“Ah, wonderful, it fits. You look beautiful,” Kate said from where she sat on a chair in the hallway. “Come on, tea should be waiting.”
Kate led me down a maze of hallways and back into the grand entrance hall. We headed down the stairs, and Kate moved towards the rear of the house.
“This is my sanctuary, away from the chaos the family makes,” she said, entering a pretty room. It was decorated in pale gold and cream, with a cosy, lived-in feel.
“How many of those children were yours?” I asked as we sat down.
“Five. The others were Adam’s. Their fathers were having them for the day and had allowed them to be sugared up. In response, the children turned into raging nightmares with their cousins. Then James and Adam fled, and Jamie and Jason couldn’t manage the horde, so I ended up with eight hyperactive kids!” Kate complained. Despite her words, there was a smile in her voice. Kate was loved and loved back just as hard.
“Jamie and Jason?” I asked, rather lost.
“Jamie is James’s nephew. Jason is Frankie’s husband, and she’s Jamie’s twin and James’s niece. Jamie has five children, and Frankie has six.”
“Who is Adam to James?”
“Adam was James’s former bodyguard. Now they’re like brothers.”
“It must be chaos when you all get together,” I said for lack of anything else.
“Oh, they all live here. This place is huge. Each family has a wing, and James and I have the central building. Everyone is extremely close. If James could get his own way, he’d have Gunner, his younger brother, move in, but Gunner point-blank refuses.”
“Wow, how unusual. How do you all get on?”
“Incredibly well, luckily, despite Jamie taking a hit out on James!” Kate chuckled, and my eyes bugged out. Kate laughedharder. “It’s a long story. Let me tell you over tea. James is infamous, so his story is familiar to most people.”
I sat and listened as Kate told me of how she and James met, and how James had been the ruler of the Underworld. Listening to Kate, I decided her story needed to be put into a book because it was so fantastical.
I heard bikes approaching, and we looked up. “Ah, Hellfire is here, a little earlier than expected, but I imagine they broke some speed limits. Come, let’s move to the family lounge. I don’t want stomping boots in my sanctuary,” Kate said with a smile.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Kate asked.
“For the dress, tea, and calming me down.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve been in your place and remember how it feels.”
We headed out back into the huge entrance hall just as Stone burst through the front doors. He spotted me instantly, and his long strides ate up the distance between us. I sank into Stone’s arms, and he wrapped me up tightly and dropped his chin onto my forehead. We stood there for several moments as I struggled not to cry. Safe. The word kept running through my head. Now that Stone was here, I was truly safe.
“Did Salisbury hurt you?” Stone whispered.
“No. He needed me to remove three bullets,” I responded, and I heard a noise of surprise close by. I peeked out from Stone’s embrace and saw James standing near.
“Salisbury had been shot?”
“Yes. Shoulder, ribs, and thigh,” I replied.
“Interesting. There’s been no rumours of an attempted takeover,” James muttered.
“No. Do you think someone’s making a move?” Chance asked.
“Could be. Adam will do some digging. Why don’t you all come and sit down?” James said, motioning towards a large room.
“Sorry, I need to get home. Clara must be worried sick,” I refused.
Stone stared at Chance, and I became annoyed. Chance didn’t dictate my life. As I opened my mouth to speak, Chance gazed at me before nodding slowly. I wondered if he’d read my mind.
“Go, I’ll update you later,” Chance replied.
