Gentleman Sinner(89)

‘My head’s pounding.’ She places a palm across her brow. ‘Did I get steaming drunk and not remember?’

I bite my lip, wondering how best to break it to her. I take some painkillers from the side table, handing them to her with a glass of water. ‘I think you were drugged, Penny.’ There’s no easy way. It is what it is, and she has to know.

Her face falls into thought; the mental battle she’s having to try to recollect is almost painful to see. ‘Drugged,’ she murmurs, looking down at the two pills in her hand. ‘I don’t remember.’

‘Take them,’ I insist, applying a little pressure to the underside of her hand for her to lift the pills to her mouth.

‘Are they safe?’ She gives me the eye as she tips them in and swallows them down with some water.

I’m biting my lip, liking her joke, but wondering if she’s fully grasped the gravity of what I’ve told her. ‘Penny, do you remember anything?’

‘I remember getting a glass of water.’ She looks past me, squinting. ‘And I remember heading for the dressing room to get ready for my set.’

‘And then?’

‘Nothing.’ She smiles faintly at me, gripping her glass of water with both hands, resting it on her tummy. ‘But I’m guessing that’s a good thing, right?’

I place a hand on her arm and squeeze. After everything she’s been through, this woman, who’s barely even an adult, is still so strong. ‘I’ve arranged for you to take the morning-after pill. It’s just a precaution.’

‘Thank you.’ Already her eyelids are becoming heavy.

‘You should sleep. I’ll go tell Theo that we talked. He’ll be anxious to hear you are okay.’ I back up towards the door, and she sighs, sinking into her pillow, her eyes closing.

‘Thank you for looking after me again, Izzy.’ Her words get quieter towards the end, her grogginess and exhaustion carrying her quickly back into sleep.

I watch her for a few moments before I slip out, closing the door gently behind me. ‘Jefferson!’ I jump, nearly colliding with him as I turn.

‘Miss White.’ He smiles, though it’s tinged with worry.

‘What are you doing here at this hour?’

‘I didn’t want to leave until I’d checked up on the young girl. How is she?’

‘She’s okay . . . I mean fine. . . . Well, she woke but drifted off to sleep again.’ I thumb behind me to the door. ‘Someone should sit with her. I was on my way to tell Theo that she came round.’

‘Ah, Mr Kane has left the grounds.’

I feel my forehead become heavy. Where would he go at this time of night, other than the Playground? Left the grounds? ‘Where’s he gone?’

‘I don’t make it a habit to question his movements, Miss White. I simply serve him.’ He moves past me to the door. ‘I’ll arrange for someone to come up and sit with the girl.’

‘Jefferson,’ I call, making him stop midstride into the room.

‘Yes, Miss White?’ He doesn’t turn around, and I sense it’s because he knows I’m going to ask him something he won’t answer.

‘How long have you been Theo’s butler?’

I can’t see his face, but I expect he’s smiling. ‘I’ve served Mr Kane since he was a babe in arms, though he was rather less demanding of me then.’

‘So you knew his father?’ The interest in my voice is so obvious, I could kick my own arse. I should be ashamed of myself for trying to get Theo’s secrets from his staff, especially when I’ve cut off Theo so curtly. But, damn it, I can’t shake off the curiosity.

This time, Jefferson does turn around. ‘Why, of course I knew his father. This was his house before it was Theo’s.’

‘And the club, was that his, too?’

‘Yes, and the country estate on the south side of the city, where Theo’s mother now resides.’

‘And Theo’s father made all of his fortunes to buy these magnificent properties through running a strip club and organizing illegal prize fights?’

Jefferson smiles, backing into Penny’s room. ‘Good night, Miss White.’

‘Good night, Jefferson.’ He shuts the door and leaves me contemplating what I should do with myself. Theo’s out. I can’t face Judy, or anyone else for that matter. So I head for Theo’s private quarters, pulling my phone from my bag on the way to call Jess. ‘Shit,’ I curse, discovering a dead battery.

Recalling a charging station on the sideboard in the lounge, I head straight there and hook up my phone, then go to get changed. I enter Theo’s dressing room and pull down a shirt to sleep in, quickly changing into it and tugging my hair back as I make my way to his bathroom. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and head back to my phone. Five percent. It’s enough. I pull it free and fire it up, the notifications of a few missed calls from Jess popping up when it comes to life. I dial her and slump on to the couch.

‘Finally,’ she blurts down the line. ‘I’ve been trying to call you.’

‘My phone died,’ I explain. ‘Sorry. Things have been—’

‘Yes, I heard.’

I look down at my phone. ‘You did? How?’

‘Callum turned up a few hours ago.’