I couldn’t believe I was in this situation, but I could only hope that it would work out for the best. Any little nugget of information I could get out of Jessica about her brother, Bernard, could be vital to the investigation.

I wasn’t a dumb man. I had long known about her infatuation with me.

Under any other circumstance, it would have probably made me a jerk to take advantage of that, but I didn’t care. Given that it was human trafficking charges she was trying to get me to help get Bernard out of, I was pretty sure anyone, even the most saintly person alive, would understand my train of thought.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" I asked her. I stretched out a hand and tipped her chin with a fingertip. Even the slight touch felt disgusting to me, and I thought about how hurt Hannah would be at the sight. I should stop, but I had already set things in motion. It was best to try and get all that I was after.

Jessica’s eyes grew wide with excitement at my favorable response. "Anything you want, Mr. Thaddeus." Her hands rubbed my shoulders. "I’m at your every whim."

"At my every whim, you say?" I grinned at her. "That’s a very, very tempting offer, Miss Sullivan."

She was filled with lust and anticipation. The look in her eye made me believe that my use of her proper title riled her up even more.

"Make your demands and I’ll do it," she said. "Want me to suck you off? I’ll make you see God."

I was honestly disgusted, not just by just her crassness, but also by her eagerness. She was ready to jump my bones right then. Part of me thought it wasn’t even about Bernard—it was about her wanting to get in my pants. If I had given into her, there was a good possibility she wouldn’t even remember why she came and would leave with her head held high as though she had done something worthwhile. Perhaps an older version of myself would have been flattered, but, in my current state, I was just appalled.

Her act of desperation was additionally sickening because she knew all too well that I was married to Hannah. While I was acting in hopes of supporting the investigation, she was disrespecting my marriage by acting the way she was.

"Tempting, tempting," I chuckled. "Maybe I’ll have to take you up on that."

I watched as her eyes flickered to my crotch. I quickly stood, anticipating that she might try to grope me, to put a little bit of distance between us. I had to then recover quickly, however, not wanting her to think that I was avoiding her.

I wanted to avoid her like the plague or a leper.

"What makes you think that it’ll be enough?" I asked her.

"I’m very, very good," she oozed.

I tutted, raising a finger to her lips. "How about you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?"I

t was the only phrase I could think of that sounded like an innuendo that also hinted at my true purpose. I couldn’t help but think of how my actions and words could be read back to me. I wanted to stay above this gross situation as much as I could, without risking the little operation I had initiated on my own—to not flat-out deceive her, but just leave things up to her interpretation and let her fall on her own sword.

She grinned. "If you want to fuck me, that’s all you have to say."

Jessica started to turn and I just knew she was going to bend herself over my desk. I caught her wrist before she could finish and pulled her into me.

I tried to give her a lusty look, but I was starting to feel as though I had started to lose part of my charm because of my marriage. I only had eyes for Hannah. Even this little game felt like too much and was a bit awkward for me—whereas, this time a year ago, it would have been as easy as breathing to me.

"I’ll help your brother if you just help me make sense of it all," I explained.

"That’s it? That’s no fun, Roman," she pouted.

I faked a grin at her. "Tell me something, and maybe I’ll entertain you for longer." She shot me a skeptical look. "Most of the rooms in this house are soundproof," I added. It was another simple statement, but it sounded suggestive. I knew she would take any little nibble of flirtation I offered her. If she were a dog, she would have been humping my leg, I was pretty sure. She was acting like a horny and senseless animal.

She was titillated by that comment, and I was disgusted. I felt so dirty flirting with her in such a way, but I just needed to get her talking. Anything Jessica said could be the difference between a swift and just investigation, and one that dragged out for months and months. With everything going on right then, the faster it could end, the better.

Doing this meant that I could get everyone locked up sooner and Hannah would be safe. It gave me a second wind to put up with Jessica.

She touched my chest. "If I tell you something juicy, do I get to request what we do?"

"Absolutely," I purred.

Jessica leaned into my ear, "Benard has been working with the auction for so long that he has established trust and a rapport with the people who work and run the place."

I gave her a questioning look. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

She chuckled and shrugged. "It means that he has taken to a more hands-on approach, acquiring and moving the women they are selling. He’s so involved. He lives and breathes for the Auction House. He finds it to be thrilling. It’s like a high for him. A high that he’s always chasing more of."

I could have thrown up at that moment.

How was I ever close to such a terrible family? How was it that Bernard was such a vile and deviant man, and yet was so functional? How was Jessica able to talk about it so lightheartedly? Had they both managed to forget these were actual people that were being sold and toyed with?

"Why has he been chasing that high? Didn’t he ever think about the consequences?" I asked.

It was becoming a physical drain not to make a face at the things she said. My natural reactions were volatile, and keeping them under wraps was nearly too much.

Nearly.

I had to remind myself that I was doing that for Hannah.

Jessica laughed a deep and hearty one. She poked my chin. "Silly boy. Why would he have cared about that? He had enough money to buy a small country, I’m pretty sure. He really thought he was invincible. That any trouble that came his way, he could pay off and misdirect. Don’t you see, Roman? That’s why we need to help him. That could happen to anyone. He didn’t realize how dire the consequences would be. Whenever he’s wanted anything, he’s gotten it. He’s never, ever, had to think past that. It’s basically a misunderstanding."

My jaw clenched but I tried to keep my cool. How could she possibly say with all the confidence and ease in the world that human trafficking was just a misunderstanding? That, because he was spoiled, entitled, and power hungry, it meant he was naive to the laws he was breaking and should get off the hook? I had never heard anything more ridiculous in my entire life.

What that made me understand, though, was that Jessica was just as far gone as he was. The Sullivan’s were without help.

It occurred to me then that Jessica wasn’t just sounding entitled, but also cruel and... intimately understanding what she was saying. Maybe she was even protecting herself.

A tingle rose in the back of my head. Something was off. I thought I might have been crazy, but something in me was telling me that Jessica was involved. Maybe not to the extent Bernard was, but she was more involved than she had been letting on.

"I’m not sure I would call it a misunderstanding," I muttered, beginning to back away.

I had gotten the information I needed from her, knowing that the security camera I had installed in my study would have captured it all. I wasn’t proud of my own actions, but I could only hope that Hannah would be understanding it was in the name of the investigation. I didn’t think anything had crossed the line, but I knew my words had been a bit unsavory.

"What would you call it?" she giggled.

"Disgusting," I snapped. "Do you really understand what you’re saying?"

"Do you understand who you’re talking to in that tone?" she challenged, walking toward me with a strut.

At that moment, the study door creaked open.

Before I could turn my head, Jessica’s lips were on mine. I peered around her to see Hannah standing in the entrance.

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

No, no, no.