“Hmm.” I jerk my head back in surprise. “Learn something new every day, I guess.” When he turns back in my direction, I ask, “Who’s Emilia Abbot?”
He’s pouring the juice in a cup, his attention focused on it. “Not sure, probably Abbot’s grandmother.”
Confusion pulls my eyebrows together. “But all these recipes sound like English recipes, and the measurements are metric.”
“His father is from England, and his mother was from Spain.”
The day Rhys told me his mother was dead flashes across my mind, and guilt twists my stomach for the comment I made to him. His black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin point toa South American heritage, but I didn’t consider either of his parents were from a different continent. Much less two different countries.
Intrigued, I snap the book closed and walk to the little bar between the living room and the kitchen. “How in the world did they meet? That has to be quite a story.”
“Abbot doesn’t talk much about his family, he’s kind of a closed book, but I know his mom was a famous cellist before she died and his dad teaches at The University of Tulsa. Literature, I think.”
He grew up around the fine arts. I try to hide my surprise. Nothing about Rhys Abbot reflects anything so colorful.
If anything, his hard, serious demeanor, the gun under his arm at all times, and the intimidating, sometimes scary stare, all shout law enforcement or military. I guess sometimes the apple falls, and rolls, pretty far.
“Do you know how his mom died?”
“Bad heart, I think, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was somehow the reason behind his super healthy lifestyle, unless that is just something that carried over from the Army Rangers.”
How do I not know this? We spent the entire day together yesterday, but we didn’t talk about his past at all. I need to ask more questions even though when I’m close to him, my thoughts seem to get blocked by every carnal need I’m feeling for him.
He gulps down the orange juice in one long drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his neck before he sets the cup on the counter. “Yeah, he left the Rangers to be close to his mom before she died.”
So, it wasn’t unexpected. She was sick. The Army Rangers are not easy to get into, it took Mason years to work his way up to Delta Force, so for Rhys to just walk away for his mom says a lot about him and his love for his family. My heartmelts when I think about the pain he must have felt as an adult to lose her.
My only reference is the pain of missing the ghost of so many things that a girl is supposed to have with her mom. I didn’t get to experience the person those moments actually happened with.
A hard knock at the door has both of us swiveling our heads in that direction. I can see the top of Sanders’ head through the glass squares set high up in the door. The hair on my neck stands up. Rhys said he wouldn’t allow him near me.
What if he is the mole Rhys is worried about? Why is he here?
There’s no reason for him to be here.
I turn to Swan. “Are you expecting him?”
Swan’s eyes narrow a bit, and I see his shoulders square with tension, but his face stays neutral. “Uh-uh, Abbot didn’t say anything.”
“But he said Sanders wasn’t supposed to come here.” I’m not sure whether I should feel fear or anger. Or both.
The knock is harder this time. “I know you’re in there, Swan. Open up.”
Setting the book on the counter, I turn to leave. “I’m going to my room.”
Swan only nods, his eyes glued on the door. His dismissal and focus on the door makes the hair on my neck stand up.
As I turn to walk to the hall, Swan walks to the front door. It happens in a matter of seconds, but time slows to a crawl. The deadbolt on the door slides out of the way, and the door handle jiggles as Swan opens the door.
Swan sounds conversational but guarded. “Hey, what are you doing…”
Two gunshots sound like a crack in the veil of time and space across the living room, making me jump as I turn to seeSwan falling to the floor. His arms fly out to his sides as he falls backward, and my hands go to my mouth to cover the scream that gets lodged in my throat.
Oh, fuck!
Swan!
I don’t wait for Sanders to appear around the door, I turn and run to Rhys’ room, pushing the door shut and turning the lock. I turn in a circle in the room, wondering what I should do.
