Page 36 of Embrace the Darkness

My hand hovered over the doorknob. I shook my head and glanced over my shoulder. “I always suspected he was into men. You, however, are a surprise. Looking back, though, I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on it. You’ve never dated, you agreed way too easily to no longer hiring hot maids, and you’ve devoted twenty plus years to taking care of a very difficult man.” Stefan was very high maintenance. Brody’s responsibilities went way beyond that of an estate manager. He literally worked twenty-four-seven attending to Stefan’s every need. He made sure Stefan ate, bought his overpriced clothes, filled out his daily schedule, took care of me as a little girl, and tackled any other request Stefan threw at him while he also took care of this house and its employees. Just thinking about doing some of it exhausted me. Chuckling, I shook my head. “I used to think you needed to be sainted or you were a masochist. A lot of people would have quit a long time ago. Now, I see that you’re his partner.”

He smiled warmly, seeming happy I understood. Then his eyes drifted to my father’s door behind me and his happiness dimmed. “If you’re going to ask him about this—us—”

“Unlike Stefan, I want him to tell me something like this when he’s ready.”

Brody seemed relieved. He nodded his thanks and continued on downstairs.

I tapped lightly on the door before poking my head in. The bed directly across the room was made, undoubtedly thanks to Brody, and the smell of a recent shower lingered in the air.

“Stefan,” I called out, stepping into the room and walking toward the bed. His room was dim. The only light was coming from the open bathroom door and the muted news playing on the TV in the lounge area.

“Maura?” I turned, finding him standing in the doorway to his closet while buttoning a cufflink. He was wearing a light gray button-up shirt with black slacks. His satin tie hung loosely around his neck, waiting to be tied. “You okay?” he asked, clearly surprised to see me.

“I know you have questions about yesterday,” I said and took a seat on the upholstered bench at the foot of his bed. I patted the empty space of bench, gesturing for himto sit down. With a small smile, he gracefully made his way across the room to sit next to me.

I didn’t waste time and dove right into it. I recounted everything and I meaneverythingthat happened yesterday. He asked why I hadn't been paying attention to where I'd been walking when I'd run into Greg and I answered honestly. I told him I'd kissed Jamie and had been confused. He looked a little surprised by that tidbit but made no comments about it. Then I explained why I'd freaked out, flashbacks, satisfaction, guilt, and all. I told him I felt like a monster.

“You’re not a monster. You just take after me,” he said and stunned the hell out of me by giving me a hug. He held me tightly, offering comfort. I didn't think I breathed the entire time. “Don’t ever doubt yourself. You’re strong and intelligent. Everyone in this family underestimates you. I’m guilty of it myself, sometimes. Trust your instincts and embrace what feels right and everything will work out. If not, I’ll make sure it does.”

Wow, who the hell is this guy and what did he do with Stefan?Did he really mean all that or was he playing the role of a caring father because of our deal? This would be the most fucked up thing he’d ever done to me if it was all an act.

I forced a smile as I pulled away. “By the way, I’ve decided to accept your offer.”

Stefan held a fixed expression as he digested my words, then nodded. “I have a meeting with your uncles in my study at eight. That’ll give you a few hours to get ready, unless you need a few days to recoup?” he asked as he brushed a finger over my bruised cheek.

“Nope, I’ll be there. What’s the meeting about?”

“Yesterday’s incident,” he answered. “News of what’s happened has spread through the family and they want a clear understanding. Rumors have already twisted the story.”

“I don’t understand.” I really didn’t. Who was spreading rumors?

“I guess I should give you a quick rundown of how things work. Let’s go down to the chamber. It’ll be easier to understand if I can show you.”

I followed him down to the first floor toward the center of the house. The chamber was windowless and had steel reinforced soundproof walls. When the house had first been built, the room had been a ballroom used for formal dances and lavish parties. Over time, as balls had become a thing of the past and our family’s criminal empire had grown, the room had been converted to what it was today. Due to its length, there were heavy woodendoors on each end of the room leading out into the hallway. The east door was the one we used. He opened it, flipped on the lights, and gestured for me to go in.

Walking in, my eyes were immediately drawn to the massive espresso colored table in the center. The table looked like it had been cut from a giant tree, burned to give it its color, and varnished to give it a sleek feel. It had been in my family for generations. It amazed me that an old piece of furniture could hold such importance. Eight matching wooden chairs surrounded it, but the table was long enough to fit more. Three chairs sat on the right side of the table and three on the left, with one chair on each end.

The only lights in the room were hanging over the table. Stefan put his hands on the back of his chair at the head of the table before moving behind the chair to his right. He patted the top of the chair and said, “Samuel.” Then moved to the next chair to the right. “Conor.” He put his hand on the last chair on the right. “Your cousin Dylan.” Stefan moved past the chair at the other head of the table and began touching the chairs on the left side, starting on the opposite end and working his way back to his chair. “Louie, Rourke, and Jameson.” Jamie’s chair sat to the left of his and directly across from Samuel’s.

I walked over to the chair at the other end of the table, the other head, the one he'd skipped. “No one sits here?” I knew this chair. It was where my grandfather had sat before he'd passed away and it was where I'd sat when I'd told Stefan I'd been raped seven years ago—the only time I’d ever sat at his special table.

“That used to be my chair when I was your age.”

“I thought this was Grandfather’s chair?”

“After I took over, he sat there as an advisory role, but typically thePrionsawould sit there.”

My brows shot up as I eyed the chair.Prionsawas Gaelic for prince.

“TheRidoesn’t have an heir,” I stated.Rimeant king.

Stefan nodded, nonchalant. He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he didn’t have a son to follow in his footsteps. “Since I haven’t picked a successor, whenever we have a guest attending the meeting, they sit there.”

“Where do you expect me to be during these meetings? Do I stand behind you?”

“Where do you want to be?” The question was a loaded one. A test maybe? Knowing that didn’t immediately upset me because I couldn’t see any risk in picking a chair.

I chewed on my lip. I knew where I wanted to sit, but I was worried I’d be overstepping, especially if I was just supposed to be shadowing him. Thinking back to what he'd said about who sat where, an idea formed in my head. “As of right now, you haven’t decided what role I’ll have in this family. Can I request that I temporarily take the title ofguestuntil my role is decided?” I asked and pulled out the Prionsa’s chair before sitting in it.