The King - S.R. Jones Page 0,28

that go to the victor—she’s going to be an unwitting soldier in my battle.

How can I get her to do what I need without her getting all stressed and refusing?

At first, I honestly thought about simply taking her and holding her at the house, making her do it, and maybe persuading her to do some other things too. You can’t, however, simply have a person like Cassie disappear. She has family, her grandparents, and other people who care. She also has friends she sees regularly. The old man in her building she goes dancing with. No, one doesn’t snatch a girl like Cassie from her life. Which means I need to convince her to do what I want.

How, is the question.

I could offer her a fuck ton of money, but Cassie isn’t into money.

She might be into rebelling, though. I contemplate her life once more. The safe choices she’s made, including getting engaged to that wet blanket, Tim, who I refuse to believe she loved. One glaring exception is her getting involved in the hacking project at university.

Then I start to smile because it isn’t the only exception. I’m one too. Cassie likes me, and I’m most definitely not safe.

Could it be as simple as offering Cassie a chance to walk on the wild side I know she has deep within? What if I tell her, openly, I want her to hack Popov’s files, and let her know he’s a dangerous man. Would she do it purely for the thrill?

I think she might.

Knowing she desires me, I could probably use her attraction to get her to do what I want, but I have no wish to go down that route. When Cassie and I get down to it, there’ll be no ulterior motive. No, I don’t want to mix up this attraction I’m feeling for her with what I need her to do for me.

I can persuade her to hack into Popov’s information, then when she’s done, I can thank her, and wine, dine, and sixty-nine her.

My phone goes off, and I pull it out of my pocket, sighing when I see Liza’s name on the screen. She’s my ex and a pain in the ass. I only put up with her as long as I did because she was absolutely filthy in the sack and looked good on my arm at certain functions. Now, though, she’s old news. I don’t need this right now. I’ve no idea why she’s calling. She’s tried to get into contact a few times, and I’ve ignored her. Once more I let it go to voicemail. A few minutes later my phone buzzes, letting me know I have a message.

I glance at it to see a text from Liza. It says Surprise. Nothing more.

I frown, shake my head, and turn back to the desk, staring at it as if it can solve my Cassie dilemma for me.

My phone buzzes again, and I glance at it, impatient now, and the world stops.

Liza is smiling at the camera, which is angled toward her and down her outstretched arm, and she’s got her other hand resting protectively over a rather obvious baby bump.

For a moment, I tell myself not to panic. She’s just letting everyone know she’s pregnant, right? Deep down, though, I know she’s telling me this baby is mine.

What the fuck? We were careful. I always gloved up, and she was on the pill too.

This cannot be fucking happening. I think of Michael and all the shit I gave him for knocking up the Mafia princess, and look at me? At least he impregnated royalty of sorts. I’ve gone and got a supposed influencer and Z-lister pregnant, and if that’s not pathetic I don’t know what is.

The phone dances on the desk as another message comes through.

You keep ignoring my calls, so this is the only way. Congratulations, K, you’re about to be a baby daddy.

I grind my teeth. Oh, no fucking way.

Firstly, I hate her calling me K. That’s a nickname Andrius gave me, and only he and a few of my close friends get to use it, not Liza. Secondly, I see my future narrowing to nothing more than a prison cell with me trapped inside, my cellmate a woman I can’t stand beyond her obvious surface appeal, and even that doesn’t do it for me anymore. Compared to Cassie, she looks fake, brittle, and trashy.

More buzzing and another text.

I need to see you.

Shit.

I grab my phone and type viciously.

I’ll meet you tonight.