Page 210 of Depraved Boys

She gave me an eager nod. “Hurry up and leave!

“One more question.” I folded my arms and tapped my foot. “Bruce Wilmington hurt you, didn’t he?”

Ashley bowed her head. “Just get out,” she said in a broken voice. “I never want to see your smug face again.”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

I should have felt vindicated by my conversation with Ashley—from her tone of voice, she had acknowledged that Bruce had attacked her, but all I could feel was a bone-deep shame. Shame that Sebastian, Leopold, and Uncle Trevor had seen how low Ashley could stoop for money.

Ashley’s shoulders shook in silent sobs. Despite her tough girl exterior, Bruce’s treatment of her had hurt. I knew the ecstasy of being wanted by three gorgeous boys, had my heart filled to overflowing with their affection. Mine would shatter if they ever revealed that it was a game, but my spirit would break if they subjected me to the level of hurt and humiliation I’d seen that snowy evening.

We all backed out of the room and into the hallway. Leopold placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I soaked in the warmth of his touch. It was a silent reassurance that he hadn’t changed his perception of me because of Ashley’s actions.

Uncle Trevor held the front door open. Leopold and Sebastian left first. As I kissed him goodbye, he whispered, “Did you get what you wanted?”

“The truth? Yes. Although I’m not so sure about justice.”

“What happened to her?” he asked.

“It’s not my story to tell, and not as deadly as what happened to me in my first term, but it was awful.” I wrapped my arms around his neck for one last hug. “Tell Aunt Hortense I said bye.”

We didn’t dare to let anyone overhear us as we stepped out into the crisp spring evening and walked across the courtyard to the jeep. I turned around and gazed up at the first floor, where Ashley’s bruised face watched us from an open window.

Sebastian opened the jeep with his remote. We stepped inside and closed the door.

“Do either of you know how soon an auction house can send the proceeds to a vendor?” I whispered.

“Selling your home is not an option.” Sebastian put the key in the ignition and backed out of the courtyard.

A fist squeezed at my heart until it bled. “We can’t let Prakash stay in that detention center.”

“That’s not what he’s saying,” Leopold turned around.

“One of my aunts left me some bank bonds. With Leo’s help, I can—”

“You can’t give her your money,” I yelled.

“It’s the only way.” Leopold turned around in his seat and fixed me with a severe gaze. “If Mother and Uncle Bertram didn’t control every penny I spent, I would offer up the cash myself.”

I rubbed a hand over my mouth. The only uncle Leopold had ever mentioned was his mother’s personal assistant, who she had temporarily married to obtain heirs. From what he said, Leopold’s father seemed to care more about carrying out Mrs. Brunswick’s orders than about making sure his son was happy.

Sebastian turned onto the long road that led to the highway. Tall hedgerows bordered the road, leaving gaps that revealed glimpses of vast, green fields and the trees beyond.

“You heard Mr. Pinkerton,” he said. “The police are holding Kash because of Corrine’s case. If Ashley can withdraw her statement, they won’t have constant access to him and will hopefully curtail their questions about Corrine.”

I clenched my jaw and huffed out a sharp breath. She didn’t give a damn whether Prakash was suffering. “Ashley can’t get away with this.”

“Think about the bigger picture,” said Leopold. “Once Ashley has her money, she’s likely to leave you alone.”

Sebastian met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “And I’ll ask Pinkerton to draw up some papers to transfer her share of your house to your name.”

“It will be a clean break,” added Leopold.

My throat thickened. It seemed unfair to benefit from Sebastian’s generosity and Prakash’s misfortune, but I’d be damned if Ashley would get that money and retain her share of the house. In the future, I would pay him back, but for now, I leaned forward and gave Sebastian’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Alright,” I murmured. “Let’s do this.”

Leopold pulled out his phone and tapped on the keyboard. “I’ll update Mr. Pinkerton.” He turned to Sebastian. “I’ll also text Klondike and tell him to await your call.”