Everything He Risks (Bookkeeper for the Billionaire #4)(6)
Author: Thalia Frost

When the door closed, I allowed myself to think. Could Walter Marsh or John Weldon be Lucifer or my strange night caller? Or was someone else behind those incidents?

“Ms. Pate. Are you ready?” Rock watched me as I made my way toward him.

“Of course, Mr. Weldon.”

He brushed up against me as I opened the door. I shuddered at the contact, remembering he had the remote in his pocket. “I can’t wait to try those panties out tonight.” His voice in my ear made me shiver.

“Right. I don’t think that will be a good time to give them a test run.”

Rock strode beside me out into the late afternoon. “No? I think it’s perfect, and it won’t be the first time I’ll use them.” His wicked grin made me wonder what he was up to.

George fell in with us as soon as we hit the sidewalk.

“We’re just going across to the Canal. It’s time for a gondola ride, don’t you think?”

My heart leapt. “I’d love that.”

“We’ll have to maintain some propriety for the sake of prying eyes, though.” Rock smiled.

“Of course.”

He led me down the street, where we passed a fleet of boats.

“Gondola?” a swarthy Italian man asked with a smile.

Rock nodded, and they bickered for a moment on price.

“We’re going to ride from here back to the villa. Should be about twenty minutes.”

“Great.” We climbed gingerly into the lovely little boat. The air around me blew sticky and sweet, and the red, white and black of the gondolier’s uniform brought a smile to my face. All the same, my muscles were tense.

“Relax, Lacey.” Rock touched my arm after I was settled in the boat across from him. It was more professional that way, should anyone see us on the Canal together.

“It’s hard to do that when someone shot you yesterday.” I forced a smile.

“I know, but I’m not worried.” He glanced at George behind us in the gondola. The big man looked uncomfortable.

I stifled a giggle. “Right. I’m not either…well, not really.”

But I was. I didn’t think I would make it through another attempt on Rock’s life.

“Lacey, it will be okay. I promise.”

I nodded, tears springing to my eyes.

Rock tensed. My fear undid him for some reason.

“I need to ask you something,” I whispered in low tones.

“Aw, you’re looking quite serious.” Rock pursed his lips, and a buzz hit my clit.

I gasped, pulling my legs tightly together. He’d used the remote control on me.

“Stop that.”

“If I must.”

“You can certainly continue later but right now, I need to ask you some things.” I took a deep breath, the smells of Venice filling my nostrils—leather, slightly dank water and pastries baking nearby.

“The floor is yours.” Rock gazed away from me as he spoke.

Why does he do that? He doesn’t want to let me in all the way. What is he hiding?

The words of the anonymous phone caller and of Lucifer came back to me. He’s not the man you think he is…

“You mentioned something a couple days ago that I want to know more about.” I stopped, my heart thundering.

“Certainly.” Rock’s face was impassive, his brown hair gleaming in the sun.

A sense of foreboding stole over me, so strong that I couldn’t speak for a moment.

“Lacey, are you alright? You just turned pale.” Rock touched my arm, and the slight contact sent a jolt through me.

“I’m fine. You mentioned that someone saved you as a child, the same person you think stole from the company…and who might be trying to kill you.” I closed my eyes for a moment.

“Oh.” Rock sat in silence as we went under one of the arches of the Grand Canal. His face was in shadow.

“Oh? That’s all you’re going to say?” Indignation rose inside me, and I clenched my hands together.

“No. I’m just thinking.”

“I need answers, Rock.” My voice was tense.

“Oh, really? Remember, Lacey, at the end of the day, you’re an employee.” Rock’s voice was hard now.

“Right, one you have in your bed several times a day. I think I deserve to know whatever it is about you that you don’t want me to know. Rock, I can’t help you if I don’t understand what’s going on.” I heard the desperate note in my words.

“You can’t understand.” Rock’s gaze was toward the other boats bobbing past, a million miles away.

“Try me.” Anger boiled inside me, but I was determined not to be in the dark anymore.

Rock frowned. “The child part was a stretch. It was later…”

“Later when you were saved, you mean?”

“That’s right.” His jaw worked. I could see the villa in the distance.

“And?”

Rock closed his eyes. His face had blanched. A pang ran through me.

He’s so tired, and I’m pushing him. But it’s for his own good.

“I was on the cusp of making it big. Regal was taking off. This was when I was twenty-three. Just a dumb kid with more money than sense.” He sighed.

“Right.” I crossed my fingers, hoping he wouldn’t shut down on me.

“John and I went to a wild party here in Venice.”

I drew back, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah. I had connections by that time, and I could go anywhere I wanted, do whatever I wanted. Money buys  you that kind of access, you know?”

I didn’t, but I nodded.

“I’ve never told anyone this, Lacey. You’re the only living soul who knows. Can I trust you?” Rock’s gaze bored into me.

“Yes.” I breathed the word, meaning it with all my heart.

“You won’t look at me the same way anymore. You might hate me as much as I hate myself.”

My mouth fell open. He looked haggard now. I glanced behind us. George had earbuds in and was listening to music, rather than to us.

“I won’t.”

He held up a hand. “Don’t say that until you’ve heard.”

I tried to take his hand in mine.

“Don’t.” He shook his head, lowering it.

I waited for him to speak. The villa was close now, and I didn’t want to lose him.

“I did coke that night—way too much of it, but that was my style back then. Riding fast and high and the world at my fingertips. I’d gone to the club with a woman, a Venetian girl. Lolita. She was gorgeous, not really my type but back then, all that mattered was willingness to please me, and she had that.”

I swallowed hard, jealousy rising in me for all the lovers who’d known Rock before, as irrational a feeling as that was.

“Yes, you were young.”