“You get lost out of a desire to be lost.
But in the place called lost
strange things are found.”
—Rebecca Solnit
“That went well.” Aubrey slinks into a chair beside me as I stare at my plate of food. Food I haven’t touched. My stomach is still on fire from the hot breath on my cheek and the dark words in my ear just twenty minutes ago.
I blink, easing out of my trance and angling my head toward the beautiful redhead. “Well?” I repeat. We must have different definitions of the word.
She reaches for a bread roll in the center of the otherwise empty dining table. Notthedining table; the one in the ladies’ quarters is for secretaries only. Thankfully. “You gained the attention of Adam Matthews. Not that he’s going to claim you, but still, impressive.”
“He’s not—I thought—”
“What?” The roll halts just before reaching her lips. “You thought that was him claiming you?”
My eyes dart to my untouched plate of pasta as I only internally admit that, yes, that’s exactly what I thought. I grab the fork and twirl the linguine around it, stuffing the food in my mouth if only for a distraction.
“Adam is ...” Aubrey takes a small bite of the roll, chewing as she contemplates. “Selective, you could say. I’ve been here four years and have only seen him claim one girl.”
One girl.
“Who was she?” The question is out of my mouth before I can stop it. I didn’t intend on asking questions about Frankie right away, but I have to jump at the window of opportunity. If there was any doubt these men could have harmed my sister before, it’s completely vanished now.
Aubrey snorts but doesn’t answer. When I continue to stare at her, she tilts her head. “You’re serious? It’s forbidden to name or discuss girls who have been here previously. Confidentiality and all that.”
I let out a breath and dig into the dish once more.Of course it wouldn’t be so easy. Throwing a sideways glance her way as I chew, I try a less direct approach. “Was it recent?”
“No. Not even close.”
My muscles relax for a split second. It couldn’t have been Frankie then. But that still leaves the other three brothers. “Do they all like the same type of women?”
She pulls a loose red tendril behind her ear. “Not always,” she says with a wink. “They usually share a specific physical type, yeah, but I assume you’ve already figured that out.” I nod and take another bite, trying to appear less interested than I am. “Griff can be kinda picky. He’s rough, you know, so he usually likes girls who can take it. Felix is more laid-back, and Raife, he claims almost everyone at some point. Even if it’s just for their first month, before one of the other brothers takes over.”
I stop mid-chew. “Everyone?”
“Pretty much. There are some exceptions, but it’s rare. He likes to get to know each of the girls personally, and claiming someone is really as personal as you can get here.”
I lift the glass of water to my lips and inhale a few large gulps. Setting the drink down, I turn to her. “And Adam?”
She squints and taps her lip. “I haven’t gotten him figured out. I doubt anyone has.” When I don’t respond, she adds, “Listen. Don’t worry about Adam Matthews. Even without him, it’s clear that you’re wanted. You’ll have your master by eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”
Though a tinge of alarm runs through me at knowing the exact time I’m to be claimed, I can’t fully process it while that particular brother’s name still lingers in the air. Just like that, his soft lips are back on my ear.It’s going to be interesting watching you break, Emmy.
I try to keep my expression neutral when I meet Aubrey’s cool, green gaze. “Adam, he said something to me before he left the room.”
She waits patiently for me to continue.
“Something about watching me break.” When I realize I’m twirling the pasta again, I set down my fork. “What did he mean by that?”
She cocks an eyebrow and pulls back. “He wants to watch?”
“Watch what? What does that mean?”
“He’s talking about phase three, Emma.” I open my mouth to correct her again but then bite my tongue. She knows my name. “But you know, he normally sits those out. Not like the others.” Her lips twitch, and her eyes sparkle. “They always watch—”
“Phase three?”
