Page 31 of Duchess (Royal Harlots MC: National New York Chapter #1)

Duchess

I left Caleb sleeping on the lounge and quietly headed out. As I stopped to put my heels back on, I noticed Emir Killic and that man I met earlier, Yusuf something, standing by the pool.

Taking my shoes off, I tiptoed my way quietly towards them. I hid behind one of the columns that aligned with the wall and shielded me from them.

"Did you do what I told you to do?"

"I did."

"And did he sign it?"

"I had his secretary have him sign everything. She's a smart little slut, works better on her knees though."

They both chuckled before Yusuf continued. "The FBI will be all over Killic Consolidation Holdings by the end of the week."

"Whatever they find, Caleb will have to respond."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Sir? Drug trafficking is a serious felony. Signing off those transports can get him a life sentence."

"He deserves it for being so arrogant and thinking he can undermine me."

"Did you see the traitorous bitch?"

Emir nodded. "I'll deal with her later. We just need to be patient."

"Yes, Sir."

What the hell was I going to do? Caleb was being used by his own grandfather. He was going to take the fall for all the heroin they'd been trafficking. All these years I had been trying to destroy the wrong man. I should have focused on the head of the snake, Emir Killic.

I had to let Caleb know. But how could I possibly convince him to see the truth?

I looked up at the window where his office light had just turned on. They were about to destroy him and I couldn't just sit back and watch.

I tore out of Caleb’s house like my heels were on fire, heart pounding with a chaos I couldn’t name. One of his sleek black cars was parked just outside the gate. I didn’t even hesitate. I wrenched the door open, slid into the back seat, and barked, "Take me to the hotel. Now."

The driver didn’t ask questions. Smart man.

Los Angeles blurred past the tinted windows as we tore down Mulholland, the glittering lights of the city stretching wide beneath the hills.

It should have calmed me, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

Realization was hitting me at full force as I ran through Caleb's confession to me. How he claimed everything he’d done, all the manipulation, the stalking, the mind games, were because of his love for me.

It was such a fucked-up situation. And then everything I'd heard Emir Killic say.

He was planning on destroying his own flesh and blood.

The one man who had protected his name for all these years. The man who killed my Jinx.

I had to warn Killic, but I needed the proof in my hands before I approached him.

As soon as I reached the hotel, I kicked off my heels, peeled off the tight gold dress, and threw on a silk robe before grabbing my burner.

My fingers flew across the screen as I punched in Roulette’s number.

Obsidian joined a second later, her face illuminated by the glow of a dozen monitors behind her.

"I hope you have a good reason for waking me up at this goddamn hour," Rhea muttered, her eyes bloodshot but alert. Paramore’s head popped into view behind her, tousled and sleepy.

"He said it," I breathed, pacing the length of the suite, unable to keep still. "He told me everything."

"Who?" Rhea demanded. "Caleb?"

I nodded. "He confessed, Rhea. That he’s been behind all of it. The stalking. The sabotage. But also..."

"Don’t say it," she growled.

"He said it was all for me, Rhea. That he did it because he loves me."

"You didn't believe him, did you?"

I don't know what to believe. But I don't think he was lying to me. You had to see his face."

"Did you fuck him, Stephanie?"

"Rhea..."

Rhea blinked, her mouth parting in stunned disbelief. "Are you insane!"

"Maybe," I snapped. "But this just got bigger than me, than him!"

"How much bigger?" Paramore asked.

"I know who did the hit on Jinx. It wasn't Caleb."

"Then who was it?" Obsidian chimed in.

"Emir Killic, Caleb's grandfather, was the one who killed her."

That shut everyone up. Even Obsidian sat back, eyes wide.

"Caleb said Emir did it to send a message," I continued, voice sharp now, all heat and fury. "To make me bleed for going against him. And now that bastard’s setting Caleb up to destroy him."

Rhea leaned in, dark eyes blazing. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Possibly. Just know you're doing this for me."

"Fuck. Me." She swept her hand across her brow in frustration.

"Obsidian, did you break into that laptop yet?"

She nodded slowly. "I did. But you’re not gonna like what I found. Emir’s been planting shit for months. Fake transfers. Hidden files. It looks like Caleb’s been laundering cartel money through shell corps in Dubai.

"And?" I prompted.

"And it’s not him," she confirmed. "The IPs trace back to an internal system. Emir’s using Caleb’s credentials to make it look legit. If this gets out, the Feds will take Caleb down without blinking."

"Jesus Christ," Paramore whispered.

"And what do you care?" Rhea hissed. "He’s been torturing you for years."

"I care," I said quietly, "because I won’t let that old bastard win."

"You sure this isn’t about your pride?" Rhea asked, arms crossed.

"It’s about truth," I bit out. "And justice."

Obsidian finally spoke. "You want me to get Killian involved?"

I nodded. "Send him everything we have on Emir’s dealings. Every file, every trace. If anyone knows how to dismantle a tyrant, it’s him."

"And what about you?" Rhea asked.

"I’m going to convince the Dark Prince that his flesh and blood are about to bury him alive."

Paramore’s voice chimed in, solid and sharp. "You want backup?"

"Get Demise. Fill her in. And tell Bandit to get his ass to L.A. I want boots on the ground."

Rhea sighed, clearly hating every word but understanding it all the same. "You’re sure about this?"

I met her gaze through the screen. "I need you to trust me."

She nodded slowly. "Then go make him bleed, Duchess. Or save him. Whatever the hell it is you’re trying to do."

I ended the call, the silence thick around me. And then I got dressed.

Because if I was going back to Caleb Killic… I was going back as the woman he thought he could control.

He wanted a Duchess? He was about to finally get what he wanted.

It was nearly four in the morning when I arrived at Caleb's. Security had let me in without a second glance. I banged on his door until he opened it. Ignoring how sexy he looked in his silk pajama pants and ripped abs, I pushed past him and headed to his office.

“I knew you’d be back. Couldn’t get enough, could you?”

“Would you please get serious and put some clothes on? I can’t think straight with you half naked.”

“What’s going on?” He tugged on a t-shirt as he sauntered over to me.

“I need you to look at what Obsidian just sent you.”

He scratched his head, his hair all mussed, and one of his eyes was half closed from sleep. “It’s four in the morning, Stephanie. Come to bed with me and we’ll discuss business later.”

He reached out for me, and, grabbing his hand, I dragged him across the room and forced him down into his chair.

“Plenty of time to play later, Mafia King. Right now, I seriously need you to look at this.”

He gave me a more concerned look, and I simply nudged him. “Stop looking at me, Caleb. Look at the damn screen.”

He glanced at me once more and then began to read what Obsidian had sent him. He was murmuring obscenities, a look of real worry crossed his features, and when he finally looked up at me, it was pure disbelief that I found in the depths of those black eyes. Disbelief and sadness.

“How could he?”

“Because he’s not human,” I whispered.

I came up to him and crouched down beside him. “I’ve had Obsidian and her contact work on this. We’ve been on it since I left last night. We sent this to the FBI, Caleb. Roulette has a contact through them, and I’m hoping they see the truth and help.”

“I always knew there was more to me becoming CEO than I thought. He always said I was worthless. I guess I had a little value left in me after all.”

I pressed my hand to his cheek; that vulnerability of his always surprised me. “What are you thinking of doing?”

He kissed the palm of my hand and leaned back into his chair. “Whatever it is won’t turn out well for either of us. He’ll probably want me killed when he finds all this out, because he will.”

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “You’re not alone.”

Nodding, he got up from the chair, his fingers grazing mine as he let me go and stepped out onto the balcony. “I know and I’m grateful, but this is something I’ll have to do alone.”

I came up behind him, leaning against his back and running my hands down his arms. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”

He turned to me then, sorrow in his voice. “This may be the last time we see each other, Duchess.”

“Don’t say that.” I cupped his cheek, my chest full of angst for this man that I had hated and misunderstood for so long.

“You worried about me?”

“How could I not be,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

“I thought you hated me,” he whispered.

“Yeah, well, I thought you hated me back.”

“I just hated the fact that you weren’t mine.”

“Well then, you’re going to have to make it up to me cause I’m not done having you in my bed.”

Grabbing my hand, he leaned his cheek into it. “You’re my everything, Stephanie. Just know that.”

“I do know that,” I whispered.

“And know that he’ll come after you, too.”

I nodded. “Oh, I am ready for that.”

He gave me a sad smile and kissed my hand. “I’m sorry if I won’t be there to see his defeat.”

“You’ll be there, Caleb. I promise you that.”

I wrapped my arms around him again and hugged him tight. My chest felt like it had been gutted. I did the right thing, letting him know.

I always knew I’d win, just not like this.

I didn’t realize winning meant losing him in the process, nor that the thought of that would hurt this deeply.

I’d done a lot of dark shit in my life to get me to where I was.

Shit, I didn’t want to do, blood I didn’t want to shed.

For the most part, I was able to get through everything with the help and support of my sisters, but this was something I didn’t know how to handle.

How was I supposed to protect my Mafia King from his own family?