Page 41

F riday morning rolled around, and Levi pulled into the driveway of his parents’ multi-level estate located in Madison Park, Seattle.

He shut off the engine and gazed out the windshield at the manicured lawn, trimmed hedges, and brick walkways. Shutting off the engine, he stepped out of the vehicle.

There were a few SUVs and a town car parked in the massive circular driveway, but that wasn’t unusual for his parents. They were always entertaining guests.

He was almost inclined to change his mind and visit another day, but he had promised his mother he would stay for the weekend. And with Max breathing down his neck to take a break, he was here.

Of course, with his father being ill and soon starting treatment, Levi wanted to stay.

More than anything, he wanted to resolve his issues with his family.

“Sir,” one of his father’s men said as Levi approached the front entrance.

When the guard held out his hand, Levi gave the guy his car keys.

“Your weapon.” The guard rolled his eyes and then pointed to Levi’s shoulder holster.

“Not happening.” Levi gave the man a flat, hard stare.

Two other guards stood on either side of the hallway that led to the front door, and the front guard gave the other two a nervous glance.

“Move the fuck out of my way,” Levi said, taking a step forward.

The guard stepped back and put his hand on the butt of the gun holstered at his side.

“You don’t want to do that,” Lark said, stepping out of the front door. Levi smiled at his father’s right-hand man.

“This is Mr. Huxley’s firstborn son,” Lark informed the guard and then turned to Levi. “Don’t mind him, he’s new. He won’t be around long.”

The guard gulped and squeezed the keys. “I’ll put your car in the underground parking, sir.”

Levi couldn’t really blame the guards for being overprotective, and it wasn’t like he had been here much. This wasn’t the house he’d grown up in. And he knew that his father took his family’s protection seriously. There were probably dozens of security personnel on site, fanning out over the entire property.

Levi smirked and shook Lark’s hand as he stepped through the doorway.

“Hey, Lark,” Levi said.

“Sir.” Lark nodded.

Levi didn’t know the man’s full name, but Lark had been working for his father since college. Lark had to be in his sixties now.

“They’re waiting for you in the study,” Lark said with his hands folded.

“Who?” Levi frowned. “This is just a short visit.”

He got a sudden feeling of foreboding. Whomever was in the study, it was probably a setup.

Damn it.

Levi glanced at the closed front door.

“Thinking of escaping?” Harvey asked, jogging down the grand staircase at the end of the foyer.

With ten years between them, his brother was in his late twenties—blond hair, blue eyes, and a quick smile.

“No.” Levi acted affronted, but yeah, he had been thinking about it.

“He won’t run,” Bennett scoffed, coming down the stairs after his brother.

The twins were identical, but Levi had always been able to tell them apart.

It made it easy because Harvey had a slight bump on his nose from a fall when they were kids, but that wasn’t the difference Levi noticed. Harvey’s eyes were a touch lighter blue than Bennett’s. Levi had noticed that when his mother had brought them home from the hospital. There were differences in the way they spoke and talked that helped too.

Levi smirked at first one twin and then the other. They both hurried forward and gave him a hug.

“Come on, there are some people in the study you need to meet.” Bennet grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the long hallway.

“Let’s not.” Levi made a face.

“Come on,” Bennett said and gave Harvey a wicked smile.

“Okay…” Levi stalled by dragging his heels. “What are you two hatching?”

Harvey snickered. “It wasn’t us this time.”

They reached the study door, and Levi gave a slow sigh.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his parents, but the pressure to conform to their rules made it difficult for him to stay.

Perhaps this time would be different? He shoved that thought aside. Nothing much ever changed, and he didn’t see them softening even in the face of his father’s illness.

The door opened and Levi stepped inside with his brothers crowding in behind him.

The door closed, and there was no hope of escaping.

The first thing Levi saw was his parents and then the richness of the room with its expensive furnishings, thick plush carpet in a color his mother called caramel. Paintings of eighteenth-century cherubs graced the wall in gilded frames. A massive wall of glass sat at the far end overlooking the garden and grounds of the estate.

Light laughter and chatter filled the room.

His mother spotted him first. Olivia Huxley had her blonde hair pulled artfully back in a tight bun. She wore a pale pink dress that reeked of money. His father, Edwin Huxley, wore a typical brown suit that Levi knew cost a mint. His dad had combed his dark hair back and away from his forehead, and the style accentuated his tired gaze.

“Levi, darling,” his mother said, standing gracefully and walking forward to take his hands.

But his attention had gone to the other couple in the room.

He knew them.

Jack and Laura Jones.

Sara’s parents.

He wouldn’t jump to any conclusions, but he couldn’t stop the fear from growing that something had happened to Sara.

Laura Jones settled her cool green eyes on him. The woman wore her hair in loose dark curls around her face. Her pantsuit looked custom-made. The diamonds around her neck were very real.

Jack Jones wore a black power suit with a Rolex on his wrist and looked every inch the billionaire he was.

Cups of half-finished coffee and scones were on the low table in front of the sofa, and by the laughter he’d heard when he entered the room, both couples seemed right at home with each other.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi asked Jack Jones.

“Making you take responsibility!” the man snapped, shoving to his feet.

“Everyone just calm down,” Olivia said, holding Levi’s hand tightly.

Calm was so far off his fucking radar right now that they’d be lucky if he didn’t tear them all new assholes.

But he had one more question.

“Where’s Sara?”