed his lips to the side of my neck.
“I thought I heard you say my name…” I raised an eyebrow as I spoke.
“Oh, yeah—house stuff.” He nodded and dropped his head against the pillow. “Nothing important.”
That’s not true. Now he’s lying to me. I gave him everything he asked for, and now that he’s had it, he’s ready to move on…
Did I ever mean anything to him at all?TenDevlinOnce I returned to Violet, she wouldn't meet my gaze.
She seemed far away once I got back to the room, and before I got the chance to question her about it, my phone went off again, alerting me to its presence.
"I'm sorry, princess," I muttered, furrowing my brows when I saw the number was blocked. The buyer again? Maybe he was going to make me an even better offer...
The only reason I'd gone along with it in the first place was because I needed to keep the guy on the line as long as possible, so Jasper could try and track the call. But I had no way of knowing if it had worked. Jasper had said it might take hours to get a read on the location.
"I have to take this," I told Violet, and she responded with a sad little nod. "I'll be right back. Get nice and comfortable for me."
She nodded again, and I left her on the bed as I strode out of the room.
"Talk to me," I said into the phone, closing the door of the bedroom behind me. I didn't want Violet to listen in. Hearing the news might just upset her.
"Devlin," an all-too-well-known voice said. "I'm glad you finally decided to answer my calls. All I needed was a number you don’t recognize…”
My mouth set in a thin line and I rubbed my temples, muttering, "Dad, what's this about?"
"I've been calling you a lot," he said, the accusatory tone evident in his voice. "It seems I need to hide my number, so you'll actually accept one of my calls. I'm only here to help you, son. I have something you want."
"Something I want?" I repeated. "What could that be?"
"I know who the buyer is," my father told me. I could practically see the smirk on his face as he delivered the news. "I know who's trying to buy your favorite little toy."
"How could you possibly know that?" I asked mockingly, but my heart had sped up.
I was desperate to find out the identity of the secret caller. He kept masking his voice, and I'd come no closer in my quest to find him. But soon enough, I'd be able to put a name to the voice - at least if my father was telling the truth.