Page 153 of Retribution

My lips purse and I turn and jog back down the stairs to make sure Lucas sees this. I don’t believe that he’d offer any information about his dirty dealings. The people he’s murdered have always been for special reasons. He’s very private about this, and if Paula did find out about how dangerous Lucas is, then she’s going to be a problem.

I’ll snap her neck and drop her body into several barrels of bleach without a second thought. But if she’s more complicit in this kidnapping? She’ll wish she never came to work for Lucas Reid.

“Oli, the Reid Pharmaceutical cameras got a hit,” I grunt, moving the phone so Lucas can hear and see what’s happening.

“I knew there was something wrong with her,” Oliver growls, listening.

“No, I want cash for opening the door to your people,” Paula whines. Lucas’ jaw drops as she so easily proves that he shouldn’t have trusted her.“I ran circles around everyone that day to prove that I was loyal, and I thought for sure I was going to get caught. Ophelia?—”

She’s silent for several moments as I fill in the blanks for those in the room.

“Paula is Lucas’ assistant,” I explain. “It appears that she was involved in Isolde’s kidnapping.”

“I would say so,” Adira says, eyes wide. “Bitch chose the wrong girl to fuck with. She should jump off the nearest bridge now.”

“That’s too easy,” Morris grunts, never looking up. “I vote death by torture.”

“It’s a good way to practice peeling the skin off her bones,” Kane shrugs.

“I definitely think that’s on the table,” I admit. “She’s been with the company for a long time. We trusted her as much as we trust anyone.”

“Her empathy has sucked,” Lucas mutters. “I’m not going back to work until Isolde is safe. Paula can get fucked.”

“Vaginal grenades are a good option too,” Damon shrugs.

Goddamn, who are these people?

“Table the torture talk,” Jed rumbles as Paula gives a strangled scream.

“You’re broke?! What the fuck,” she gasps. “You have a perfectly good omega that I helped you find. I answered the dark web ad. You owe me everything. Just fucking sell her so I can get my cut.”

Paula is quiet as she listens to Ophelia speak, her lips parting as she begins to tremble. Whatever she’s being told, isn’t good.

Hanging up, she collapses against the wall and slides down as she begins to cry.

“You don’t get to do that,” Lucas rasps. “Crying doesn’t get my girl back.”

“We have to pretend there’s nothing wrong, but I’m having her picked up today by an officer. They owe us for losing Isolde,” I say. “Paula can cool her heels in jail without bail until we get back into town. I’ll make sure that they release her into my custody with the understanding that they won’t ask questions when she disappears.”

“You have that kind of pull?” Duncan asks.

“I do. The police commissioner asked me to pick his daughter up when she relapsed,” I explain. “I found her in a flop house high on heroin, needle in her arm. The police commissioner wanted it kept quiet.”

I didn’t know that,Lucas hisses in my mind and I shrug.

I have my secrets too, but they never come back to hurt you. In this case, it’ll make things easier.

Lucas is sensitive because of what we just found out and I don’t blame him. I keep shit from him like this so I can cash inmy favors as needed, and it’s always been to protect him. This is no different.

Paula stands up once she’s composed herself and checks her makeup before she leaves the closet to go back to work.

“I really want to know what Ophelia told her,” I mutter.

“I really want to know why Paula was on the dark web,” Oliver growls. “It’s a huge landscape, even when I filter through listings. Ophelia must have posted a job I didn’t see.”

“Or she posted under another name,” I say, remembering what Kane suggested. “Are there any jobs under Rock Dresmond?”

Kane looks at me sharply before nodding.