Page 72 of Indecent Villain

“Shut up! Just shut up. Your father killed him. He killed Cannon. You’re a lying bitch.”

Veronica gets in Cleo’s face. “Your father raped me,” she hisses, stunning Cleo into silence. “Do you have any idea what it’s like being held down, thinking you’re going to die while a beast shoves his cock in your virgin pussy? No, you fucking don’t. But I do, thanks to your sick and twisted father. He got what he deserved.” Her face contorts with anger. “Both Pierce and Cannon did.”

I jump up and snap, “You stupid bitch! Use the brain you were born with. If Pierce raped you, don’t you think he’d have been raping his daughter first?”

Surprise flickers across Veronica’s face as she glances back at Cleo with a new understanding. It doesn’t last, though, as her features harden once again.

“You are liars,” she says, and turns for the door.

I watch her leave, knowing she has a target on her back—the one I’ve put there.

Rossi entersthe room with a telephone in his hand. I watch as he plugs it into a phone jack close to my cell. His eyes focus on me as he stands near the bars separating us. My heart flutters a little, hoping he is going to let me speak with Tiberius.

"Beckett needs an incentive to bring me what Jude Elliott stole from me. If you talk to him, it will remind him of what he's got to lose if he doesn't."

Nodding slowly, I get to my feet and move closer to the evil man. I hold my hand out for the phone.

He smirks. "I'm not stupid enough to hand you the phone. I will dial and have it on speaker. I will disconnect if you breathe a word about where you are or what happened to Edge."

I swallow around the lump of grief that nearly chokes me and nod. "I understand."

"Good girl."

I watch as Rossi dials. While the call connects, I try to focus on the task at hand and not let my emotions get the best of me. I know Tiberius needs to know that I'm okay. I need to think quickly about how I can give him a clue as to where I am. Do I really know, though? Cannon mentioned a bunker, but was he sure?

The phone connects, and I hear Tiberius’s voice, loud and clear. Tears well up in my eyes. I take a deep breath before speaking, trying to keep my voice steady. Rossi watches me closely, his expression unreadable.

"Tiberius," I say quietly.

"Sweetheart." He gasps in surprise. "Are you okay?"

I start to cry softly. "I'm okay. I have warm clothes, and they're feeding me proper meals."

"Tell that bastard I'm looking for his shit. I promise I'm going to come get you."

A sudden thought pops into my head, and I hope I'm not about to mislead him.

"I've been thinking about where Jude might have hidden the stuff." I glance at Rossi, who nods for me to continue. "I know every corner of that house, and there are a few hiding places, especially in the basement. There are three loose panels beneath Jude's desk. If it's not there, he might have buried it somewhere. Really deep in the ground." I clear my throat. "He wouldn't want anyone to find it." And that is my clue as to where I am.

"Okay, sweetheart. I'm going to find it. I fucking love you, Kinsley."

Rossi disconnects the call.

"Where is my brother?" Cleo grips the bars of her cell. She’s been so quiet, I thought she was asleep.

"At the bottom of the lake," Rossi answers as he unplugs the phone.

28

TIBERIUS

“Money, drugs, ledger.”Prez screws his face up. “I gotta tell you, if I’d known about this shit, I’d have already relieved Jude of it.” He grins with a shrug.

I’m at Den of Filth’s clubhouse, where I received Rossi’s latest call. I had the phone on speaker so everyone could hear and I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.

“You already had the drugs. I’m assuming they belonged to Rossi. Did you see anything else?”

“We emptied that container,” Prez says. “We still have the drugs.”