Page 32 of Daddy Dreadful (Forbidden Pleasures Island #5)
Alexis
Excitement beats at my chest as I toss the last of my clothes into my brand-new suitcase and zip it shut. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I reread my last message from Catharina, though I’ve read it so many times I have it memorized at this point.
I’m sending a car to pick you up at noon. The plane will be waiting for you when you arrive. All you have to do is show up and reap the rewards of your cunning little plan.
I’ll admit, when she first reached out to me, I was terrified. I half expected to be slapped with a lawsuit considering I’d been using her likeness to scam her peers out of a lot of money.
The absolute last thing I expected was for her to strike up a surprisingly friendly conversation.
A conversation that culminated with her offering me an all-expenses-paid vacation at one of her properties on some tropical island, as well as five grand to go “buy myself something pretty” for my trip.
Suitcase in hand, I turn to the full-length mirror in my tiny bedroom, admiring the cute pinup-style dress I splurged on with the money Catharina sent me.
I’ve always wanted one just like it, with the black and white polka dots and everything, and I can hardly believe I was finally able to afford one.
The dress, plus the brand-new haircut and an insane amount of new makeup has me feeling more beautiful than I have in a very long time.
Thank you, Catharina.
My phone beeps, and I glance down to see a message from my driver. A fresh wave of excitement rushes through my veins and I hurry out of my apartment and down the stairs—thank you, broken elevator that nobody has bothered to fix the entire three years I’ve lived here—and out the front door.
A sleek white limo waits for me at the curb and I can’t help it.
I squeal like a little girl when the driver opens the back door for me so I can slip inside.
But instead of the customary bottle of champagne, there’s a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a glass bottle of milk perched on a table in front of me.
An odd choice, for sure, but I’ve never been one to turn down a sweet treat, which my hips and ass can loudly attest to.
And, as Catharina said, I’ve earned this.
The cookies are still warm, as if they’ve just recently been pulled from the oven, and I don’t know what kind of rich people magic went into making them, but they are the best fucking cookies I’ve ever tasted.
Even the milk is sweeter than anything I’ve had before, and I guzzle it down with three more cookies before we make it to the airport.
Just like in the movies, the driver pulls right up to my plane. When he lets me out, I give myself a minute to just stand on the tarmac and stare.
Seriously. How is this my life?
A pretty blonde makes her way down the steps, holding out a hand to me as she flashes a bright smile. “Miss Wheeler. My name’s Kerry, I’ll be your attendant for this flight. Follow me, and your driver will bring your bags up for you.”
“Oh, ah, thanks. Thank you. This is seriously so cool. How do you even get a job like this?”
Glancing over her shoulder as we climb the steps up into the plane, Kerry smiles. “It’s all about who you know.”
“Well, maybe after this trip you could put in a good word for me. I’d love to get a job like this, flying around the world, seeing all new places.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to be a possibility, little one.”
That voice. It freezes me in place, and I stand just inside the plane, staring at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
Catharina Montgomery, in all her glory, her dark hair down in a straight, shimmering waterfall around her shoulders.
She rises to her feet, and even though I’ve never considered myself particularly short, she towers over me in her stiletto heels as she approaches me, slowly, with all the deliberation of a large jungle cat stalking its prey.
My breath catches in my throat when she comes to a stop right in front of me. Close, too close, far more intimate than would be considered socially appropriate. Gripping my chin, she forces my head back, and when she smiles, I am struck by the sudden certainty that I have just walked into a trap.
“You have been a very naughty little girl, Alexis. But that’s all right.” Her voice drops to a low purr as she dips her head, her lips hovering just a breath from mine.
“Mommy knows just what to do with naughty girls like you.”
Alexis has made a living out of tricking rich men out of their money. But now she’s the one caught in a trap of her own making, and she’s about to learn what happens to naughty Little liars now that she’s been caught by Mommy Darkest.