Page 60 of Tamed

Livia grimaced. “No. She only has trusted people in her household. People who’d been in the family for years. She’s even more careful than James.”

Fuck. That didn’t leave me with a lot of options.

I could try the direct approach, contact Charlotte for a meeting for example. But the Hamiltons had never forgotten that I happened to be Ten’s friend, a man associated with the death of their princess, and who’d likely hidden their granddaughter from them. They had no love for me either.

“Okay. See what your guy can dig up,” I ordered.

Livia’s jaw set. “I don’t want use him for—”

“This is important, Livia.” I didn’t look away. I let her see just how important. “This is Charlotte’s granddaughter we’re talking about and if they’re planning something to do with her, I need to know.”

“If he’s discovered, that’s it. I can’t get another guy in there.”

“Those are my orders,” I said. “Do it.”

Her lips compressed. She was not happy and if I’d been her, I wouldn’t have been happy either. You didn’t put precious contacts at risk needlessly.

But this wasn’t needless. This concerned Isabel and I needed as much information as I could get. Shit, if the contact did his job properly, he’d stay hidden and the Hamiltons wouldn’t be any the wiser.

“Okay,” Livia said. “I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

I didn’t bother with goodbyes, I turned around and left the alley, automatically checking my vicinity for any tails. Coming out on my own and incognito was also a risk, but nothing beat old school one on one interaction. Texts, emails, phone calls could all be intercepted, which is why I always preferred face to face. It wouldn’t hurt for Livia either. She needed to see me, see that I was still in charge, a reminder of who held the power here.

It may not have been necessary, but it wouldn’t hurt. Old habits died hard.

The rain was still coming down, soaking the hoodie I was wearing. I’d come via the subway, and I was going to return home that way too, but the thought of Isabel kept replaying in my head.

Livia wasn’t the only one who needed some face-to-face time.

Isabel’s blow up todaywasmy fault. I should have confronted her first thing this morning rather than letting her stew all weekend and then all day. I knew her, knew her temper, knew how much she hated being ignored her. And walking out on her the way I had would also not have helped.

You’re avoiding her. Man the fuck up and deal with it.

I gritted my teeth as I strode to the subway entrance, ignoring the rain as I went down the steps.

No one likes the truth being shoved in their face and certainly I didn’t. But it was true, Iwasletting her get to me. Not helped by the physical attraction that was burning hot and strong no matter what I thought about it.

Then again, I wasn’t a fucking teenager anymore. I was a forty-two, with decades of experience at controlling myself. I hadn’t had this problem since I was eighteen and had the hots for the girlfriend of one of Old Nick’s lieutenants. I’d been obsessed with her and had tried to seduce her, but I’d been a fucking idiot back then and had been beaten to within an inch of my life by her boyfriend.

I knew better these days.

So, I didn’t go home. I went straight to my Central Park penthouse instead.

I put back my hood as I approached the doors and the doorman nodded, pulling them open for me instantly. Tony, behind the desk in the lobby, also gave a nod. “Sir,” he said.

“Evening, Tony,” I said. “Miss Fox still upstairs?”

“Yes.”

“No dramas tonight?”

“No, sir.”

Thank God for small mercies.

I headed for the elevator that led to the penthouse and put my thumb on the pad to unlock it then headed straight up.

The suite was quiet when the doors opened, and I stepped out. Little pools of light came from the lamp on the console table in the hallway and a few discreet spots in the ceiling.