“No, thanks. I won’t stay long, just an hour,” I reply as I walk through into the open kitchen and living area, Monty trotting behind me.
I head over to the large marble breakfast bar and sit on one of the stools. Halliday sits next to me as my father fixes me a coffee.
“I was thinking of white flowers for the wedding,” I muse, reaching into the bag I brought that my father placed on the counter and pulling out a stack of magazines. “Maybe orchids? Or something delicate.”
“Sounds good.” Halliday smiles as I place a magazine on the counter in front of her, opened to a double page spread about bouquets.
“I saw these and thought of you. These ones are made from pearls and things. But you can have one made from anything you like, even crystals.”
Her voice lifts. “Crystals?”
“Yeah.”
She bites her lower lip and looks back at the page, her face glowing. She covered my father’s office with crystals the day she arrived, claiming they all have different properties for helping us. I knew she’d like the idea of an alternative bouquet.
“Of course, you need to make sure it isn’t too heavy. Although I guess you’ll be able to rest it on…” I survey her flat stomach. “I wonder how big your bump will be on the day.”
“I don’t know. I think I’ll be showing. It’s still going to be a few months until we get married,” Halliday says.
Dad slides a mug of fresh coffee toward me. The bell chimes, and he mutters something about them being popular this morning as he heads off to answer it.
“I can’t believe I get to have baby cuddles again. It feels so long since Molly was tiny enough to hold in one arm.” I grin, clasping my hands in front of my face as I think of my niece. “You know I’m going to spoil you,” I say to Halliday’s stomach.
She laughs as the room fills with suits.
“You look much better. You must have had a good sleep last night,” Uncle Mal says to Halliday as he walks over and stands beside the counter.
Sullivan heads straight for my coffee mug, lifting it up and taking a gulp. I huff at him.
“I need it more than you, Sis, believe me,” he grunts.
I look at the two of them, then at the dark, looming hulk in a suit, broader than any other man in the room, who is standing further away, near the back wall.
“We were talking about weddings before you all interrupted. What are you all doing here with faces like that?” My question is aimed at all three of them and their matching sour expressions, but my eyes remain fixed on just one of them.
“We need to talk about business,” Denver says, his dark eyes boring into mine.
“Ugh. And it couldn’t wait?”
I rub my temples as Sullivan drinks the rest of my coffee and places the empty mug down with a thud.
“It’s regarding what we were talking about with Killian and Jenson,” Denver tells Dad.
I lift my gaze, my interest piqued at the mention of the other two members of our family’s security team. Whatever they're discussing must be important.
“Go on,” my father says.
“He’s in New York. Killian tracked him on a flight yesterday. We looked over the past two years. He hasn’t been back here until now.”
“I know some people who could make him disappear,” Uncle Mal says, his eyes flicking toward me and Halliday before he seals his lips like he’s regretting admitting such a thing in front of us. But this is my family. I’m not stupid. I know they’ll go to any lengths to protect one another.
It’s what Beauforts do. They stick together.
The men exchange looks and words as Halliday looks at me, puzzled.
“Who?” I interrupt them all. “Stop being so cryptic. They made an arrest over the club fire, so who the hell are you talking about?”
“Neil.” My father sighs.
