Their Virgin Princess (Masters of Ménage #4)(99)

"So this time she just intended to kill Alea?" Lan asked.

"Oh, no. That plane was insured heavily, plus she managed to bilk her brother-in-law into opening up his accounts so she could upgrade security. I had someone tailing her and listening in on her cell phone conversations for a couple of days. She pocketed the cash. I'm a little worried though because she recently took out a twenty million dollar life insurance policy on her husband. I think once she decided Alea was dead, she no longer needed Oliver Thurston – Hughes. Since she signed a prenup, eliminating him would be her only way of taking as much of his family's wealth as she could. I intend to have a discussion with Oliver as soon as this meeting is over."

Tal reached for the phone on the conference table in front of him. He pressed a single button. "I need you to put Yasmin Thurston-Hughes under lockdown. Yes, that's right. She does not have freedom to roam the palace. Cut her phone lines and her Internet access. Do not allow her to leave under any circumstances. And find her husband. Bring him to me in the conference room."

Dane stood, placing both hands on the table. "Do you want to explain why you chose to cover this up until now?"

Dominic went positively arctic. "I didn't cover up anything, Mitchell. We just got confirmation today. At any point in time, she could have bolted and she has the resources to disappear. I wanted her brought here so she couldn't escape. Besides, it was rather safe since Alea wasn't in the palace. Now she's under guard, and I suspect you three won't let her out of your sight. She's locked up in her room. She's not allowed visitors."

"I never said she couldn't have visitors," Tal said, picking up that phone again.

Cooper didn't wait for the order. He shoved his chair back and took off running. He prayed Alea was safe and sound and locked away, but his instincts were screaming otherwise.



       
         
       
        

Even as he shoved through the doors and into the vestibule, he felt Dane and Lan beside him.

Whatever happened, he wouldn't be alone.



* * * *



Alea looked down at the floor and wondered how long Oliver had. He was bleeding badly, curled on his side. She couldn't see exactly where he was hit, but it had been somewhere in the torso, perhaps his stomach or right at the bottom of his rib cage.

Oliver probably didn't have long, but then she wasn't sure she had much time, either.

"You're home for just a few hours but you're already all over my husband." Yasmin stared down at the man she'd promised to love and cherish, a disgusted look on her face.

"I have never touched Oliver. Not ever." Alea tried to keep her voice calm. Where was the guard? How had Yasmin gotten in? She looked over to the door.

Yasmin's lips curled into a wicked smile. She was dressed to kill in all black, from her tight slacks to the shirt that clung to her. It had a plunging V-neckline that showed off her nearly skeletal chest. Yasmin had always been obsessed with being thin, but she was gaunt now. She sported a pair of leather gloves on her hands. She'd obviously been concerned about leaving fingerprints. "The guard isn't going to help you, cousin. He was a little too trusting of females. He let me get really close, so I shot him. Do you like the silencer? It really helps. And of course you never touched Oliver. He never wanted you, you stupid cow. Who would want you when they had me? God, Lea, you were even in a brothel and no one wanted you."

Panic got shoved down in the place of anger. "You were behind all this?"

"Of course. Look, all of our lives, you've always gotten everything. Poor little Alea. Her mommy and daddy died so she gets to be the princess. You were ugly and fat and everyone felt sorry for you. But it should have been me. I'm princess material. I should have been the one who lived in the palace."

Alea seriously wanted to slap the bitch. Yas was seriously screwed in the head if she thought that losing her parents and being an orphan had all been made better because she had Her Royal Highness in front of her freaking name. But she couldn't do what she wanted because that gun would take out more than just Alea. It would take out her baby. Her baby with Cooper, Dane, and Landon. She had to stay calm and give herself time until she could find a way out or her men came for her. Someone would come for her. As soon as that meeting was over, they would be beating down her door.

Unless they were still furious at her for what she'd done and wouldn't talk to her tonight. They might go back to their rooms and let her stew. She wouldn't blame them. She'd basically told Dane that she didn't love them. She'd put him in a horrible position.