Page 14 of Theirs to Corrupt
I force myself to look back at the file. Police reports. Bank statements. And then…
Fucking hell.
No.
“He’s trying to sell her?” My grip on the glass tightens dangerously.
Pax nods grimly. “He’s in deep with some seriously bad people.”
Because a tic is ready to explode in Pax’s temple, I flip the page and see a candid shot of a Tessa I don’t recognize.
Her figure is a little fuller, and she’s less guarded, actually smiling. She’s wearing a sundress and floppy hat.
Then I scan the text.
In it, she’s referred to as a virgin, and bids to fuck her are being solicited. The opening minimum is one hundred thousand dollars.
The amount Tremaine owes me.
Rage, raw and primal, threatens to swallow me, and I shove the file folder, sending the contents scattering.
I’ve dealt with all manner of motherfuckers in my line of work, but this…this is a new low.
“What you didn’t read… Emiliano Sartori offered one hundred fifty to stop the auction so that he could claim her and marry her.”
“Fuck.”I stand abruptly and pace the length of my office like a caged animal. “No fucking way.”
Pax studies me carefully. “Is this just about Axel?”
Ready to lash out, I turn and snarl.
But the knowing look in Pax’s eyes stops me cold. There’s curiosity and compassion, not judgment. Regarding him, I counter, “Tell me you don’t feel it too.”
For a moment, he says nothing. Then he raises his hands in a placating gesture. “Just asking, boss.”
Somewhat mollified, I sink against the back of my chair. “You know damn well it’s more than Axel.” Which is why we’ve stopped by the bar at least three times a week, why we drive past the bar almost every night, why we follow her home.
Pax remains silent.
“She’s not like anyone else.” Women angling for money or prestige or both. But Nikki—Tessa—wants nothing to do with me. With either of us.
“Interesting.” He takes a drink.
I picture Tessa’s face. The wariness in her gaze, the determination in the set of her jaw. Her quiet strength and resolve.
“The idea of anyone hurting her…” I clench my fists, the rage bubbling up again.
Not happening. Not while there’s breath in my body.
I fix Pax with an intense stare. “What about you?”
“Yeah. There’s something about her.” He rolls his glass between his palms. “Vulnerability with a core of steel.”
My response to her is primal.
I stand and pace to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Tessa’s out there, alone.