Love's Game (LarssonSiblingSeries#5)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

DEXTER

I turn back to see Olive is asleep before stepping outside the room. Johnny is standing between us, giving me an apologetic whisper for his earlier shouting. It's fine, I get it. There's certain clients that he has to keep happier than others. They keep this business alive, so upsetting them is not an option.

Hence why he insisted I go see Daniella when she said she needed a word with me. Like me, Daniella Murphy was born into money, her grandfather inventing the electrical company, Teton. They're a global company who specialise in household electronics, famous for their steam irons and out of this world ovens.

But, unlike me, she's a spoilt brat who thinks the world owes her a favour. Our parents have been pally for years, often meeting up on family holidays and at Christmas, but I would always avoid her until she showed me that she was actually human and cried when her placement at Oxford university fell through around the same time I was applying to Durham.

We came here when I was on a break from my relationship, we played, had fun and then broke things off when feelings got involved. Or, I broke things off, should I say, not able to get rid of her until I threatened to tell her daddy what she really got up to at her bracelet making classes.

It's been tense since then.

As tall as ever, Daniella stands in her stupidly high heels, dress barely covering her arse when she angles her body to the side. "I just had to find you when I heard you were here.  What a treat."

I step back. "I'm not interested."

Giving me a slow blink, she reaches out to stroke my cheek. "And they said you brought a guest. Can I share?"

I can't stop my nostrils from flaring out, blood pressure through the roof. "Not a chance in hell."

"No fair," she smirks when I push her hand away. "I like them when they're tired. I saw her sleeping. You ware her out like you always did to me?"

My eyes shoot to Johnny. "Please remove her from me. I'm not going to do this today."

I can't afford to leave Olive alone, either.

Daniella starts to giggle. "No need to get snappy, Dex, I brought my boyfriend with me. Chill out."

I can't chill out knowing Olive could need me. I'm fucking grateful that she's found some bloke, though. Poor bastard doesn't know what he's gotten himself in to, but that's his funeral.

Pulling down the neck of her dress, she starts to smile. "He's a chocker. Something you were always too vanilla for."

I breathe through my nose, thinking back to Olive and the animal who tried that move on her. Yes, I was never will be willing to wrap my hands around a woman's neck and squeeze hard, but she's wrong if she thinks I'm vanilla. She knows I'm no way near which makes me wonder if she's tugging at my strings.

"Good for you," I respond, moving to open the door when she stops me.

She grins. "It really is a small world, babe. Your new plaything used to date my boyfriend. Talk about swapping partners."

I see red, my mind going into overdrive when I remember Olive telling me that she's only ever had one boyfriend - the one boyfriend who scared her half to death by strangling her during sex - the boyfriend who I promised to myself I'd kill if I ever saw him.

"You've gone pale," she whispers, nudging closer.

If I have it's because my anger has drained every bit of blood away. "Is that boyfriend here with you?"