Bitter Truths (The Denton Family Legacy 3)

“Oliver.”

“Ah, the curse. I was wondering about that. Everything I could find online was just, you know, rumor. Do you feel anything?” he asked.

She didn’t know if she felt anything, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Oliver’s tongue, and every time she looked at him, she thought about how he made her feel. He wanted her to go to him any time she felt the need arise, but that was so embarrassing. How the hell could she do that? Admit that not only she wanted to feel his tongue between her thighs, but also a hell of a lot more. Whenever he wasn’t home, she found herself skipping to the adult channel nearly every single day.

It was embarrassing.

No, not just embarrassing, humiliating, and she was confused. All the time now she was confused.

“I don’t know.” She handed him the files from out of her bag. “I was really hoping you could tell me if you can decipher any of this.”

“You can’t make any sense of it?” he asked, taking the paperwork.

“Nothing. I’ve been trying for days. There are odd words, but Lionel was always worried that someone was after them. I guess he had a right to be worried.”

“Yeah, whoever it was did kill him.”

She flinched, hating the finality to his words.

“I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

“It’s fine. Ten years, I should be used to being told it, don’t you think?”

“Nothing will ever prepare you to feel loss, Ruby. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

She took a deep breath, thanking the waitress as she brought over her coffee and pastry. “How have you been?”

“You’re not going to rant at me. Curse me?”

“Why would I do that?” she asked.

“When I fuck up like that, you usually demand it.”

She shrugged. “I guess I’m growing up or something.”

“Or maybe Oliver Denton is good for you.”

“Maybe.” She thought about his tongue. That was one thing that was good for her.

“Do you want me to get on this quickly?” he asked.

“Pretty much. Anything on the Coltons?”

“Just the usual. Nothing different from Denton, only they’re a surviving family.”

“What is their deal anyway?” she asked, tearing off a piece of her cinnamon bun. “I don’t get it. Oliver doesn’t really talk about it, and neither do any of the others. For the most part, it’s like the name is just the problem.”

“The Coltons were badass people. Between the Dentons and the Coltons they ruled every single element of the dark community.”

“Dark community? Are we talking paranormal?” she asked.

Lewis chuckled. “No. We’re talking black market. Women, guns, drugs, everything that always has to stay hidden. Auc

tions, slavery, the sex market.”

“Oh.”

“Some pretty rough shit. Now, the Dentons, they deal with women, but they offer protection. They’re not just some pimps that beat the shit out of the women. They respect them, offer them protection, privacy, a decent life.”