Thinking back, I don’t know if I’ve ever been alone in this house. There was always staff—Clyde, house cleaners, Claudia baking in the kitchen, that weird guy who did the yardwork—or security guards positioned around even when Rune wasn’t home. Growing up, Delly and I were never alone.
My nerves skitter as I shut the office door behind me. I glance around the room trying to figure out where to start. Rune left the small table lamp on his desk on, washing the large office in a buttery glow, and giving off just enough light to make out the stack of papers on his desk. I go for them first, since I know they must have come straight from the office.
Not having his two chief accountants means that he’s having to rely on our office staff to crunch numbers, which leaves him open to scrutiny. I’m surprised he even agreed to meet a potential client for another sale today since he doesn’t have Delly and me there. Then again, Rune has to keep up appearances.
God forbid anyone found out his daughter and adopted daughter were taken and held for weeks. No doubt the few staff there that day, the media, and the police were paid off, and givensubtle threats of what would happen should they talk. Especially once he realized who took us.
I doubt he wanted anyone to know that he was taken by surprise, his two daughters stolen from his place of business by his enemy. Any associates or people in the families would know better than to pry. I’m sure the entire office where we work was told that Delly and I went away for a vacation and that Delly was taking an extended leave.
I never thought of asking.
To my right, the old antique clock he keeps on the long console table near the door ticks away, reminding me I’m limited on time. The stack of papers and files shows the usual monthly reports and nothing of value. Not that I’d think he’d leave anything nefarious out in the open. The drawers in his desk are locked as usual, but when I swipe my hand under the desk, I feel the little compartment where he keeps his key and retrieve it.
One would think after watching him grab it to open the drawer all these years he’d find a better hiding spot. Guess he never thought I’d have the guts to go snooping.
I never had a reason or strong motive before now.
When I slide the thin top drawer open, my stomach dips. A long hunting knife with jagged teeth rests on top of shiny pens and a few paperclips. To think he’s had this here, could have drawn it on me at any point, makes me a little lightheaded. I wonder if I’d have known it was here, the times he was too rough with me, if I’d have pulled it out and used it on him.
The answer makes my stomach twist.
Because I think I would have. Desperation and terror make people do crazy things.
I pick the knife up to look at it, and spot a USB drive underneath. Leave it to Rune to have a USB drive instead of saving everything to the cloud. I glance at his laptop and debatelooking, but know I’m too short on time, and I need to get out of here and back to Clyde’s.
That Clyde is even allowing me out of his sight means that he’s trusting me to do exactly as I said. Snoop quickly, then leave and be back before anyone can suspect I’m gone. He must finally realize that if I can keep my sick relationship with Rune a secret, and handle Rune’s violent outbursts, then I can handle this.
I reposition the hunting knife back in place and carefully close the drawer, relocking it before moving on. All the other drawers have nothing of value, just old reports, a few compromising ones that detail other families’ involvement in some sale. One file has all the names of past and present lodge members, including their personal information and what I can only guess are family members listed as well. My brows knit when I see that along with their info, there’s numbers, almost like a point system, as well as a list of money transfers.
I reach for my phone and curse. If I had taken the time to plan this, I would have had Clyde grab one of those little drugstore cameras. Turning my phone on to take pictures of the information means Rune will see I’m here, and that’s the last thing I want.
“Damn it,” I whisper, reaching for the notepad on Rune’s desk and grabbing a pen from the wooden pen stand Delly bought him years ago. I jot down the names and as much info as I can, glancing at the clock. I’m running out of time.
When I reach Zane’s name, my stomach tumbles.
Alongside his name, there’s a record of his personal information, plus multiple substantial wire transfers. The same strange tally system is listed, going back almost fifteen years, taking up several pages.
My brows knit, my belly growing oily with a strange unease, but I jot the information down and continue on. As I write the last name of a past member from the list, it dawns onme. I only remember because the day sticks in my brain thanks to Delly. She’d had the stomach flu so bad she was curled up on the bathroom floor and couldn’t go. But I wasn't sick, so Rune made me go with him to keep up appearances. It’s not every day that one of his close friends dies.
We’d gone to the funeral with all the other families, including Zane and his mother. It was a closed casket and so boring that I remember complaining, telling Clyde that I wished I had the stomach flu so I didn’t have to attend. He’d been quiet that day. Even for him.
The memory makes me go back over the list of names, and each one that is still not an active member of his lodge is dead. We’d gone to every single funeral. Granted, it’s only a handful, and after fifteen years, and considering the age of many of them, it’s not surprising that they passed.
I log the information in my head and add little stars next to the ones that have passed away, knowing in my gut it means something. Rune removes people who are a threat, which means there is the potential these men may have discovered something he wanted to keep hidden.
When I finish, I shove the file back in the drawer and move on to the next, but just as my fingers clasp around the file, I hear the distinct chirp of the alarm being disarmed.
My heart slams in my chest, fear spiking through me like a shot straight into my veins. I stuff the paper into my back pocket, and toss the notepad on the desk, shoving the pen back into the stand with a trembling hand.
It’s too fucking soon. He’s supposed to be at the office.
Easing a breath into my lungs, I slide the drawer closed, knowing I only have a minute before he’s entering the office. I turn the lock on the drawer, picturing Rune walking across the foyer. As I slide my ass up into his office chair, I reach under thedesk and pop the compartment open, slipping the key into the little box. The office door opens, and Rune steps in.
I swallow as his gaze lands on me, my stomach twisting, and I think for a millisecond that I may be sick.
Rune pauses in the doorway, his brows turning down. “What are you doing here?”
With my hand still under his desk, I use it to pull the chair forward, then cross my arms as I lean on the glossy top, noting he askedwhatam I doing here. Not what am Idoing. Here in his office. Alone. Again. Like the day I told him I was refusing to marry Zane. When he reminded me I was his to do with however he pleased.
