Corrupt Prince by Ivy Mason

Ten

My whole bodytightened as I sat, trying to appear casual, watching as Aster walked, her gorgeous ass shaking, away from me. I’d let her off without telling me what happened in the hallway, for now, but that subject was going to come up again.

Because I was going to bring it up and demand she explain to me what the hell happened, and I didn’t mean that asshole who clearly was pushing the boundaries.

I’d already pulled out my phone to text one of the bouncers to find him and toss him out of the club.

I watched carefully as Aster approached the guard, then pulled up the video streaming app the instant she was inside the room.

Even though we'd assured the Senator that the room was completely private, it was a bold faced lie. Our line of work was much easier if the law looked the other way. The fastest way to get a senator in your pocket was by threatening his carefully controlled reputation.

I’d come to learn that the more powerful the man, the easier they were to control. They all had their secrets. Our job was to find them out, then use them as pressure points.

I was also using this same strategy with Nicholi. So far, Massimo Vitale was happy to find Nicholi’s weaknesses and Dante's connection with Massimo was strong enough that he would play ball with us.

The Italians were nothing if not loyal to family, something severely lacking in my own.

I watched as Aster approached the doctor. Watched as she sat next to her, flirting with her. I bit down on the jealousy threatening to erupt.

Aster wasn't mine. She was a means to an end, nothing more.

In fact, I’d sworn to hate her, even though following through with that was difficult.

After a few minutes of talking, Aster leaned in and kissed the doctor on the mouth. I straightened, my eyes wide, horror washing over me. Was Aster going to actually seduce her?

I jumped to my feet, pacing the club and watching the screen in my hands intently, ignoring the complaints that I was bumping into people.

All my attention was focused on Aster.

Did she like kissing the doctor?

The camera wasn't close enough to tell.

Did her pulse speed up? Was her face flushed? Her lips puffy?

Her fingers were wrapped around the doctor's wrist. Was it in elation and excitement? Desire?

I stopped pacing, running my hand through my hair.

Jesus. Fuck.Usually watching two women kiss was only an invitation to join. But this time, I wanted to smash everything around me. Was I actually jealous?

What was wrong with me?

I hated Rose’s sister, the little hellion. Didn’t I?

Shoving my cell in my pocket, I strode towards the room, pushing my hand out to hold off the bodyguard. This was a King club, and no one told us we couldn’t enter a room.

I exploded into it, slamming the door backwards, not caring that the Senator was going to lose his shit.

The three men startled, their eyes snapping to me as I strode into the room.

"Get out," I roared, staring them down so it was clear that I was talking to them and not Aster and the doctor.

The two men were already dressing but the Senator yelled, "What the fuck is going on here?"

I gave him an icy glare. "Unless you want the world to know the real you, I'd get the hell out of this room, right now."

The two men brushed past me, still in a state of dressing but the Senator didn't move to leave. He just stared at me in all his naked, halfway-fucked glory.

"Out." I simmered. "You can take the same private entrance you arrived in."

"I won't forget this." He sneered, moving off the bed.

"I don't care," I bit back, knowing full well that I would have to make reparations later, especially if he won his bid for election. But I already had enough videos on him to blackmail him into doing what I wanted.

Anything after his first sexual tryst at our clubs was only him digging himself deeper into the King debt.

I was actually doing him a favor.

Glowering with anger, he began to dress. When he was done, he strode towards the back door, barking out. "Marie. Let's go."

She stood, uncertain on her feet and that drew my eyes to Aster.

She was simmering with anger in her seat.

Was she mad because I'd interrupted her little kissing session with the good doctor?

Ignoring the tightening in my chest, I glared back at the Senator. "Marie stays."

“But--" he demanded, his face reddening in anger.

I interrupted what was sure to be a tirade from a sexually frustrated, but powerful, man. I pulled out my phone, holding up my other hand to stop him. “I’ll send her home in one of our private cars." I tapped out several text messages. “In fact, to make up for this interruption, I'll send both of these men to our privately owned suite at the Dignitary. They’ll wait for you there,” I paused my tapping to look at him, “if you wish to join them.” I grinned. “This will all be on the house.”

He didn’t answer me, but his anger quickly subsided, replaced by a lust simmering in his gaze.

“Well?” I asked him impatiently.

He hesitated, his gaze moving from me to the doctor. "Marie?" He sounded genuine, as if asking for her permission, which surprised me.

"I don't know," she hemmed.

I turned to see Aster place her hand over Marie's, her voice soft. "Stay with us. Please."

Jealousy rolled in my gut but I clamped down on my emotions, remaining cold and emotionless.

I met Marie's eyes, demanding, "Stay."

"You don’t have to," the Senator tried to interrupt me but I kept my back to him.

"She does." I kept my voice firm; there was no room for discussion, and I ignored the scathing look Aster shot me.

I would deal with her later.

"Marie," the Senator said again, except this time, it was more of a pleading.

She sighed, running her fingers over the top of the table. Finally, she waved her hand at him. “Fine. You can go. I'll meet you at the house."

In a few strides, he passed me, grabbing her to give her a chaste kiss on the lips. I shot out another text, then put the phone away, satisfied.

Some men were so easy to manipulate. By the look on his face when he turned to leave, his thoughts were already on the rest of his night.

As soon as he was gone, Marie turned to me. “I’m only staying because you picked me up that day. It shows that you have some sense of decency, unlike your father.”

I nodded. It was fine to let her think that she'd had a choice in the matter.

"Sit." I gestured to the chair, my voice polite but firm.

She grumbled as she sat, looking at Aster. "And you work for this guy?"

Aster didn’t answer and I easily moved the plush, leather chair up to their table. “Now." I sat down, leaning back to look at them, my hands templed in front of me. "You're going to tell me what I need to know."

Marie huffed. "If you think that I'm more afraid of you than Nero, you have another thing coming."

My eyes flashed, my anger building. "You have no idea of what I'm capable of. You have somewhat of an idea of what Nero could do to you, but I’m the unknown in this equation and," I leaned forward to stare into her eyes, "therefore, that means that the sky is the limit."

She scowled, her lips tightening.

"Marie," Aster began, once again, her hand going to soothe over Marie's, and I bit down on the bark that wanted to leave my mouth that she remove her hand immediately, "he's only trying to help you.”

"No, he's not. He's only trying to save his own skin." Marie’s eyes were filled with a seething resentment. "That's all the Kings ever care about. Themselves."

"That's not true," Aster disagreed.

"And how do you know that?" Marie spit out.

"I know because Coulter is trying to save my sister." Aster's voice was soft. There was no doubt of the vulnerability in her tone. She was as genuine as I was cold.

Marie visibly softened. "What happened to your sister?"

"Nero is keeping her captive." I held my breath, waiting for Aster to give me away, that we were keeping her captive too. But it didn't come. “Coulter is only trying to help her, that's why he needs to know what Nero plans to do with Bourbon's blood."

"Wait," Marie straightened, “it's your sister that Bourbon is marrying?"

Aster nodded, and Marie frowned.

“When I saw them, she didn't look like she was being forced to marry Bourbon against her will. In fact, she looked very cozy on his arm.”

"She isn't," I grit out, but Aster interrupted me again, rushing to reassure her, even though she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

"She loves Bourbon, but she's still under Nero's thumb. Coulter is trying to free them from Nero. But he can't do that unless you tell him what you've done with Bourbon's blood."

Marie bit down on her lip, but her fingers tightened in Aster's hold. “Do you really believe that he," she nodded towards me, "can help your sister?"

To my astonishment, Aster didn't hesitate. "Yes," she leaned forward to fully capture Marie's gaze, "I have to believe it, to hope. Do you understand?"

Something unspoken passed between them that I didn't understand and Marie nodded. Then she inhaled a deep breath. "Yes, I understand." She looked up at me. "I will help you, but, I have one condition first."

I tried not to appear too eager, but I couldn’t' help the thrill that ran through me.

I'd been right to bring Aster into this.

She was a natural.

She'd managed to do something in only a few minutes that I hadn't been able to do in several days: gain the doctor’s trust.

"Tell me,” I demanded.

"Your father," Marie’s eyes shifted to Aster, who nodded encouragingly. Marie took in a deep breath. "He took something from me. I need it back."

"What is it?" I growled.

"A notebook."

"A what?" I asked.

"It’s a journal, my father's. It's very important. Somehow your father found out about it and managed to steal it."

"What's he asked for in return? What are you doing with the blood?"

"You mean, what did I do with the blood?"

My own blood turned to ice, and I growled out again, anxious now. “Tell me what you did with it."

She shook her head. "No, I need assurances first. I haven’t given Nero my findings, yet. I'll be able to hold him off for only a few more days, but I need the notebook first. Then I'll tell you."

I stood up, clenching my teeth. "No. You'll tell me first, then I'll give you the notebook."

She jerked to her feet, facing me down. "This woman may trust you, but your father will kill me if he knows that I told you. I need assurances first that you can get me the notebook. Then we'll address my safety, before I give you the information.”

“But your husband--"

“Is nothing if he went against your father, and we both know it."

Silence filled the air and we stared each other down in a lock of wills.

Understandably, she was truly afraid of my father. I could see it in the trembling of her lip and her fingers. The defensive posture with which she held herself.

And yet, I was in the same position.

I needed that information.

I didn’t know why, but something told me that knowing what she was going to do with Bourbon's blood was vital to our safety.

“Marie," Aster slowly stood, turning Marie's attention back to her, "I give you my word. We will find the notebook and get it back to you. Then we'll get you to safety."

"There is no we," I gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Yes there is," Aster's gaze flashed to me, showing her determination. "I'm just as involved in this as you."

"No you aren't."

"Yes I am! Bourbon's your brother, just like Rose is my sister. I have just as much of a stake in this as you do." Her eyes narrowed. "In fact, I'd say I have more."

The threat was clear. If I didn't let her help, she'd reveal to Marie that she was just as much a captive as Rose. Then I’d lose Marie’s trust.

I didn’t give a flying fuck what she told Marie. I wasn't putting Aster in any danger.

"No."

“Yes."

Marie interrupted our stand off. "You say you can protect me. Prove it. She says she trusts you. Let her help. Keep her safe. Then it will prove that I can trust you."

"No." I was really grinding my teeth down now.

"Fine." Marie crossed her arms across her chest. "You've just shown me that I shouldn’t trust you."

"Exactly," Aster crossed her own arms across her chest, the two were mirrors of each other, uniting in female solidarity.

I stared them down, wishing I could shoot actual daggers from my eyes.

“Fine," I grit out, only conceding because Bourbon and Rose’s life was on the line too. "But you do exactly what I say, when I say it. No back talking or going off on your own.”

"Of course." Aster bat her eyes at me, then gave me a devilish grin, like she’d known I would give in. "Don't I always?"

“Time to go.” I gripped her arm, pulling her towards the door, the bloody nightmare. As we left, I threw over my shoulder towards Marie. "Carlos is waiting at the back door to take you home."

Then I dragged a smirking Aster from the room grumbling, “You have no idea how much trouble you’ve gotten yourself into.”