Page 28

Twenty-Seven

Ophelia

“I have to go.”

I jump at Sebastian’s voice. I’d been so caught up in what the doctor was saying that I’d almost forgotten he was here. I turn to face him and draw in a sharp breath. He looks sick, skin pale and eyes wide.

I almost ask if he’s okay but hold myself back. I need to remember why I’m here. As fascinating as I’m finding my tour of the medical center, some time alone with this doctor is exactly what I need. Dr. Wade is young, and there’s a feel to him that’s setting my alarm bells ringing. He’s got an edge beneath the friendliness, and something tells me he’s my guy.

Sebastian addresses Wade. “Jacob West is on his way to keep an eye on Ophelia until you’re finished here. Don’t keep her too long.”

With that, he turns on his heel. I stare at his back, unease bubbling in my gut. No smart remarks, no making me promise to be good. No goodbye kiss on the cheek. It stings, ridiculous as it is, and it’s not like him. Something has happened, and it can’t be good.

But bad for Sebastian could be good for me. Maybe my dad has sent an ultimatum the Brotherhood can’t refuse. Maybe I’ll be out of this place sooner rather than later. Back with my family.

It should bring a flood of relief, but instead, the conversation with Gabriel echoes around my brain. He said my family tried to kidnap Eve. To sell her. It can’t be true. Can it? Just imagining it makes me shudder. Eve’s a captive here, but she’s happy and loved. If my family really planned to sell her…

No. They must be mistaken, or maybe Gabriel just wanted to scare me into behaving. I’ll ask Quinn later—I trust her to give me a straight answer.

The door closes, and Wade whirls on me, his pleasant expression replaced with sharp urgency. “That was lucky. We don’t have long.”

A thrill banishes my lingering worries. I was right. He’s a connection to the outside world. A gateway to freedom. I don’t waste time with bullshit. “Are you my father’s man?”

“Yes. Listen, something is in the works. They brought your ceremony forward, which never happens. I haven’t managed to find out why yet, but I will. Can you get back here?”

“Yes, if you tell Sebastian you’re happy for me to train in medicine with you. I wanted to be a doctor when I was young. He’ll believe it.”

Wade snorts. “Right. A doctor. But if he’s dumb enough to believe that, let’s run with it.”

Of course he thinks it’s stupid. The Calder princess, a doctor. Ridiculous. Tightness wraps my chest as I turn the words over and over. Sebastian hadn’t thought it was stupid.

And so what. So fucking what. I’m his captive. Focus on what matters.

“What shifts are you on? ”

“Don’t worry about that. The old man will be out of action for a week at least, and he’ll never eat shellfish again. I slipped him something and convinced him it must be the prawns he ate last night.”

Wade smirks like I’m going to praise him for his cleverness. It sends a nasty prickle over my skin. “Will he be okay?”

He shrugs. “Probably, once he stops shitting himself. See if you can get pretty boy to agree to a daily lesson or something.” He rolls his eyes. “That way I can keep you up to date on what’s going on.”

“Have you spoken to my dad? How is he?”

He lets out a long breath. “How do you think he is? Pissed as hell. His daughter used as a…”

He looks away. At least he has enough compassion to feel bad about saying it out loud. “Anyway. He’s mad, and he’s working on getting you out. Your brother, though? He wanted to storm the place. Had a big fight with your dad. They aren’t talking.”

I want to ask more questions, but the door opens. Jacob enters, followed, thank God, by Quinn. He’d be way too intimidating by himself. Wade gives them both a warm smile. “Take a seat. I won’t keep you too long.”

“It’s okay, mate. Don’t rush on my account.”

Don’t any of the geniuses in this place do any work?

Quinn winks at me, and the two of them sit. He wraps a thick arm around her, huge hand swallowing her skinny thigh, and she leans her head against him. It’s such a relaxed, natural pose I have to drag my gaze away. How? How is Quinn, who doesn't seem like she takes shit from anyone, so happy with her captor?

Wade snaps back into doctor mode, explaining the regular checks everyone in the Compound undergoes.

“It's really important that the Brothers and their Wards stay healthy. I'll have to check with one of the Brothers, but I'm sure they'll be glad to have you assist here, if you like. It's always easier for them to use talented people within the Compound than go through the hassle of bringing in external staff.”

There would have to be a lot of background checks done. But sneaking people through background checks is one of my father's particular areas of skill.

He recruits people who are one hundred percent clean, draws them in with the promise of huge payouts, then keeps them on the payroll, under the radar, living their normal lives, until a job comes up where he can use them. It takes patience and the commitment to spend money, sometimes for years, before seeing results.

Most criminals don't have the foresight, but my father does. An odd sense of pride tugs at me. My dad might be harsh, but he’s smart, and he came from nothing. I’ve always thought of him as an old-school gangster. Savage, but with his own moral code. He wouldn’t condone trafficking. There’s no way.

Wade wraps things up quickly now that Jacob is watching and promises to speak with someone in authority to see if I can work at the clinic if Sebastian agrees. All decisions have to be filtered through him, of course. It's a niggling frustration, but not a new one. My whole life has been the same. At least this time, I'm confident Sebastian will say yes.

“Sebastian said he might be a while,” Quinn chirps as we exit Medical into the watery sunshine. I’m right on the edge of chilly in my tiny outfit, but it doesn’t seem to bother Quinn, who wears less. She hasn’t even got a bra on, and I don’t think she gives a crap about it.

She tugs on Jacob’s arm. “Let’s not take her back right away. She has to be sick of being stuck inside. Let’s go to the park.”

“I’ll check with Sebastian.” He pulls out his phone as Quinn rolls her eyes .

She leans in as if to whisper, then hisses loud enough that anyone in a ten-foot radius will hear, “He’s such a goody two-shoes.”

I stifle a laugh at the look Jacob gives her. He’s a terrifying giant, and yet I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for him. A message comes back only seconds later, and Jacob nods. “We need to have her back in an hour.”

An hour in the fresh air. It’s pathetic how good that sounds, even though I’m not exactly an outdoorsy type. I have to ask, though. “What’s going on with Sebastian? He left in a hurry.”

“Just a work problem.”

It’s a rote response, and I don’t buy it for a second, but there’s no point pushing Jacob for answers. Has my dad done something? Or my brother? Wade said Harrison was furious, but I wouldn’t kid myself that he’s concerned about my welfare. He’s pissed Sebastian is soiling a valuable family asset.

Quinn keeps up a steady stream of distracting chatter as Jacob leads us into a pretty shaded park. After the restaurant last night, I should be getting used to the place, but I still can’t make it make sense. Benches sit around ornamental ponds and fountains, and trimmed shrubbery creates artful little private spaces.

I can’t imagine the upkeep. Even our garden back home has two full-time gardeners to keep it in check. This place must need an army of men. How do they do it? How do they keep this place so secret and protected when every single day, the grass has to be cut, the sidewalks swept, the trash emptied.

I look at it through the lens my dad instilled in me. Wide open. Ripe for the taking. No wonder he has spies in here—how many more does he have? Wade has access to a lot of personal details about the Brothers, but I’ll bet as a doctor, he doesn’t have access to go anywhere except Medical and the communal spaces.

A cleaner, though? A cleaner could get right into the heart of the place. Someone has to clean the big boss’s office. If I were trying to infiltrate, that’s what I’d do.

“Ophelia? You home?” Quinn snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I jump out of my reverie.

“Sorry. I was miles away.”

“Clearly. This is my favorite spot to get some sun.” She stretches out on the edge of a massive fountain with a sigh. In the center, old-fashioned cherubs pour water out of huge carved jugs.

I take a seat on the edge. Jacob parks himself on a bench, tense as a security guard at a presidential address. Does he think I’m going to make a run for it? Probably. I’d bet my life Quinn did.

My mind strays back to my conversation with Gabriel. It’s a thorn deep in my brain. I can’t stop returning to it. I should ask Eve, but it might be a traumatic memory for her, and I don’t want to make her relive it. I gather my courage and tap Quinn on the foot.

“So, Gabriel said something the other day. He said Eve was abducted and my family were going to sell her. I know it’s not true, but I want to know what happened.”

As soon as the words are out, I wish I’d phrased it better. It came out harsh and confrontational. Defensive, even.

To my shock, it’s Jacob who answers, and his rough voice is gentler than I’d have thought possible. “It’s true, love. Sorry. I know how it feels when people you trust let you down. Your family has a lucrative sideline selling women, and it’s what they planned for Eve once she’d outlived her usefulness as bait. ”

“No. My father wouldn’t allow it.” The shrill note in my voice matches the rising heat in my chest. Quinn sits up, gaze flicking between Jacob and I, face tight.

Jacob’s sympathetic look hurts more than anger would have. “They got a spy in as Gabriel’s assistant. If you think someone could have pulled that off without your dad knowing, maybe he was in the dark about the whole thing. Otherwise…” He shakes his head. “Maybe your dad isn’t who you think he is.”