Peyton’s Price: A Singular Obsession Novel

by Leroux, Lucy

  When the sting in Belarus had gone south, Wheeler had taken full responsibility. It had cost the man his career. But deep down, Matthias had always wondered where the fault truly lay. Wheeler hadn’t ever discovered how the slavers had been tipped to the raid.

  “Matthias?”

  Snapping out of his reverie, he turned away from Peyton. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but the words choked him.

  “I have to take a shower,” he rasped, spinning on his heel and leaving the room before she could reply.

  Chapter 31

  Peyton felt terrible about her argument with Matthias, but more than that, she was worried—for him and everyone who had been involved in the Belarus tragedy.

  Could someone on the Ormen Lange have betrayed Matthias and the others? The idea of it made her physically ill. To make matters worse, he was avoiding her.

  After pulling her clothes back on, Peyton hurried out of Matthias’ office, intent on finding him. Unfortunately, the Ormen Lange was an exceptionally large boat. She wandered around until she bumped into Priya near the bridge. The woman immediately asked what was wrong.

  “I’m not supposed to talk to you about it.” Peyton sighed despondently. “About Belarus.”

  Priya put down her clipboard. “Oh.”

  “You and Matthias never mentioned where it happened. He doesn’t want me asking about it. He said it would upset you and the rest of the staff.”

  Priya sighed. “Then you must respect his wishes,” she said, but her tone was one of disapproval.

  Peyton pushed the toe of her shoe into the carpet. “If my questions upset you—”

  Priya held up a hand. “I did not mind. I found it beneficial. I still have some questions about it myself. I believe the operation was compromised.”

  Peyton reached out to take her arm. “I can’t believe this. You think there was an informant, too?”

  “Absolutely,” Priya said.

  Peyton shook her head, marveling at the woman’s calm demeanor. “And you’re not worried about having someone like that on board?”

  The other woman’s sooty lashes fluttered. “Are you suggesting the mole was a part of our team?”

  Straightening, Peyton realized that wasn’t what Priya had meant at all.

  Lover number one will just have to stay pissed at me. She needed to clear this up. “That’s what Matthias thinks. He didn’t say so, but by the way he shut me down a little while ago, I think it was pretty damn clear.”

  Priya leaned against the railing. “I hadn’t realized he believed that. I can assure you none of our people had a hand in it.”

  “So if there’s a mole, it’s someone in Interpol?”

  That made a lot more sense. It was a much bigger organization. She didn’t even know who oversaw them. Did Interpol operate like the police, with their own internal affairs unit?

  Well, as horrible as the idea of a mole there was, Peyton found it comforting. At least there wasn’t a traitor running around on board with them.

  “Do you have any idea who it might have been?”

  “No, Matthias kept the reports on Belarus. I suspect he destroyed them after. But I don’t believe Mr. Wheeler, the agent who oversaw the operation, was involved. His career ended soon after. Belarus completely derailed it.”

  Peyton rubbed her temple, which was tight, the incipient sign of a headache. “It must have been someone else.”

  Peyton mulled what she had learned for the rest of the night. The next day, Matthias had sought her out on the deck, inviting her to dinner and taking her to bed as if nothing were wrong. He studiously avoided the subject, talking about anything and everything else—including the possibility of having children.

  That was when she realized just how damaged and desperate he truly was.

  After a painfully awkward meal, Peyton decided she couldn’t live with this between them. She resolved to find out what had happened in Belarus, even if she had to do it behind his back.

  Unfortunately, there was only one person she could think of who could help her with that. And he might not want to talk to her.

  * * *

  Peyton swam ten extra laps in the pool, trying to dismiss the niggling guilt she felt after talking to Ethan Thomas on the satellite phone.

  He hadn’t been upset when she told him where she was. Jason had filled him in, telling him all about Matthias Raske. Ethan had opened the conversation by teasing her about making rebound history.

  “I have to hand it to you—a mysterious billionaire is a damn good take. Tyler must be eating his heart out. Did you hear he broke up with Caroline?”

  “I did. Liam told me.”

  “He did?” Ethan sounded surprised.

  Peyton grimaced. Why was she doing this now? And over the freaking phone?

  But she did it anyway.

  “Um…yes,” she continued. “He’s here. Well, he’s not here at the moment, but he’ll be back soon.”

  Ethan paused. “I’m not following.”

  And he didn’t follow for a long time. It took Peyton a few minutes to make him understand the nature of her new relationship.

  When he finally did, Ethan whistled. “I didn’t give you enough credit. I guess I’m not the only one who likes a challenge.”

  “Promise me you won’t say anything to anyone else yet.”

  “Maggie doesn’t know?” Now she had really shocked him.

  “No one does,” she said.” Not yet.”

  Peyton had sent Maggie and her other friends dozens of emails, assuring them of her well-being and happiness, but she couldn’t seem to find the words to tell them about her new relationship. Every time she tried, it came out so stilted and odd, so she’d given up, vowing to tell everyone in person.

  Ethan’s awkwardness grew. “No offense, but why exactly do I have the honor? Not that I’m sorry I did. We’re friends,” he ended weakly.

  “I’m going to tell them soon,” she swore. “The next time I see them, I’m going to tell them everything, but I had another reason for calling you.”

  Fidgeting with her charm bracelet, she inquired about his friend Mason Ward. Ethan had mentioned him several times. Mason was an Interpol agent.

  Settling in one of the Ormen Lange’s many deck chairs, Peyton told Ethan all about Belarus and Matthias’ work rescuing victims of the slave trade.

  “That was how he knew how to find me. He posed as a buyer in that world for so long, he was able to track me down when Liam asked.”

  Ethan hmphed. “You’re sure this guy is on the up and up? That sounds pretty damn convenient to me.”

  “I assure you it wasn’t. Priya, his right hand, had a hell of a time finding me.”

  Priya had detailed the search over lunch once. Peyton realized how close she had come to being lost forever…

  Consequently, her dreams had become substantially darker.

  “I guess money talks.” Ethan sniffed. “Out of curiosity, how much did this Raske guy pay for you?”

  “I have no idea. He still won’t tell me. It’s driving Liam crazy because it means he can’t pay him back.”

  Ethan laughed, the sound grudging. But he wasn’t an FBI agent for nothing. He asked a million questions, most of which she didn’t know how to answer. After learning what few details she did, he promised to put her in touch with Mason.

  “Be forewarned. Mason’s kind of a hotshot at Interpol, and he didn’t get there without knowing how to play the game.”

  “Meaning?”

  “That he won’t help without getting something in return. Be prepared.”

  * * *

  Ethan had been correct. Mason did want something—her. Specifically, he wanted to recruit her for Interpol.

  When Mason called, he’d already been over all the records his agency had on the Belarus incident. He’d even spoken to George Wheeler, the retired agent in charge of the operation.

  Mason insisted he wouldn’t discuss such a sensitive subject with an outsider were
it not for the fact Ethan had vouched for her.

  “You know, I thought he was wasting my time insisting I look into this thing,” he told her after they had exchanged overly polite greetings.

  “And you don’t now?”

  He sighed. “No. Wheeler insists there was a leak somewhere, but he couldn’t track it down. But Ethan says you’re pretty sure it wasn’t anyone on Raske’s crew.”

  “Priya, Matthias’ assistant, is certain. She vetted everyone very thoroughly. Also, there’s the fact they’re all still a part of the crew. If they had been responsible, I think they would have left.”

  “Hmm. I think the only way Wheeler sleeps at night is telling himself it wasn’t one of our own,” Mason shared, rifling papers in the background.

  “Does that mean you’re going to look into this more?”

  “It does, but I’m going to need some help. Your help.”

  Ethan had told Mason about her coding background, including some of her lesser-known exploits on the dark web.

  Peyton hadn’t realized Ethan had known about her time as a hacker. She had been strictly white hat, but she’d done enough to make something of a name for herself—or she would have had she signed her work.

  “There are mountains of records to comb through,” Mason informed her. “I’m not even supposed to have some of these, but I traded in a few favors. Discreetly, of course. The investigation on the group took years. There’s a pile of communications I need backtracked and cross-referenced. I need to know if anyone intercepted those messages. According to what Ethan told me, you have the kind of background that could cut through this shite like it was butter.”

  “I see.” Peyton held the phone closer, checking her surroundings to make sure no one could hear the conversation.

  She had some misgivings about getting involved, but Peyton knew she could help—up to a point.

  “I might be able to help comb through the data, but without access to Interpol’s servers, I can’t promise I can trace any eavesdroppers.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” he said, promising to send her the information. He began to give her instructions with the intention of setting up a secure drop. She interrupted, directing him instead to a private encrypted server she had set up in college.

  “I must warn you,” he said after taking down the address. “The records I’m going to send will include photos of Belarus. You might not want to look at those.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement,” she replied before hanging up.

  Both Matthias and Priya had seen those pictures. Poor Agent Wheeler had lived through the nightmare. Peyton didn’t want to punish herself, but if she didn’t find something for Mason in the reams of memos and surveillance, she’d do what she had to. Matthias and Priya needed peace of mind. And the victims needed justice.

  She just had to get it for them in secret. Peyton rose from the deck chair, heading inside to get ready for dinner.

  Relax. Whatever Matthias doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

  Chapter 32

  After a tense few days alone with Matthias, things with him returned to normal—mostly. He avoided his office, spending a lot of time with her, dining and watching movies in the ship’s private theatre. They even swam, racing each other in the pool.

  Peyton tried to bring up their argument, but Matthias had gently taken her hand and said he didn’t want to talk about it. He wasn’t angry or upset, just…firm. She didn’t have the heart to try again.

  Still feeling unsettled, Peyton was thrilled to see Liam when he returned from his business trip.

  And he was incredibly happy to see her, too. He found her on the deck outside Matthias’ stateroom mere minutes after the helicopter landed on the platform.

  “I missed you so much,” Liam panted, trying to simultaneously pull up her dress while pushing her panties down.

  Humming nonsensically, Peyton pushed her backside against him. “I missed you, too. Six days is too long.”

  Liam had arrived just in time for a glorious sunset, which he had completely ignored in favor of stripping her naked.

  Peyton grabbed on the rail for support, going weak-kneed when Liam thrust his hand into the bodice of her gown. He covered her breast with his large hand, kneading it until her nipples peaked so hard they almost hurt.

  “Now that you’re here, we should wait for Matthias,” she said in between panting breaths.

  “He’s had you to himself for almost a week. He’ll catch up.” His mouth ran up and down her neck. Peyton moaned aloud, leaving one hand on the rail and using the other to press his head closer.

  When her panties slid down her legs, Peyton kicked them aside before they tangled in her heels. The night air hit her bare backside, but the breeze was gone as soon as Liam pressed against her. Velvet-covered heat pushed at her backside as his other hand pressed against her pussy.

  His fingers stroked and probed, entering her with the aggression she’d come to expect from him. Peyton closed her eyes, clenching her jaw to keep from crying out. He made that damn near impossible when he entered her with a single slow thrust.

  Grabbing the rail with both hands, Peyton held on for dear life as Liam started pumping, sinking into her wet heat and then withdrawing, only to rock back before she could recover.

  His strokes were short and fast. It wasn’t enough. Peyton pushed against him, trying to hold him longer, drive him deeper.

  Liam’s hand came around her neck, gently holding her to him. “So impatient.”

  “And you’re a tease.”

  His laugh was low and dirty. Kissing her neck, he pressed deep, driving himself to the hilt inside her. “Is that what you want?”

  “Yes,” she panted, despite the very real threat of spontaneous human combustion.

  Liam made a low sound in his throat—something between a growl and a purr. “Never say I don’t give you what you want.”

  He pumped harder and fasters, lingering on the spot that made her shiver. Peyton’s skin felt alive, tingling in the cool wind. The heat of Liam at her back felt decadent, but it was nothing compared to the fire he was stoking inside her. Endless waves of pleasure built. She felt so tight, so hungry. He was silk and fire, like a picture of a Djinn she had seen before—not the cute cartoon kind, but a creature of heat and dark magic. Shuddering, she reached behind herself to clutch him to her. She needed more, but she was torn because she never wanted this moment to end.

  “Don’t hold back, baby,” Liam hissed in her ear. “I want to hear you scream.”

  “Not-gonna-scr-scream,” she ground out, eagerly pushing back to meet his thrusts.

  The feel of him was too good to believe. His thick length plundered and possessed as if he were trying to brand her.

  “You will,” he promised, turning her cheek gently so he could kiss it. His mouth left a trail of heat across the sensitive skin below her ear. Peyton moaned again, giving herself over to the glorious push and pull of him.

  It was like riding a storm. She could barely see straight. All she could do was feel, his strength and fire contrasting with the colder metal of the rail under her hands.

  Her orgasm broke over her like a wave. She tensed, her entire body pulsing. Despite her best efforts to keep her mouth shut, she cried out, rearing backward into Liam’s embrace, trusting him to hold her upright. If he hadn’t, she would have crumpled to a little heap on the deck.

  “I see someone started without me.” Peyton twisted, sporting Matthias leaning on one of the beams next to the dining table.

  He was dressed more casually than she had ever seen him, in jeans and sweater. His hair was a little wet as if he’d just come from the shower. Most likely, it was from the pool. He spent a lot of time swimming lately.

  Liam wrapped his arms around her, rocking her in a carefree and affectionate gesture. “I didn’t think you’d mind seeing as you’ve had her to yourself for ninety-one whole hours.”

  “You counted in hours?” Peyton pulled away, making sure the
hem of her dress was down where it was supposed to be before sitting on the padded bench next to the dining table.

  Liam shrugged, surprising her by walking over to hug the other man. Their heads stayed close together for a murmured exchange she couldn’t hear. Then Liam laughed at something Matthias said, just before he leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

  Peyton wasn’t aware she was holding her breath until her lungs protested. Matthias broke the kiss first, rubbing Liam’s shoulder and asking how the trip went.

  Relaxing, she lay against the cushions, watching the two men interact without listening to their conversation. It was enough to have seen their moment.

  To say that both men were handsome, or even beautiful, was too inadequate to describe the sight of the them together. They were both so different. Liam was dark, his features angular and bold as if they had been carved from granite. Matthias’ features were finer, a touch prettier, but he, too, was hard, his masculine virility just as potent and as intoxicating as his counterpart.

  Liam pivoted, his eyes flaring. “You’re wearing an anal plug?”

  Peyton giggled. “Oh, uh…yeah. Matthias showed me his sex toy drawer. Rather, his cabinet. It was before you left. Anyway, there was plenty of interesting things inside. Long story short, I took some of the new things for my own personal use. Surprise!”

  “Damn, I should have known.” Liam seemed impressed. “I thought you felt…different. Tighter.”

  “She wanted to prepare,” Matthias said, sitting next to her. “She wants to take us both at once.”

  “Are we sure that’s a good idea?” Liam pursed his lips. “We’ve been doing all right as we are. I certainly don’t mind taking turns. Neither of us wants to push you into something you’re not ready for.” This last had an added edge, but it wasn’t directed at her.

  Matthias held his hands up. “The plug was not my idea.”

  “It was mine, so you can relax,” Peyton interjected. She picked at her skirt, certain her face was beet red.