Page 45 of Enthrall Climax

Maybe I’d misread Shay’s decision. Maybe this was him taking the hit. I ran through his expression, his body language, his quick exit from the room as I returned my focus to Galina.

With a shrug I admitted defeat and headed out into the hallway. A wave of uncertainty hit me about leaving Shay behind. This had probably been his way of getting the spotlight back on him as he took the fall.

My back stiffened when I recognized the man walking quickly toward me as Lance Merrill. He reminded me of a silver fox with his shiny grey hair and beard. His air of sophistication and his five thousand dollar suit revealed the wealth he’d garnered from his oil baron status.

This man had almost destroyed my friendship with Richard five months ago, when he’d come after Mia back at Chrysalis, having won her at an auction. He’d literally had me hiding her away in London to avoid him. He’d tracked us down and had turned obtaining Mia into a sport. It shouldn’t surprise me he was a member.

Later, when the truth had spilled like that oil he was so fond of, I’d ascertained he’d believed I’d somehow threatened his daughter, when in truth it had been me who had talked her off the roof during a suicide attempt. I’d saved her life—which was probably why Lance greeted me with the warmth of an old friend. I’d have been willing to take a detour through hell today in order to avoid him.

His face brightened and he pulled me into a hug. “Cole! How’s the family?”

“Fine, yours?” My back stiffened further as I remembered what he’d done to Mia. That man had almost gotten her raped in England.

His expression changed. “Helete and I are divorcing.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

Lance looked amused. “Thought you hated her?”

I gave him a wry smile, not wanting to get into it. After all, it had been Helete who’d led Lance to believe it was me who’d ruined their daughter after a weekend at Pendulum, and not the senator Helete had tried to protect.

“How long have you been a member?” I asked.

“This place is not what it used to be. You joined?”

“Visiting.” I turned to glance at Galina, who was standing a little ways back, apparently waiting to escort me out. If she knew Lance, she was pretending she didn’t, which was kind of odd, but I didn’t want my brain to focus on the banal.

“Good to see you.” He threw a courteous smile at Galina.

There was a crackle in the air and it wasn’t coming from me.

I mirrored his friendly sentiment with a forced smile.

“My daughter is doing great. They both are. Thank you, Cameron, for all you did.”

“Of course.”

He leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t join.”

His remark proved my gut feeling about this place—it wasn’t what it seemed. “It’s good to see you, too, Lance,” I replied flatly, feeling Galina’s stare fixed on us.

One thing I’d never considered a possibility was me relating to the man walking away with a wary step in his gait.

Leaving Shay felt wrong, but I had to trust his decision. I summoned the elevator and stepped in.

Galina followed until she had me backed up against the elevator wall. “You know Mr. Merrill?”

“Old acquaintance.”

“That is right. You used to run Chrysalis?”

How the hell did she know that?

“You miss it?” She closed in on me.

“How long have you worked here?”

“This is my life’s calling.”