Dominated (Obsessed II)

41.

Richard Jr.
The Truth

*Few weeks after Bianca was sent away*

I was halfway through reviewing a contract when the door to my office swung open without so much as a knock.

"Where is she?"

Jude stormed into the room, his expression hard and his steps heavy enough to make his anger obvious before he'd even said another word. I looked up at him blankly because he could have at least closed the damn door behind him.

I pushed my chair back and stood, smoothing the front of my jacket before walking toward the door. If he was going to interrupt my afternoon, the least he could do was allow me the courtesy of a closed office. I pulled it shut and turned back toward him.

"I'm afraid that's not information I can share," I said, making my way back to my desk.

I took my seat and gestured toward the chair opposite me but he didn't move.

"I don't have all day!" he snapped, his voice echoing through the room. "I thought this whole thing was to ensure she got help, so what's with the sudden mystery? Why can't I visit her?"

He remained standing, his jaw tight and his hands clenched at his sides. I watched him for a moment, trying to determine exactly what he wanted from me. He wasn't going to sit until he had an answer.

"Bianca is locked away somewhere far from here," I said calmly. "She won't be able to hurt anyone anymore. Especially you."

I saw his expression shifted slightly at that and that was very interesting to me.

"You should actually be thanking us." I added. That finally seemed to take some of the fight out of him. Jude lowered himself into the chair opposite my desk and exhaled heavily, dragging a hand over his face before looking back at me.

"I know," he said, his voice quieter now. "But isolating her... is that really the best thing for her?"

That caught my attention. I leaned back in my chair, studying him. I'd expected him to demand to see her until I caved. I'd expected anger, accusations, maybe even threats to have her released. Instead, he was questioning whether we'd done the right thing or if we had put her in the right place.

Perhaps I'd misread him entirely.

"Well," I said slowly, folding my hands together on top of my desk. "That's an interesting question."

Jude's eyes narrowed and I held his gaze.

"If you're asking whether Bianca is receiving treatment, the answer is yes."

"That wasn't what I asked."

"No," I agreed. "It wasn't."

The silence stretched between us. Jude shifted in his chair, his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh. He looked like a man who had rehearsed this conversation a dozen times in his head and still hadn't figured out how to begin it. I knew that look. People only came to my office this agitated when they were either hiding something or afraid of what they already knew. I reached for the glass of water sitting beside my paperwork and took a slow sip.