“You wanted names,” he reminded. “That’s it. That’s the list of people I’ve had sexual relations with over the years.”
Silver was quiet for a tense moment, and then, “Three of them are women.”
“Yeah.”
“Who was the last?”
“Is this really necessary?”
“Narek.”
“Darren Atkins,” Nuri replied. “Two years ago.”
“You want me to believe you haven’t slept with anyone else in two years?”
“You said it yourself,” he reminded. “You weren’t even sure I was into sex up until that first night we did it. I keep my private life private, but sex has also never been all that important to me.”
“Say that again the next time you’re impaled on my cock.”
“Does that mean there’s still going to be a next time?” Nuri tentatively asked.
“Did you think I was going to kill you?” Silver grunted. “I can tear you apart and still leave the important bits intact. I only need to keep you breathing to keep your hole warm.”
Nuri flinched and slid back an inch on the bed, coming up against the cool wood of the headboard.
“Scared again?” Silver said.
“I haven’t stopped,” he answered.
“No, you’ve always been too smart for your own good. Tell me, Narek, is that why you thought you could get away with it?”
“Get away with what, majesty?”
“My cousin’s been working on this for a long time now. I was aware of it, to an extent, but wasn’t overly concerned. If I’d known he’d swayed you, I would have been.”
“I told you, there’s nothing between us.”
“Actions speak louder than words,” Silver clicked his tongue. “Brixton happens to return to planet around the time I’m filmed having sex and blackmailed with the footage, thenyou ‘run into him’ at the very place where this all went down, and I’m supposed to believe it was just a coincidence?”
Had Romeo arrived then? Nuri hadn’t bothered asking for details. It hadn’t really mattered at the time, but now he regretted not paying better attention.
“It’s discovered that his company is little more than a shell, a paper company created so he could launder money. Money he then used to buy up stock in Rein Inc. His plan was obvious. Gain the majority share and oust me from my CEO position. He’s already confessed to everything, Narek. Including how you helped him by supplying a list of easily persuaded stockholders.”
“What?” Nuri momentarily stopped breathing, terror from being accused of what amounted to treason overwhelming him before another emotion stabbed its way through. The anger was more welcome, and he latched onto it. “After everything we’ve been through, everything I’ve done over the years, you actually believe I would commit corporate espionage?”
“Are you insulted?”
Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes and he stubbornly rubbed them away.
“How could you believe him?” The pain was unexpected, slicing through him strong enough he was suddenly clutching at his chest. All these years, and what had it earned him? “I’d convinced myself you thought of me as an object, something to be owned and kept, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? It’s worse than that.” He sniffled, hating himself for the show of weakness, yet unable to contain his reaction.
He should have negotiated his release with Sij Rein years ago. Should never have allowed himself to sink this deep into the illusion.
“At least you appreciate your things,” Nuri bit out. “But, then again,” he laughed bitterly, “your car, your multi-slate, yourtablet…they’re all worth a hell of a lot more than I am. I’m nothing to you.”
Still.
“You can look down on me all you want, but I won’t stand for being accused of something I didn’t do. Where’s the evidence? Brix claims I helped him? Okay. Show me the paper trail. You won’t be able to find one because—”
