Page 4 of Endurance

“All the staff have been cleared. He’s currently working on the security, both grounds and personal, that work here before he starts on the rest of the family,” I explained. “It’s going to take time to look into everyone. Time we might not have.”

“We aren’t moving against the Aryans until Maura is ready,” Stefan said.

Louie and I both sat straighter. Before either of us could argue, Stefan spoke. “I will not force my daughter to step aside for this. She is my heir. You know how weak that will make her look to the rest of the family.”

“Who cares what they think?” Louie snapped.

Stefan ignored him and continued on. “If you talk to her and she decides going to Boston is for the best, I won’t stand in your way. If she doesn’t, then we are to give her the time she needs to find the strength to pick herself up again.” He gave us a stern look, warning us not to argue. When we didn’t, he relaxed back in his chair. “Let me know if you hear anything more from Aiden,” he said, dismissing us.

Louie and I stood and left the study. We both had the same idea and went to the backyard. We stood by the pool, staring at the guesthouse.

“How are we supposed to talk to her if she won’t see us?” Louie asked, voice sounding distant.

I shoved my hands into my pockets. “It wouldn’t matter if we were able to talk to her. She’s too fucking stubborn to listen.”

“Ain’t that the fucking truth.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “I know she needs time, but the longer we wait, the more time our enemies have to strike at us again. She’s not safe here. Not in the condition she’s in now.”

“I’m half tempted to spirit her away,” Louie mumbled.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. That wasn’t a completely terrible idea.

As if reading my mind, he shook his head. “She’ll kill us.”

Probably. “I don’t care.”

“She’ll fucking castrate us.”

Also true, but I still didn’t care.

Louie looked toward the guesthouse. It appeared that he was considering it. “She’ll never forgive us.”

“She’ll be safe.”

He cursed under his breath. “I don’t want to lose her.”

“I don’t either. But I’d rather she be alive and hating me than dead,” I argued, my anger and desperation taking over my tone.

Louie’s head turned downcast. He was quiet for a long moment until he straightened, eyes fixed on the guesthouse with determination. “Alright. What’s the plan?”

“Brody has a spare key to the guesthouse in his office.”

We waited an hour after the lights turned off in the guesthouse before we used the key we'd lifted from Brody’s office to unlock the door. We silently crept inside, shutting and locking the door behind us. It was quiet and dark. If it weren’t for the full moon outside shining through the window, we probably would have run into the couch because the path leading toward the hall was narrow.

We walked slowly, carefully listening for any sign that we’d woken anyone. A step before entering the hall, something crunched beneath my shoe. The light in the living room flicked on, revealing Asher sitting in a chair in the corner looking amused. He held a pistol in his lap. He lifted it as he brought his arm closer to his face. With his free hand he pulled back his sleeve to reveal his watch. “You waited an hour and two minutes after we turned off the lights.”

“You owe me fifty bucks,” a voice said from behind us. Louie and I turned, finding Dean leaning against the island in the open kitchen, gun also in hand.

I glanced down at my feet. Chips were scattered on the floor before the entrance to the hall. Smart.

“It’s a tie. You were right about the time, but not about the night. I knew it’d take them a few days until they finally broke and tried to sneak in,” Asher said to Dean. His amused gaze shifted back to us. “If you'd waited another thirty minutes you probably could’ve succeeded, that is if you didn’t step on the little traps we set every night.”

I couldn’t be mad that they were doing a good job at protecting Maura. I was a little irritated with myself that I’d underestimated them.

“Are you planning on shooting us?” I challenged. “Because it’s the only way you’ll be able to stop us from seeing her.”

Asher and Dean exchanged a look. “We won’t have to. If you try anything, she’ll shoot you herself,” Dean said, pushing away from the counter. “But don’t think for a second that we won’t help her bury your corpses where the boss will never find them.” Dean met our stares challengingly as he walked past and into the hall.