Page 44 of Draco's Defiance
Straightening, she closed her eyes, although her thoughts, as ever, were coming in loud and clear. I don’t know what to say. How can I believe him, but then why would he lie about such a batshit crazy thing?
“Batshit?” He snorted, aware that was precisely how it sounded.
“You have to show me, Draco.” Her eyes flitted open, her gaze determined.
“Show you?” Was she serious? Didn’t she realize how enormous dragons were? Probably not, he corrected. Few people have ever seen them.
“Yes, show me.” The woman sat beside him now was every inch the lawyer. Her voice echoed with resolve, her stare stern. “In order to believe, I have to see.”
Chapter Eighteen
Oliver
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SHE’S not in the office?”
Sitting in his father’s office, Oliver slammed his fist against the aged desk. The furniture in the place was much like his dad; old-fashioned and out of date. When he finally took control of the Monroe business empire, he’d have the entire study ripped out and redesigned. Or, even better, I’ll build my own beautiful office full of obedient and scantily-clad women. He smiled at the warming thought, imagining those needy and compliant girls on their knees. The pleasant image was splintered by the grating tone of Jeffries’ receptionist.
“I’m sorry, sir, but as I said, Miss Craig is not in the office today.” She paused, as though repeating the same thing back to him was going to appease his mood. “Can I put you through to one of her colleagues?”
“No.”
Irritated, he snapped at the hapless woman. Moira’s absence wasn’t her fault, but she had the misfortune of being the person who’d answered his call. The lovely Miss Craig was fast becoming elusive. Sure, she’d expedited his legal matter, but she’d slipped through his fingers at the bistro, helped, at least in part, by another of the annoying Vaughn brothers. That’s why he’d gone to pay Rebecca a visit... To remind those assholes that he wasn’t going away. He’d taken one woman from right under their noses when he’d snatched Cherie from the Vaughn mountain lodge, and he could do the same again.
“She never mentioned anything about holiday time when I saw her last week.” Swiveling in his father’s chair, he envisioned Moira in her tight business suit. She looked lovely when she pretended to be his equal, but he was going to enjoy peeling away those layers and reminding her what women were really good for. “Why not?”
“I-I don’t know, sir,” the receptionist stammered. “I think perhaps the time away was spontaneous, but I’m not one hundred percent certain.”
Spontaneous? The whole situation reeked of the Vaughns. Whenever there were challenges in his life, one of those fuckers was usually at the bottom of it. That must be why his traitorous sister had fitted in with them so well.
“WHEN IS SHE BACK IN the office?”
“I believe she’s back tomorrow, sir,” came the reply. “Can I leave a message for her?”
Pressing the appropriate button, Oliver ended the call without a reply. It didn’t matter what the receptionist thought. She was irrelevant. What mattered was taking down the bloody Vaughns. His father wanted to bring Rebecca to heel before grabbing the competitor’s financial wing, but deep down, Oliver just wanted anarchy. Rocking the boat wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted to blow up the whole Vaughn ship.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cellular phone and found the video he’d recorded of his recent social visit to his sister. She’d been hiding out with Sebastian Vaughn, the guy whose bed she currently shared, thinking she was safe from Monroe’s grasp, but as ever, she’d been stupid.
Oliver had tracked her down with ease, and spent most of Saturday holed up outside Sebastian’s swanky pad, biding his time. He knew all he required was patience. Enough fortitude to wait it out until lover boy left her alone. After all, it was only a matter of time.
Getting past what the Vaughn’s called security was simple. Posing as a delivery driver, he used one of Rebecca’s recent deliveries to their family home as a prop to convince the moron on the front gate that he should let Oliver pass. After that, it had been easy. A short walk to the entrance and a hard knock on the front door.
Pressing play on the video, he leaned back in the chair and enjoyed the start of the show. The look on Rebecca’s face as she opened the door, his first moment of joy.
“NO!” SHE’D TRIED TO slam the door shut in front of him, but Oliver had anticipated the response. Shoving his body weight behind the door, he moved first, pushing her back inside the hallway and letting himself in. She was climbing to her feet as he closed the door behind him.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” Her terrified expression was sublime. “I don’t want you here!”
“Now, that’s not a very nice way to greet your own brother.” Ensuring he had caught her shocked reaction on camera, he went on. “You abandoned us, Becky. Left your own family to stay with our competitors. Dad’s concerned. Mum’s been in pieces. They wanted me to come and check on you, that’s all.”
It was bullshit, of course. Jonas had plans to take his daughter back into his custody, but neither he nor Gloria had asked Oliver to take the action. That was all about him, all about the twisted relationship he shared with his sister.
“Check on me?” She spat the words at him, snarling as though she had any say over what happened next. It was classic Rebecca. “None of you give a shit. You’re toxic—all of you!”
“We’re your fucking family.” He, of all people, realized that meant next to nothing. The Monroes were anything but a happy clan. “Why are you shacked up with this asshole?”
He stared around the space, noticing the contemporary aesthetic. Oliver had to admit; it was much more to his taste than Jonas’ style.
“How dare you come here.” Her chest rose and fell as her emotions swelled. “You have no right!” Lifting her fist, she sent it crashing down in the direction of his torso, but he caught her wrist and halted her attempted assault.