Page 132 of Unmasked

“You.”

“You don’t sound happy to hear from me… yet you were the one who called.”

“Hours ago,” I snapped at The Sultan. “I want Penelope. Give her to me.”

He laughed. “I don’t believe it works that way.”

“Her safety is in question. She needs to be taken away from Vaughn Masterson.”

There was a pause. “You’ll never convince anyone of that. She’s very happy with Vaughn.”

“He’s brainwashed her.”

“Maybe so. That still doesn’t change the fact that she’s choosing to be with him.”

I squeezed the phone as I glared towards the crying, hanging woman in cuffs. She wasn’t the woman I wanted. She wasn’t even close.

“He’s left her no choice. I want her. She was mine first.”

“Yours? She was never yours. You didn’t choose her. If I recall, you were finished with her once you learned of her scandal. You even said you were better without her.”

“I lied. She embarrassed me.” My hand sliced through the air. “That’s over. I want her now. Right now.”

“Impossible. She wants to be with him. She’s made that clear to you plenty of times. Did she not turn her phone off last night?”

I stiffened. “Were you watching me?”

“You know I watch you.”

“Well, stop.”

Again, a chuckle left him. “So angry. Is she that important to you? You don’t love her. Why not let her be happy with Vaughn?”

“How do you know what I feel? Maybe I do love her.”

“You don’t. You want her because he has her. Because he loves her. You want something you can’t have, and it’s driving you crazy.”

“She belongs with me.”

“Not if she chooses him.”

“Then I’ll kill him.”

Silence.

“You know I will. I’ll put out a million contracts on him. I’ll kill him and leave her no choice.” My eyes lowered and my volume dropped. “Maybe it would be better that way. She’d be… devastated. She’d fight.” I smiled. “She’d… kill.”

“You.”

“What?”

“She’d kill you.”

“She’d try. But only if she knew.”

He made a sound. “You don’t think she wouldn’t know? It’s obvious. No one wants him dead more than you.”

“Right now. If more people came forward to express their dislike of him. If⁠—”