Page 34 of A Lethal Game of Trust

In fact—

My hand was pulling the car key out of the ignition when my phone rang and I lost sight of Leo.

Without thinking, expecting it to be her, I pulled it to my ear.

“Dominic,” my father said before I could utter a word. His voice was uncharacteristically serious. “You haven’t checked in.”

“All’s fine,” I said, putting him on speaker and watching the live feed from the security camera at the gate, waiting for another look at her. “Same with Is. I’m staying at hers for a bit.”

“Why?” He sounded outraged.

“Mia’s moving out. You don’t need to ask, it’s over and there isn’t much to report.”

“Oh,” he said, slightly flustered and I heard him rummage some papers in the background. “Well, okay.”

“You have ten seconds to say what you want.”

He used eight of them to heave the deepest sigh known to man. He was the epitome of drama. “Thank the lord.”

I laughed, a carefree laugh I often found myself giving around my father. “You always pretended to love her.”

“One of us had to,” he remarked with a chuckle. “She was insufferable. But being the only woman you’ve ever brought home to us… we hoped you would find her flaws yourself.” He paused and I could tell he was hesitating. “If you asked for permission to marry, it would have been a no. She’s not made for a family like ours.”

“No,” I said slowly. “She’s not.”

She had been a tactic. One that went on for far too long.

“Is that why you ended it?”

“I don’t even know why I started it,” I grumbled. Though I did. The reason was walking up to my house to be with her right now. “It was never going to be serious.”

“You’re still young, son,” he said sincerely. “You’ve got time to find the right one. Make sure you do.”

From a young age, it was instilled in Issy and me that marriage was eternal. Our parents argued, laughed, bickered, but above all, loved. It was all I wanted in life. When I was ready. And he was right; at twenty-eight, I was still young.

“So living with the girls, ay? Any secrets to spill?”

“They’re both still lightweights,” I said as I straightened in my seat, watching Leo walk up the steps to my porch. Mia had buzzed her in before I had a chance. She looked up to the camera and gave a big grin and thumbs up like a complete dork before quickly turning to the door that flung open. All I could see from this angle were Mia’s legs wearing gym leggings, her trainers on.

“Dom,” Father said.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

Leo walked into the house, her body escaping behind the door.

“How’s our little lion? She hasn’t come by for a couple of months. The last few times Isabel was here, she was apparently busy.”

“She’s…” God, what was she? A she-demon, a witch, a cruel manipulator that had my cock weeping? “Frustrating, as usual.”

“Well,” Father said thickly, with an odd twinge of humour. “Remember, you are in her house, so play nice.”

I would play very nice.

“Roc said she hasn’t visited her mum at the home for a while, either,” he continued. “Which isn’t unlike her, but… ask her if she’s okay. She’s clearly avoiding us. So check in with her. I worry.”

“I worry about her, too.” It wasn’t a lie. “She has seven bottles of wine under her bed that she tried to hide from me.”

“Seven?”