Vicious Seduction

18

CHAPTER 12 LINA If Oran Byrne was sent as a test to challenge me, I was failing. He was creeping under my skin a little more with every interaction, wearing down my resolve and confusing my priorities. I was supposed to go home with Lawrence that night. The lingerie had been for him, and I’d left the shop committed to seducing my way into his bed. Our relationship had been purely ornamental—I’d been the very definition of arm candy. I had no idea why Lawrence hadn’t sought more from me. Most older men in his position would jump at the chance to use me to boost their ego. All Lawrence seemed to want was to be seen with me on his arm. That wasn’t enough. I had to find a way to take the relationship to the next level to gain his trust. Without trust, I’d never get information on the Society. The Society was Olympus’s dirty little secret. A club within the club. A group so secretive, there weren’t even whispers of its existence. I only knew about it because my mother and stepfather were members. So was Lawrence Wellington, and he was also the key to getting my sister back. It was my fault they’d gotten their hands on her, and I wouldn’t rest until she was home with me where she belonged. She hadn’t even turned eighteen, for Christ’s sake. She should have been my only focus, but Oran had muddied the waters so badly that I kept losing my way. His jealousy over me being with Lawrence shouldn’t have factored into my decisions, yet when the club dinner ended, I made my excuses, claiming a headache, and left alone. The following two days were a barrage of guilt and frustration. How could I have possibly let Oran sway me into missing an opportunity to gather information? What if a night with Lawrence unveiled a clue that helped me get my sister back? No matter how grotesque the situation, it would have been worth it. I would have done anything for Amelie. I’d already sacrificed so much, and it would all be for nothing if I failed. I refused to allow myself to stray from my goals. Oran was just another rich bastard who wanted what he couldn’t have. They were all the same. I wouldn’t let him get in my way again. Thankfully, another opportunity presented itself days later when Lawrence invited me to a charity dinner event. I was so relieved to have another chance that my nerves barely acted up. Normally, I had to fight back my visceral reaction to the man and everything he represented. Tonight was different. I hovered close to Lawrence as we mingled with the city’s most influential residents. I leaned into his touch and looked at him admiringly when he spoke. I played my part perfectly, and as the evening drew to a close, I was more determined than ever to ride the wave of momentum and push the relationship to the next level. It’s just s*x. You’ve lived through worse, Lina. Think of Amelie. You owe it to her. Think of Amelie. Think of Amelie. I chanted that phrase in my mind on the way to Lawrence’s car. Once we were closed off in the back together, I angled myself toward him and ran my hand up his thigh. “You haven’t even tried to touch me, Lawrence. Don’t you find me attractive?” He sighed. “There are two types of women, Lina—those you keep on your arm for the world to see, and those you f**k. That truth is especially important for a man like me who has … particular tastes.” Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? “You like kink,” I said quietly. “What I like is something a woman of your standing would never tolerate.” “You don’t know that.” “I do.” I held his hard stare with resolute conviction. “You do know who my mother is, right? I have particular tastes as well. How will we know whether our tastes are compatible if you don’t give me a chance? I could make you very happy.” I said the last words in a seductive, slightly unhinged voice while cupping his erection. His eyes flared. He cupped my jaw, his thumb swiping my bottom lip like he’d done before. “You like it when the lipstick smears,” I surmised. That was why he’d been disappointed. “That and waterproof mascara are the worst things to happen in modern beauty.” He spoke in a daze as though lost in the recollection of days past. Lawrence got off on degrading women—it was so obvious now. Of course! It all made so much more sense now. That was the reason he hadn’t tried anything. It was the same reason he was a part of the Society and why he had to be linked to my sister’s disappearance. All of it was related. And now, I had a chance to get some answers. But at what risk? How extreme was his kink? What would I have to endure for that chance? Would you really want to live knowing you didn’t try? Think of Amelie. Think of Amelie. I lowered myself to my knees on the floorboard of the back seat and bowed my head. “Please, Sir. Show me.” My heart was a drum thundering in my ears. I didn’t look at Lawrence, but I could hear his swift intake of breath. “Adam, drive until I tell you to stop,” he said into the intercom, his voice ragged. The city blurred past the heavily tinted windows above me while the air in the car grew stagnant and stifling. “You’re nothing but a worthless slut, aren’t you?” His callous words pierced me deeper than I expected. He’d meant to degrade me, and he’d hit his mark because that was all I was at that moment. A woman willing to give her body in exchange for a price. And it wasn’t the first time. Think of Amelie. “Is that what you want?” he continued, unbuckling his belt. “To be used because that’s all you’re good for?” He seemed to want an answer, but I’d lost my voice. I’d thought I was prepared for anything he could throw at me. I was wrong. All I could do was nod. His hand gripped my chin harshly and angled my face up to his. “You treat me with the respect I’m owed and answer me with words. Is that understood?” “Yes, Sir,” I answered quickly, surprised at the fire in his eyes. It was the first time since I’d started seeing him that there’d been true emotion in those soulless depths. He was such a sick bastard. I refused to give his words any merit. They were meaningless because he didn’t know me at all. He didn’t know the degree of sacrifice I was willing to endure for the people I loved.