“Excellent. And, Nolan, watch who you hire for the next few weeks,” she said, her tone going back to professional. “The launch is soon, and you have to know that there are people watching. I would be especially careful about bringing in new security.”
That was an odd request, but one he could grant. “I’ll freeze hiring for a few weeks. We have to concentrate on our plans. By the way, should I expect any scrutiny over the disappearance of that woman?”
He couldn’t quite remember her name. Something with a P. She’d had a husband and a couple of kids. That could make things messy. She’d had to be dealt with since he’d discovered she was meeting with a reporter. She’d stumbled across some of the changes he’d made, and the girl had been too clever for her own good.
He’d turned the whole thing over to Jane.
“The husband has been properly handled. He understands if he says anything at all, we’ll kill his children.” Her tone didn’t change, stayed the exact even keel. “He took the money and he’s said all the right things to the police. I don’t think they were madly in love. He had a woman on the side. Lucky for us, his wife was estranged from her family, so no one’s looking for her. I have to go. I’ll contact you later this week. And I’m serious about the hiring. There are people out there who are looking for me, and if they place me close to you the first thing they’ll do is try to hire on at the company. I’d rather they didn’t find me until I’m ready.”
He had questions, but he knew she wouldn’t answer them. “I’ll be careful. I want this to work as much as you do.”
Because if this worked, he would truly be the king of the fucking world. He would be the man who controlled who lived and who died, and he would do it with the stroke of his keyboard.
“See that you do.”
There was a click that let him know he’d been dismissed.
Bitch. He would show her. He would become her Dom and then her god.
He set the phone down and messaged Madeline back.
He would jump through her hoops, and then she would find out how fast that hoop could tighten around her throat.
Chapter Eight
Maddie sat on her bed and rethought every decision she’d made tonight.
Mostly she rethought the decision to bring Deke into her bedroom. How the hell was she supposed to climb into bed with him? Maybe she could sleep in her reading chair. Or out on the couch in the living room. In the moment it had seemed like such a good idea, but now the reality of the day set in. It pressed on her chest and made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.
The door to her bathroom came open and Deke was standing there wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He had another towel in his hand, and he ran it over his dark hair. He looked far too good to be true, every inch of his body muscular and fit. “You doing okay? Everyone in their rightful places?”
Her evening had turned into one long mission briefing where she hadn’t understood half of what they were saying. She’d spent most of her time trying not to show how worried she was. And watching Boomer inhale an unholy amount of food. She’d eaten next to nothing. How could she think about food when the world was falling apart and it might be her fault?
“Yes. Although I think Kyle’s worried Dan is going to try to sneak into MaeBe’s room and…Drake.” She felt herself flush remembering how the man had tricked her. “His name is Drake.”
Deke stepped in front of her. “Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry it got out of hand. I didn’t mean to talk for so long. I just wanted to make sure our Agency friend understands the plan.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. I’m glad we’re getting to bed early. I’ve got a lot to do in the morning. I’ve already heard back from Nolan. He wants to meet you tomorrow.”
His hand came out, brushing over her hair. His tone went deep and smooth. “Then we should get some practice in. I was hoping we could get into the hot tub, but I don’t trust Drake not to try to join us, and then I’ll have to kill him.”
It was hard to believe that it had only been a few hours before that she’d thought seriously about getting into the hot tub naked with him. That moment seemed like it was a world away now. “I’ll be all right. I don’t think we’ll be doing a scene tomorrow. I think the most we have to worry about is coffee.”
“No, but how we present ourselves as a couple is important. And I also think you’ve had a rough day, and this doesn’t have to be about training. I’m using the word to make it easier for you to give yourself permission to relax.”