Page 52 of Embrace the Darkness

“I wonder why that is?” Louie muttered caustically from across the table. Both Jamie and I frowned at himwhile Stefan eyed the three of us.What is Louie’s problem?I was about to ask him just that when Maid Barbie decided to walk in from the kitchen.

Angela glanced around the table. Her gaze landed on me. The faintest hint of annoyance narrowed her eyes until she noticed Jamie. I watched as she zeroed in on him like a predator, licking her lips.

“Jameson, I was wondering if you were going to make it to breakfast. It’s not like you to be late. Would you like your usual?” she asked him sweetly while touching his shoulder.

I bristled. I was going to sever that appendage. So help me, I’d use a damn butter knife if I had to. “You can blame me for that,” I said just as sweetly.Back off, bitch.“I can be a little distracting in the shower.”

Rourke choked on a bite of food before releasing a fit of coughs. Thankfully, Jamie didn’t look at all upset that I had basically just announced we were sleeping together. In fact, he looked downright smug about it. Angela on the other hand was glaring at me. The meanest smile pulled at my lips.Bring it on, Barbie.In the back of my mind, I was already smashing her face against the table. Who didn’t like entertainment with their meal? “If you’re taking food orders, I’ll have whatever Rourke had, but with extra bacon and hash browns.”

Angela’s lips pressed into a firm line before she retreated back into the kitchen.

“Well, that didn’t stay a secret long,” Louie commented around his food. I ignored him and everyone else at the table. My focus was solely on Jamie.

He was smirking at me. “You done marking your territory?”

I steeled my features, showing him this was anything but funny to me. The only other relationship I’d been in had ended because of infidelity. I wasn’t saying Jamie would ever cheat on me. I trusted him more than anyone, but I still felt doubt. I fucking hated it. “If she touches you or you her, I will kill her. It won’t be quick and she will suffer.” My warning didn’t shock him in the slightest. It amused him. I directed the rest of my warning to Stefan. “You will never find her body and if we ever hire another beautiful maid again, don’t be surprised if pieces of Maid Barbie get mailed to her replacement.”

His brows arched as a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. I couldn’t tell if he was proud or laughing at me. Either way, I was surprised he wasn’t mad I'd threatened him.

“That’s kind of morbid,” Rourke said, pushing his plate away.

“She’s too much like you, Stefan. You should have raised her to be more like a lady who deserves respect and a lot less like a mobster who kills to earn it,” Kiara lectured.

“Kiara,” Conor snapped, chastising her for berating Stefan again.

Stefan ignored them and leaned back in his chair, still holding my gaze. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a dark blue velvet box. “I got this for you,” he said, handing me the box.

I schooled my face as I flipped open the lid. I guessed the tattoo on my lower back was no longer a secret, like everything else in my life. Inside, pinned by two satin snaps, lay a rose gold necklace with a shamrock pendant. Four heart-shaped diamonds made up the sprig’s petals and a cluster of smaller diamonds encrusted the stem. It was beautiful.

“Are you trying to buy my forgiveness?” I asked him.

He didn’t immediately respond, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I’ve agreed to hiring back someone from the team who watched over you in Hartford,” he said, as if that righted the wrong, the violation I'd felt. “Which, I’ll have you know, is almost double what I normally pay for security.”

Manipulation. Guilt.Tools of the game. I wondered if it was on purpose or after playing it for so long, he didn’t even realize he was doing it. Either way, he was skirting the line, threatening to break the terms of our deal. “Am I not worth it?” I asked, using his own tools against him while acknowledging his transgression, accidental or not.

Of course, he hid what he was thinking or feeling. The only hint I got was his hand resting on the table. It was curled into a fist.

I didn’t need jewelry. I needed two words. But I knew I’d never get them. Along with three other words I’d give my left arm just to hear once.

“I won’t explain myself again.”

“I don’t need you to.” I understood why he'd done it. He'd been trying to protect me. That still didn’t erase how I felt.Exposed. Lied to.

Closing the lid on the beautiful pendant, I slid the box over to him, leaving it next to his clenched fist. “I need time.”

“It’s a gift, Maura. No expectations. I had it made for you,” he said, pushing the box back to me.

I locked my eyes with his. “It’s an insult.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re being stubborn.”

I clenched my jaw, preventing myself from lashing out. I glared at the box. I couldn’t accept it. Not like this. Relaxing my face, I put on an empty mask before meeting his eyes. “I want to meet the person you’ve chosen before we hire him. To see if it’s a good fit,” I said, hoping to change the subject.

Stefan studied me with narrowed eyes for a few heartbeats before relenting with a slight nod. Angela returned with mine and Jamie’s breakfast. She placed our plates in front of us without a word or a lewd glance at Jamie before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Looking around the table, I sighed. We really needed to invest in a coffee carafe. Standing, I drew Jamie’s attention right before he was about to take a bite of eggs. “Want some coffee?”

He nodded. I took one step away from the table. Just like in my bedroom, the world tilted, but a lot faster this time. Pressure built behind my face and my vision spotted to black.