Protecting Her(16)

“Sure, go ahead.”

I give her a kiss, then go around her. “I’ll see you soon.”

It’s seven at night so Royce should be home. I call him as I’m going to the car. “Royce, it’s Pearce. Are you doing anything? I wanted to stop over.”

“Stop over? You live forty-five minutes away.”

“I’m heading out your way, so will you be around?”

“Yes. Victoria’s at some charity event. I’m supposed to be spending quality time with the baby, whatever the hell that means. Anyway, I’ve got the nanny watching her, so come on over.”

“I’ll see you soon.” As I’m driving there, my other phone rings. My Dunamis phone. My chest tightens, as it always does when they call.

“Hello?” I hear the recording and punch in my member number.

The recording continues. “You will soon be receiving an assignment. It will be given sometime within the next four to eight weeks. You must not travel until you have received and completed your assignment.”

The phone clicks off and I toss it on the seat. I just had an assignment a month ago. I had to get rid of a police report involving one of our freelancers. He completed a kill job for one of the other members and left some evidence behind. It ended up being a complicated, time-consuming assignment, but it could’ve been worse. I’m hoping this next one will be forging documents or something else simple like that.

I drive through the entrance of Royce’s estate. Royce now lives in a mansion, which he moved into after he married Victoria. It’s 18,000 square feet, and Victoria decorated it in a style that I don’t care for, but is common for wealthy people; white furniture, glass tables, crystal chandeliers, expensive paintings on the walls. It’s very cold and sterile.

The maid greets me at the door and shows me to Royce’s office. He doesn’t work, so I don’t know why he needs an office.

“Good evening, Pearce.” He gets up from his desk to greet me. “I hear you have a child.”

“Yes. A son. His name is Garret.”

“Congratulations.” Royce sits back down behind his desk. “I wish I’d had a son.”

I sit across from him. “Royce, don’t say that. You have a beautiful daughter.”

“What the hell am I going to do with a daughter? I told Victoria she can take Sadie and I’ll take the next one, which better be a boy.”

It’s no wonder Royce treats the associates so poorly. He has zero respect for women, even his own daughter.

“What was your son’s name? Garret?” He chuckles. “Maybe Garret and Sadie will grow up and marry each other. We should just arrange it now. They could get married right after college, once your son is a full-fledged member.”

“I think it’s a little too soon to be marrying them off,” I say, trying not to react to his comment. But inside I’m panicking. I have to get Garret out of his obligation. He cannot be in Dunamis.

“The other kid’s probably a boy,” he says under his breath.

“What other kid?”

“What?” He looks up from his desk.

“You just said something about some other kid.”

He straightens up and clears his throat. “It was nothing. Never mind.”

He’s hiding something. And I know what it is. His risky behavior finally caught up with him.

“You got a woman pregnant,” I say. “Was it one of the associates?”

The associates are all on birth control, but that’s not always a hundred percent.

He hasn’t answered me. He’s looking at me like he wants to tell me, but can’t.

“Who is it, Royce?”

He leans forward, his arms planted on his desk, his eyes narrowed. “If I tell you this, you cannot tell anyone. Ever! If you do, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Do not threaten me,” I say, glaring at him. “If you don’t want to tell me, then fine. It was simply a question.”

He sighs and sits back, rubbing his hand over his jaw. “I can’t take this. I have to tell someone.” He looks at me again. “You’re right. I got a girl pregnant. But it wasn’t an associate. It was a girl I met when I was on the road last year. On that campaign tour. We went out, had dinner, had some drinks, and ended up at her place.”

“How old is this girl?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe 21? 22?”