Sinful Palace: Ruthless Rulers Book 2

by Hart, Stella

  “How?”

  “It’s a guy from the Order. He found out I was looking into them,” he said, lowering his voice. “At first I thought I was screwed, but he said he’d help me, because he’s not happy with how things are in the society. He’s been leaking information to me ever since.”

  “Who is he?”

  Jamie shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s never given me a name. He just sends me stuff on occasion.”

  I lifted a brow again. “How do you know it’s real, then? It could be someone’s idea of a prank. Or someone setting you up.”

  “I thought the exact same thing at first, so I didn’t trust him at all for two whole years,” he replied. “Even now I’m still a bit cagey with him, but he’s given me good info so far. Every single thing he’s told me has turned out to be accurate.”

  “What has he told you?”

  “Not much, but I’ve managed to figure out a few things. For one, the higher-level Order members seem to be involved in some sort of buy-and-sell operation for babies. They find pregnant women who don’t want the child and offer to take care of them in various ways in return for the baby when it’s born. Then they sell the babies to buyers from there.”

  “I thought that might be the case,” I said with a grim nod.

  Jamie’s brows gathered into a frown, and he moved closer. “I also heard that you were one of those babies,” he said. “My source told me that your father sold you to the Thorne family in a deal brokered by the Order, but the contract allowed for your family to keep you until you turned twenty-one.”

  I swallowed hard. “That’s right.”

  “Shit. I hoped he was lying about that one.”

  “He wasn’t. It’s all true.”

  Concern flashed in his eyes again. “I should’ve known something was wrong. I should’ve known you’d never willingly get engaged to Logan Thorne.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I muttered.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Uh-huh. I’m not being treated badly.” At least not anymore, I added silently, recalling the old wine cellar in Thorne House.

  Jamie gestured toward my necklace. “I suppose this explains the bug on the jewelry,” he said. “That’s how the Thornes keep watch over you, right? Make sure you never tell anyone the truth?”

  “Sort of. It’s a tracking device, too.”

  “Fuck. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, tentatively rubbing my left forearm.

  “Yes.”

  “All right. There’s a few other things I should tell you,” he said, lowering his voice even further. “This will probably upset you, and I apologize in advance for that, but you need to know the truth.”

  “What is it?”

  “The Order killed your father. It wasn’t a suicide.”

  I sighed. “I know.”

  “Oh.” Jamie lifted a brow. “So you know quite a lot already.”

  “Yes. But not enough. I still have a ton of questions.”

  He nodded. “Shoot. I’ll answer if I can.”

  “Do you know what the Order’s overall mission is?” I asked. “The reason they exist in the first place? Their end-game?”

  “Not really, no.”

  “Damn. I was hoping you would.”

  He scratched his jaw and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I know the baby operation is how they make most of the money that funds the society, because black market buyers will pay a premium for kids,” he said. “But making money doesn’t seem to be the Order’s main goal. It’s just a means to an end.”

  “I’d love to know what that end is. They don’t tell the lower-level members like me anything. They just get us to do stuff occasionally, without telling us why.”

  Jamie’s brows furrowed. “From everything I’ve gleaned in my research, the main goal seems to be improving the country. I just don’t know how. All I know is what my source has told me time and time again: that the highest-level members always claim that everything they do is for—”

  “The greater good,” I cut in, rolling my eyes upward.

  “Yes. The greater good.”

  “Whatever the hell that means,” I said with a soft sigh. “Wish I knew.”

  Jamie went silent for a few seconds, lips tightly pressed together. “There’s something else I discovered,” he finally said. “The Order has a secret leader. They have a codename. Q.”

  I nodded. “I know all about Q.”

  His eyes widened slightly. “Really? What do you know so far?”

  “I don’t know who it is, but I know it’s a woman,” I said.

  “Holy shit. Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Definitely.”

  “I fucking knew it,” he muttered, rubbing his chin.

  “What do you mean?”

  He frowned. “I’ve suspected that Q is a woman for years, but I’ve never been able to prove it.”

  “What made you suspect it?”

  “A whole lot of shit.” He hesitated for a beat. “I have to tell you one more thing, but you might want to sit down before I do.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Promise you won’t slap me when I say it?”

  My lips curved into a weak smile. “I promise.”

  Jamie nervously fidgeted with his hands, forehead wrinkling. “I started thinking Q might be a woman eight years ago. For the last three of those years, I’ve had a very specific suspect in mind.”

  “Who?”

  “This is the part you won’t like,” he muttered.

  “Just tell me.”

  “I… I think it might be your mother.”

  I nodded, unsurprised. “I actually think it might be her too.”

  His brows shot up. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know how ludicrous it sounds. Q for Quinn. I mean, who would be that obvious about it, right?” Jamie said. “But it makes sense for so many reasons. Also, it’s like hiding in plain sight with the name. No one would ever suspect her even though her name literally starts with Q. Everyone assumes it’s a man.”

  I nodded. “Not only that, I’m pretty sure everyone else in the Order thinks it’s probably another society member. Like one of the high council members. They’d never suspect my mom, because as far as they know, she’s not even aware of the Order.”

  “Exactly.”

  My forehead creased. “Why do you work with her if you think she’s Q?”

  “When I started suspecting her, I also started trying to get close to her. I thought if I could become one of her most trusted confidants, I could eventually find out if I was right. Maybe even find out some more useful information about the society.”

  “That makes sense,” I said, slowly nodding. “Did it work?”

  “No. In fact, I think it was the worst possible thing I could’ve done.”

  “Why?”

  Jamie sighed. “I think she’s using me.”

  “For what?”

  “I think she killed Rutherford so she could take the presidency, and then she set up this whole scandal thing to gain sympathy for her next campaign. But someone still has to take the fall for the murder, don’t they?”

  “You think that person is you?”

  Jamie nodded grimly. “Yes. I’ve been living with the threat of indictment looming over me for weeks now, and to be honest, I’m freaking out about it. But your mom seems fine. It’s like she’s not even worried at all. So either she’s hiding her emotions really well, or she’s not worried because she already knows she’s going to be vindicated.”

  “God,” I muttered. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “Well, I assume the DOJ is building a case against me with whatever bullshit evidence they’ve been fed, and they’re going to arrest me soon,” he said. “So I’ve decided I’m not going to wait around to find out when.”

  “You’re going to leave?”

  “Yes. I have a few things to take care of first, and then I’m getting the hell out of Dodge.”
/>
  “How? If my mom really is Q, she’ll be able to find you and permanently shut your mouth, right?”

  Jamie waved a hand. “She might have a lot of power, but she doesn’t have dominion over every inch of soil in the country. I have money and connections, and I know how to hide. She won’t find me.”

  “Well… good luck. I really hope it works out, for your sake.”

  His brows furrowed. “I can get you out too. I can find a safe place for you, away from the Thornes and your mother.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  He sighed. “You can’t stay with the Thornes forever,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “You’ll always be a prisoner if you do. Is that how you want to live your life?”

  “Of course not. But it’s been different lately. Logan is nice to me now.”

  “Now?” He raised a brow. “Has he hurt you before?”

  “Well, yes, but it’s not what it sounds like,” I said. “He had a reason.”

  Jamie’s eyes narrowed. “It’s never okay to hurt a woman.”

  “It’s complicated, Jamie.”

  He took hold of my shoulders and shook me gently. “Willow, please listen. Abuse isn’t normal. It isn’t okay.”

  “It’s really not what you think. I shouldn’t have said anything,” I muttered.

  ”Jesus. He’s totally fucking brainwashed you.”

  “He hasn’t! It’s just really complicated,” I said, holding up a palm. “Trust me, he’s never going to hurt me again.”

  “You say that now, but just wait. Bad men don’t change.”

  “Logan is different.”

  Jamie sighed and took a step back. “Willow, even if he treats you nicely from now on, you’re never going to be free as long as you’re with him. You realize that, right?”

  I bit my lip. “I… I don’t know.”

  “He makes you wear a fucking tracking device with a recorder on it. Does that sound like freedom to you?”

  “No, but….” I trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

  “As long as you’re with the Thornes, you’ll never be free,” Jamie said, crossing his arms. “They’ll monitor everything you do and everything you say for the rest of your life, because they can’t risk you telling the world the truth about your engagement. If you ever did, they’d all end up in prison.”

  I looked down at the black and white floor tiles, breath hitching in my throat. Jamie was right. Logan knew the truth about me and Chloe now, so he would never punish or torture me again, but that didn’t mean he had any intention of letting me go.

  I looked back up to meet Jamie’s gaze. “I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t leave,” I muttered.

  “Why? I can get you out safely. I can put you somewhere he’ll never be able to find you.”

  “I can’t leave my brother behind,” I said. Tears were brimming in the corners of my eyes now. “That was how Logan made me stay quiet about everything and play along with the engagement in the first place. He threatened Jared.”

  Jamie’s face darkened. “Really?”

  “Yes. A few weeks ago, he changed his mind and told me he’d never actually hurt him, but if I leave… I don’t know. Maybe he would out of anger.”

  “Fuck. I wish I’d known about this sooner,” Jamie said. He scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out a harsh breath. “Look, I can get Jared out too. We’ll do it tonight.”

  “No. There’s no point trying. It’ll just cause trouble,” I said softly. “If Logan wants me back, he’ll get me back.”

  “He won’t. Like I said, I have connections.”

  “He has connections, too. He’s got all the money in the world, and he also works for a private intelligence organization.”

  “So?”

  “So if you put me and Jared on a plane, he’ll find out. He can track that sort of stuff, and he will as soon as he notices I’m gone,” I said. “Even if you put us in a car and try to drive us all the way to the hiding place, he’ll be able to track that too. He’s always one step ahead of everyone else.”

  “Not in this case. I’ll find a way to transport you safely.”

  I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I know you’re trying to help, but I can’t leave him like this.”

  It wasn’t just fear that was stopping me from leaving Logan. Despite everything that had happened and all the possibilities of what might happen if I escaped, the biggest thing stopping me was my feelings for him, crazy and treacherous as they might be.

  He’d helped me so much in recent weeks, and he’d been my rock when my father died, quietly sharing his strength with me whenever I needed it. Every time he looked at me, spoke softly to me, or held me in his arms, I felt a rush of warmth and a flutter in my stomach. When he wasn’t around, I felt cold and empty.

  I was sure he felt the same way about me, too. Ever since he realized he’d been mistaken about that night five years ago, he’d been sweet, kind, and loving, and that didn’t show any sign of changing.

  Loving. I mulled that word over in my mind for a few seconds.

  Did Logan actually love me? I couldn’t be sure. He’d definitely started acting like it recently, but he’d never said the words out loud.

  And what about me? Did I love him?

  I didn’t know the answer to that either. I cared about him, physically craved him, and felt like I needed him with me all the time, but I wasn’t sure if that was love. Not true love, anyway. I’d been forced into his life against my will, so for all I knew, what I felt for him was nothing but the rush of desire and frantic need to bond that came with Stockholm syndrome.

  How would I know the difference between that and real love? I’d never been with another man before, let alone fallen in love with one, so I had no frame of reference.

  I blew out a short, quiet breath and rubbed the back of my neck as a small piece of clarity descended upon me. If I really did want to be with Logan after all, I wanted to do it in a way I deserved. I wanted him to let me go so I could choose him myself instead of being forced into it, and I wanted to know I could leave without any life-shattering repercussions if everything fell apart.

  That was the difference between real love and what I felt right now.

  Freedom.

  I wasn’t sure if Logan would ever give it to me, but there was one way to find out.

  Jamie put a hand on my shoulder again. “I understand how you feel,” he said soothingly. “I know how hard it can be to leave a situation like yours. But I still want to help.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m going to start figuring out a plan to get you and Jared out, but I won’t go through with it unless you say yes.” Jamie checked his watch. “It’s eight o’clock now. I’ll give you until midnight to think about it properly and make your final decision.”

  “Okay,” I said in a small voice.

  “I’ll leave the bathroom first, so no one gets suspicious.” He patted my shoulder, and then he headed for the door. Before he opened it, he turned his head and looked back at me. “I hope you make the right choice, Willow. You deserve a lot better than what you’ve been given.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured.

  With that, he stepped out. I waited a couple of minutes before exiting the bathroom too.

  Logan was still standing by the gold-draped window when I returned to the East Room. “Are you okay?” he asked, cocking a brow. “You look pale.”

  I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

  He held up his phone. “I couldn’t hear anything while you were talking to Jamie. Just static.”

  I touched the pendant at my throat. “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I heard a few people complaining earlier about the Secret Service jamming cell phone signals in certain parts of the White House tonight. Something to do with security. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work?” I said, cheeks filling with warmth.

  I hated lying, but I
didn’t want to tell Logan the truth about my conversation with Jamie. Not until I knew more.

  His brows knitted. “Maybe, but my phone still has a signal. It’s weird.”

  “Try it now. It might’ve been a temporary glitch,” I said.

  He pulled his phone out and opened the necklace tracking app. He pressed a button on the screen and then pulled out the little black headset cord that was plugged into the jack at the bottom. Sound started coming out of the phone immediately; all the chatter, laughter, and music of the party around us. “Huh, it’s working again.”

  “I guess it was just a glitch after all.”

  “Yeah, must’ve been.” He put his phone away and slipped his arms around my waist. “For a minute I thought you’d broken the necklace to get away from me. I was picturing you climbing out a window as part of your grand escape attempt.”

  I let out a light, tinkling laugh in response, as if it was actually funny to joke about me being held in captivity.

  “What did Jamie say, anyway?” Logan asked.

  “Nothing, really. He just told me to be careful.”

  “Damn. I was hoping he’d know something useful.”

  “Me too.”

  “Oh, well. We’ll keep looking in other places.” He cocked his head to one side and frowned. “Why were you gone for so long, anyway?”

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  “If Jamie had nothing to tell you, why did you take so long? You were gone for almost twenty minutes.”

  “Oh. I… I had a sore stomach. I thought I might throw up, so I went to the bathroom for a while,” I said, lowering my eyes to his tie.

  “Shit. I hope you haven’t caught that bug that’s been going around.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “Hope so.”

  I gulped down a deep breath and looked back up at him. We were right beneath a tiered chandelier, and the glittering lights were making his eyes twinkle. He looked more handsome than ever, and for a moment, it was hard to remember how much of a monster he’d been in the past.

  “Logan,” I finally said softly, dropping my gaze slightly. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Would you ever….” I faltered and looked down at the floor.