“Morning,” Abby says, tossing a smile over her shoulder as she stands at the coffee machine. “Want a coffee?”
“Sure.” I look around the empty living space as she pulls another mug from the cupboard. “Where is everyone?”
“Roman is still sleeping, and Kai went to the gym. We weren’t expecting either of you to be up so early. Yesterday must have been exhausting.”
I shrug, not in the mood to get into it. I’m deliberately not thinking about those files we were shown because I can’t afford to believe it.
It’s not true.
It can’t be.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I lie. I was drained, but I couldn’t switch my thoughts off, and I spent most of the night tossing and turning in the large, comfortable bed.
“Cream and sugar?” Abby asks.
“Black. One sugar.” I rub the back of my head. “Um, thanks.”
“Take a seat,” she says, smiling as she gestures toward the stools at the island unit. Baking supplies cover one side of the marble tabletop, so I sit at the other end.
She hands me a mug while sipping from hers and staring at me. “What?” I touch my face and glance down at my T-shirt and sweatpants. “Do I have something on my face?” I ask when she still keeps staring.
“No, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious. It’s just you look so much like my husband. All the brothers look incredibly alike, but you and Kai could be twins. He was only a little younger than you when I met him. It just takes me back.” She sets her mug down and moves sideways to the bowl and ingredients.
“You guys mustn’t have known each other long then before you got married.”
She drills me with a look. “I see you’ve done your homework.”
“I had to when I was told about the elite. My dad always said information was power, and I needed to know everything after Denton told me the truth.”
She looks me straight in the eye. “Trust me, Denton didn’t tell you the truth. He told you whatever was needed to suit his agenda.”
I grind my teeth to the molars, unwilling to touch this first thing in the morning when I’m running on dry fumes. Leveling her with a “butt out” look, I say, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She looks at me for a few intense seconds as if she’s trying to dig her way into my brain and extract all the shit I know. I hold her gaze until she drops it, lowering her eyes to the counter. Abby measures out flour and some other stuff and begins sifting it into the bowl. “My dad used to say the same, but he was an evil piece of shit who used information and secrets to blackmail people into doing his bidding.”
“Seems like it’s the elite mantra.” I take a mouthful of my coffee as I watch Abby remove another bowl from a drawer under the unit and crack a few eggs into it.
“It is, which is why I can’t understand how you trusted Mathers or why you refuse to believe what you were told yesterday is the truth. You’re clearly very smart, so it doesn’t make sense.”
My muscles lock up, and I bare my teeth as I snarl, “Why should I believe people I’ve only just met over the man who rescued me and my brother from hell?”
“Watch your tone,” Kaiden snaps, sauntering into the kitchen carrying two bags of groceries. “We don’t have many rules around here, but showing my wife respect is one of them.”
“I’m still processing everything,” I tell Abby. “And it’s a touchy subject, but I meant no disrespect.”
“I know you didn’t,” she says, adding some butter to a small bowl.
Kaiden dumps the grocery bags on the counter and leans in to kiss his wife on the lips.
I avert my gaze and my eye snags on the writing on the bags. Foley’s Market. It’s where Emery works. I wonder if Kaiden knows her. Half my thoughts last night were consumed with her.
I have stayed away from Emery on purpose, watching her remotely from the shadows, because I thought it was the best way of keeping her safe. But Hamilton knowing about her changes things. As does living here. I’m not strong enough to avoid Emery when she’s so close. Her apartment is only a ten-minute drive from here. Truth is, I don’t want to avoid her. I miss her, and I want her. We were only getting started, and I’d like a second chance to see how good we could be together.
I’m sure she hates my guts and probably wants nothing to do with me, but I’ll win her over again. Sticking close to Emery is the best way I can protect her now Hamilton has blatantlythreatened her, so it’s not up for debate. I need to put some things in motion first, and then I’m going to try to get her back.
“I’m going to get changed,” Kai says, jabbing his finger in my direction. “Behave.”
