All Chapters of The Billionaire's Lure: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Rodger’s car was on the footage. There was a dark figure standing beside it, but I couldn’t tell if it was him. Whoever it was just stood there, glaring in the direction of the lobby doors.Why would Rodger be tailing Bentley?My instincts made me think he was secretly trying to steal my story and apply for the anchor position himself. He didn’t even seem interested in Ivy’s case, so it was strange. Then suddenly, an even stranger thought popped into my head. What if Rodger is working for Bentley!?"Did I leave at all?”Bentley’s voice snapped me back to reality. It was silky and smooth, but still deep and strong. By then, the bubbles from the champagne had made their way into my bloodstream and made me feel just as nice.“Not yet,” I tried to hide my smile. “You are so arrogant, you know?”“I’m arrogant?” He laughed like an almighty king, and I was his peasant. “I don’t think I am. Confident, maybe.”I looked over to him, canvassing his art work as if he were looking for any imperfec

“Don’t you touch that door.”I removed my seatbelt as the car came to a halt in my driveway. Bentley gave me a stern look that set me on edge again, but then I realized he was on his way to my side of the car.“A lady never opens her own door.”I held onto his hand and eased my way out. Still a little embarrassed for getting too ahead of myself, I took the walk of shame to my front door. Bentley stayed right behind me, making sure I made every step and didn’t trip over so much as a pebble. It was romantic. Thoughtful. Sweet. Until it wasn’t.“What the hell?” I frowned. “I could have sworn I locked this.”I pushed open my half-shut front door and reached for the lamp. Afraid of what I might find, I kept my eyes on Bentley, who looked more concerned than I felt. Because I was still tipsy, I couldn’t remember if I had left my door open in a hurry or if someone had gone in while I was out. When Bentey realized my dilemma, he jumped straight into action.“I take it you didn’t leave this ope

Ivy was with a friend the night she was murdered.The woman who flagged down an officer when the crowd commenced outside of Club Lure. My goal was to find her so that we could retrace their steps that night, but she was like a ghost in Westlake. So much so, I thought she may have vanished because she was afraid she’d be next. Or she left because she was the one who was guilty.The flirtation that went on between Bentley and me made me reconsider a lot of things. I still thought he was involved somehow, or knew who was, but my suspicions started to shift from one person to the next.When I got to work that morning, I skipped my office and went straight to Rodger’s. He was sitting behind his desk with his earphones in per usual. I thought he’d be great company to take on my journey of finding witnesses for the day. I also wanted to figure out why his car was seen on the cameras outside of Bentley’s penthouse.“What’s up, buttercup?” He smiled and removed his earphones the minute I walke

Past patterns can tell you a lot about someone’s future. At least that’s what I was taught to believe.Bentley challenged that belief of mine. He pushed barriers that I thought were unmovable. He raised emotions in me that I thought were dead. His lure was silent. It was irresistible. Most of all, it was deadly.“Hey Justine, how’s it going?”“It’ll be going well if you can help me out with this case.”I called Detective Mickey Turner after Rodger and I finished our footwork for the day. She was a family friend and a great source of information whenever I needed it. Since she’d had interactions with Bentley and kept a close eye on him, I reached out to her to ask about his statement.“Ivy Smith, huh? I can’t imagine what her parents are going through after all this.”“They’re taking this really hard,” I said. “Which is why I wanna make sure I get every bit of information I can. They deserve to know, and I know there’s something deeper going on here.”I let myself into my home and toss

I was never good with emotions or apologizing. But I felt like I owed it to Bentley.Rodger had stormed off and found his own way home, and I was left to settle into my thoughts about what he said. Bentley and I would never work. He was a gangster, and I helped put men like him away. If he continued, there would come a day that I had to help put him away. But how would I if we were attached?I got into the backseat of his driver’s SUV and took my phone from my clutch. My finger rested over the call button for his number, but I was hesitant to press send. Rodger’s words were stuck in my head. I wanted to be angry with him for it, but I knew he was right. So, I put my phone away.To my surprise, though, Bentley’s driver called out to me from behind the wheel and said the words that I so desperately wanted to hear.“Ma’am, Mr. Thomas is requesting you tonight.”Butterflies took flight in my gut. I was ecstatic—desperate to be near him. To apologize for bringing Rodger with me and whateve