Page 56 of Palace of Betrayal

“Did he say where or when or what the auction was selling?” Leo knew the answer to when but wanted to see if his uncle knew anything different.

Alwyn was shaking his head as he leaned against the back of the sofa, rubbing his chin in thought. “Not what or when, but I did overhear him say it would be in Proenia.”

“Proenia?” Leo frowned knowing that Bebe’s friend was there currently working this case from a different angle.

“Yes, and I believe it’s soon.”

A moment later the door to the King’s rooms burst open and two men and two women stood before him. Leo sighed in relief because he knew backup had arrived at the perfect time.

Twenty

After the first words she spoke to Atticus yesterday, he’d approached and jabbed her in the arm with a drug to knock her out. Bebe had been out much of the night, only waking as the sun came up and flooded the cabin with light as the seagulls above made a racket.

Now Atticus was back, standing before her looking fresh-faced and well-rested, while she felt like utter shit. Her wrists were thankfully numb because she knew when the blood began to flow freely again it would hurt like a bitch.

Bebe wiggled her fingers trying to get some feeling back into them as she faced Atticus. She needed as much information as she could get right now. “So, what now?”

“Now you tell me how much León knows.”

“About?”

Atticus stepped forward, his perfectly pressed tailor-made suit making him look elegant and refined when he was nothing but a common criminal. His hand flew out like a whip and smashed into the side of her face where Denis had hit her yesterday, forcing her head back as pain exploded on her cheek. Her teeth cut into the side of her mouth, and she tasted the metallic flavour of blood, but she didn’t cry out. She’d die before she let this bastard think he could frighten her.

Raising her head, she licked the blood from her lip and held his gaze. He was handsome until you looked closer and saw the mean tilt of his lips. She didn’t blame Chelsea for falling for his charms or wanting Leo instead. She knew from his file that Atticus was charming but any illegal dealings he’d done had flown under the radar. Whatever his story was it was well hidden and buried under a pretence of affability and charisma.

“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” He turned his back, stepping away to show he wasn’t afraid of her. “But then I’d expect nothing less from an assassin. Tell me, do you kill them while they lie satiated between your legs after fucking you?”

Bebe didn’t try to hide her disgust, her lips curling as she spat blood on the floor near his polished loafer. “I’m going to slit your throat.”

Atticus laughed. “Oh, silly girl, you’ll do nothing of the sort.”

He moved lightning fast and gripped her hair, wrenching her neck back. His furious face almost touching hers, his breath warm on her face, he waited for the fear that wouldn’t come from her.

“You’ll tell me what Leo knows and where Alain is, or I’ll let Wojcik take his revenge for what you did to his brother.”

Bebe was under no illusions that he’d do that anyway. “Wojcik doesn’t scare me.”

“We will see.”

He let go of her and pushed her away, letting her fall back on her wrists which sent pins and needles of pain racing up her arms. “Tell me, what is it you want from this auction badly enough that you’ll betray and kill your friends for it?”

Atticus, smiled, seemingly pleased she knew the details. “A program that will make me the most powerful man on earth. Every nation and leader will bow to me, fear me, and court me.”

Bebe almost rolled her eyes at his performance. Why did men like him think power held the secret to happiness? “Oh, just you’re a run-of-the-mill bad guy wanting power and money, yada, yada. So, you’re over-compensating for a small dick then?”

“Watch your tongue.”

“Why? You won’t do anything to me. You need me to find Alain.”

“So, you have him. I did wonder.”

“Not me personally but someone I know has him safe.”

Atticus waved his hand as if this made no difference to him either way. “It matters not. I have Alwyn under my control. He can get to the gem easily enough.”

It was time to try a different tactic. “Who’s The Collector?”

Atticus seemed to pale at her question, his eyes darting around the cabin as if the man himself would jump out at any given second. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”