The Duke's Masked Wife

Katrina didn't want Randall standing in her house so she was not willing to help him with this business idea he came up with. "Randall, stick to the business you have now and get out of Lockwood-"

"I'll give you a cut. Make you a business partner," Randall said, knowing it would get her on board with the plan. Just like him, she loved having more money and though she was now a Baroness, he doubted this side of her changed.

Randall asked around about her family before he approached her. He learned about her dead husband, her stepdaughter marrying big, and the debt she was left with. He had to applaud her for looking good while her life was falling apart.

"I have too much going on in my life for me to be caught with you right now. The court is looking into my background and if they see you around me, they will start looking into who you are. You should remember the steps we took to get me here. Find the right young women who really want this life and you'll succeed," Katrina answered, turning down the offer.

"What if I stay out of sight from you and you run the whole business? You're in the position to also find some young ladies desperate to climb higher. You're sneaky and you've been able to hide in this town going on eighteen years now without anyone knowing who you are. You're the best person to help me run this business. Not like you have a choice," Randall grinned as one word from him and her whole world would come crashing down. Well, more than it already was.

Katrina was reaching her limit with people who sought something from her. One after the other, men were showing up to ruin her life. First William, the court, and now disgusting Randall who had some nerve blackmailing her. She knew many crimes he did to get him thrown into a cell but the difference between them was Randall not having much to lose as she did. Everyone knew the type of businessman Randall was but she was known as the Baroness. She had far more to lose if her past was exposed.

Setting up girls to hook themselves to a wealthy man was not a hard task since she had plenty of experience. As long as she wasn't making these girls sell their bodies like women in the red light district, this business wouldn't be so bad and recently, she could use a new flow of money. She wanted to go back to the height of her marriage with Desmond where money was always at her fingertips.

Katrina loved the idea of running a business and unlike her fool of a husband or Randall, she knew how to hide secrets well. However, a partnership with Randall wasn't something she wanted. He would always dangle revealing her secret in her face. She needed him gone and with the clear lust he still had for her, slipping something in his food or drink wouldn't be too hard. If only she could stab him right here right now but Randall was not someone to travel alone.

"I don't want to talk about this right now. This is an important night for my daughter and I don't want filth like you here. Leave right now and I will come up with an excuse for your quick departure," Katrina said. She didn't want Randall to see her daughter.

He didn't have any morals to not lust after her daughter and refrain from ruining Kate as he did with her. His return might have presented the opportunity to get rid of the one person who knew about her life before Desmond. Then pitiful Ida would truly be dead.

Randall suddenly had a thought he wished would be true. "Right, you had a daughter for him, or did she belong to someone else? I remember us still fucking when you were securing become his wife. Who knows, she could be my daughter. Let me get a good look at her-"

"You bastard! Kate is the daughter of a Baron, not some low-down disgusting man like you. She looks nothing like you so get that thought out of your head. I would never bear a child for a man like you. You are the reason I searched for every possible way to get rid of a child I do not want. Kate has better blood than you and I. Leave right now," Katrina said, angrily pointing at the door behind him. She would not tolerate even hinting this thought around Kate.

"Seeing you get so riled up means there must have been a point you worried about me being her father. Don't worry, I have never harmed any of my children," Randall replied.

Katrina knew he didn't harm his own  children. He treated them like royalty with the money he got from his business providing sexual services with  the people given to him."Right, it is the ones sold to you that you treat badly. I have not forgotten."

Randall shrugged his shoulders, not seeing how that was a bad thing. "It is not like I share blood with any of those children to care about them. It is a business at the end of the day. The parents are the real bad guys for selling their children so cheaply. So your daughter will marry a Marquess? He's got to have some wealth you can steal out from him. He looks like a sucker. Do what you do best and get him to give you everything he wants."

"Get the hell out of my house," Katrina said through gritted teeth. At any moment, Simon and Kate would return and Randall would have to join dinner.

Randall placed his hands in his pockets to search for something. "I suppose I have riled you up enough and you need a moment to calm your anger since we will be partners. Meet me here tomorrow," he took a piece of paper out of his pocket which had his address. "The time and place are there. Do not be late, Katrina. A minute over and I will have the town gossiping about you. Oh, wear something nice," he smiled.

Katrina reluctantly took the paper from him. "I am not sleeping with you," she made this clear before they would meet again.

Randall feigned a hurt look like it wasn't his intention to. How could he not when she had continued to grow into such a beauty? It was a shame she wasted herself on a Baron that he knew could not please her to her liking.

"Now that you are without a husband," he reached forward to touch her hair that he missed but she smacked his hand away. "I'm sure you need a man's touch to keep you company. Unless you are getting it from someone already? If there is such a man, I must warn you that I will kill him," he whispered.

Randall didn't like the thought of sharing his best prize with anyone else. It had been hard enough to let go of her and give her to Desmond Barrett. Now, he was back for what belonged to him. He considered taking her as his wife so they could expand his business together.

He looked behind Katrina at the Marquess returning with a young woman who resembled her beautiful mother. "I will take my leave now," he said, turning to leave before her daughter could see him.

"Mother?" The sound of Kate's voice startled Katrina. Luckily, Randall was already halfway out the door. "Simon said we were having a guest?"

"A family friend came to visit and wanted to stay for dinner but he remembered something he needed to do. Maybe he will visit again. Come now, we should start dinner so I can get to know more about Simon," Katrina forced a smile.

Before Katrina could help any young lady raise their status in this town, she was going to help Kate dig her nails into Simon and never let go of him.