To my utter shock, when we make our way downstairs, we find Stuart and Morpheus in the front hall.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” Morpheus’ smile dips slightly, but then reinvigorates a moment later as he takes in Roquel. “Ah,Miss Lee, it’s lovely to meet you. So glad you could come and spend time with Juliet.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, Mr. Calloway.” Roquel steps up alongside me, sliding her arm through one of mine. “I’ve missed Juliet so much. Thank you for inviting me over.”
Morpheus’ gaze drops to where our arms meet before he looks back up and nods to her. “Right, well, is there something I can do for you ladies?”
Roquel’s grip tightens. “Actually, yes.” I don’t know how she does it, but Roquel’s voice dips as she bats her lashes at Morpheus. “Juliet was showing me all of thosestunningclothes you bought for her.” She lays it on thick, really leaning into the flattery. “I just died at how beautiful they all were and she told me she hasn’t even had a chance to wear most of them. It’s honestly atravesty.”
Watching Roquel work is like taking a master class in manipulation. She tugs her lower lip between her teeth, raking the pearly whites over the flesh as she grips me tighter, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes scan away from Morpheus to me and then back.
“I thought it would be so much fun if she and I could go out for a night, but she was worried about upsetting you?—”
“Where?” Morpheus interrupts her, his attention snapping to me.
“Um… well, Roquel’s never been toInferno. I used to go with Avery, but I haven’t been in a while…” I hedge. Inferno is a nightclub about a forty-five-minute drive from Silverwood and though it’s true, I used to go when Avery demanded it—it’s far enough away that it rarely became a club we’d go to regularly.
“Hmmmm.” Morpheus hums in the back of his throat and I lift my chin as he roves over me with his eyes. Examining. Scrutinizing.
“I could drive us there and back, of course,” Roquel says. “I wouldn’t want to burden you, Mr. Calloway. I’m sure you’re a very busy man. A lot of Silverwood really admires you and is so thankful for everything you’ve done for the community.”
Who the fuck is this girl?Somehow, I manage to maintain my placid expression, holding in both my nervousness and my surprise at Roquel’s tactics.
“No.” Morpheus shakes his head as he returns his attention to Roquel. “Don’t even think it. I’ll have a driver made available to take the two of you anywhere you’d like to go—” He pauses and glances at me once more. “—within reason.”
“Oh, truly?” Roquel gasps, pleasure suffusing her face.
“Yes, Juliet’s been quite well-behaved lately.” Morpheus’ words dig at me. If by ‘well-behaved’ he means I haven’t thrown shit at him or tried to kill him in his sleep, then yes, I guess I have been. “I’ll have Stuart set you up with security and a driver.”
“Security?” Ice infuses my veins, but Roquel releases me with a squeal of excitement. She jumps up and down, every inch the excited teenage girl.
“Oh, this is so exciting!” She whirls towards me and throws her arms around my neck. “Let’s go get ready!”
Security…The word resounds in my head as Roquel releases me and begins to pull me towards the staircase and back up to my room. As my foot hits the first step, I glance back.
Morpheus stands at the front door, his cool gaze pinned on me. There’s a slight curve to one side of his mouth. A smirk—as if he knows what this is truly about and he’s not even worried. Roquel’s suggestion had given me hope, but now I’m starting to wonder if I’m just fighting a losing battle.
Straightening my spine, I lift my head and turn away from the man behind me. His attention sears against my ass as I makemy way upwards. Let him look. Let him try to stop me. I won’t know if I can win until I fucking try.
44
JULIET
“Ithink I should’ve gone with the Versace.” Roquel pouts at the mirror hours later, her short, black hair teased and crimped so that it hangs around her heart-shaped face in a messy array. It’s sexy bed head, or so she told me.
She’s dressed in a gold Oscar de la Renta masterpiece. The top half conforms to her chest where the second half expands in a series of ruffles that shimmer each time she shifts or moves. It’s beautiful and it reminds me of a cage—which is why I wouldn’t touch it when she suggested I try it on.
“You look great,” I tell her.
Roquel turns again, looking over her shoulder into the mirror as if she can picture what other people will see from that angle. Then with a noise of disgust, she shakes her head.
“Nope. It’s just not right.” She walks over to where I sit, propped on one of the ottomans, and turns her back to me. “Unzip me?”
I sigh and reach up, unzipping the expensive gown. I don’t even bother to reach for it as she drops it to the floor at her feet and steps out. Her naked back walks away and in the next minute, she pulls a silver Versace nightclub dress from the rowof apparently all Versace wear that she’s been obsessed with since entering the closet the first time.
My feet bounce and shift on the floor as the light outside dims, the sun sinking on the horizon.
“Oh, yes!” Roquel is back in front of the mirror, the silver dress clinging to her every slight curve and moving around her like liquid brought to life. “I love it.”
