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She acknowledged the statement with a nod, but said nothing.
We have agreed upon the monetary compensation. The second portion of my fee is
information.
When he d suggested he wanted more than money, she d expected his demand to be
sexual. Too many years in the pleasure business, apparently. What do I know that interests
you?
I insist each of my clients reveal certain information about themselves. This protects
me, should any of my clients attempt to manipulate our relationship.
Anger simmered beneath her calm façade. Until she learned what he knew, she had no
choice but to play along. How do I know what you ve learned is worth revealing anything
about myself?
I ll accept half of my fee in advance and half upon your satisfaction. He rested his
hands on the arms of the chair and finally met her gaze.
She d hired two investigators before Cephus and neither had learned anything useful.
What do you want to know?
What was the nature of your relationship with Matthias?
He d have to do better than that if he hoped to make her uncomfortable. We were
lovers.
He remained still and watchful. Petra wasn t fooled. She knew a predator when she
saw one.
Who ended the relationship? he asked.
Which time? She dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand. Our affair was
unstable from the start.
What made it unstable?
84 Aubrey Ross
A shiver raced down her spine. He d scratch and prod until she revealed something
damning. So be it, she d give him a glimpse into her jaded soul. The sooner he satisfied his
morbid curiosity, the sooner they could move on.
I like men. She grinned. Catch me in the right mood and I like women, too.
Matthias was too possessive for the sort of relationship I m able to offer.
Did you lead him to believe you d remain faithful to him?
It wasn t a deception. I honestly attempted to change for him, but I like men. Despite
her casual tone, pain sharpened the admission.
Did he ever catch you in the act?
Yes.
More than once?
Yes.
And still he took you back? The shadow of a smile curved his lips. You must be one
hell of a fuck& Or was he just a fool?
I m not indulging you further until you tell me what you ve learned.
Very well. He unbuttoned his jacket and crossed his legs. I ll tip my hand, but know
this. We will not leave this room until I have honest answers to the rest of my questions.
He got off on humiliating others, no doubt about it. Being privy to a person s secrets
offered a certain security, but Cephus wanted to watch his clients squirm. She d determine
how much she was willing to writhe when she heard his discoveries. She folded her hands
on her desktop and waited for him to begin.
The Renaissance Foundation, she prompted when he continued to study her. What
were you able to learn?
Matthias had no living relatives, so he established the Renaissance Foundation when
he realized he was dying.
I already knew that.
He chuckled. Are you always so impatient?
It depends on the situation.
Let s see what we can do to lighten your mood.
Lightening her mood was the farthest thing from his mind. He either had useful
information or he didn t. She was already tired of his games. I m listening.
On the surface, the foundation is a charity devoted to the rehabilitation of amputees
and the recovery of those needing artificial organs.
Again, nothing she didn t already know. You said on the surface.
He inclined his head. As well as performing its charitable works, the foundation is a
mechanism through which the Toymaker s income is filtered.
Comet Coalition: Replicant 85
Why would Matthias need to filter his money? All of his inventions were patented.
His income is legitimate.
Legal and legitimate are two different things. His gaze flashed for a moment before
freezing over again. Many consider the pleasure industry as a whole disreputable.
Petra rubbed the bridge of her nose. She wasn t interested in the legitimacy of the
pleasure industry. If she cringed every time someone called her a whore, she d have adapted
the posture permanently. Go on.
The everyday workings are overseen by a board of directors. They follow a strict
business plan outlined in the foundation s charter.
In other words, they re puppets with no real power of their own?
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