Page 23

BLAISE

I watch Jenna park her car and make her way around the house to the cottage from the window of the security room where Ronan is bragging about his latest exploit, a threesome.

But my attention is on Jenna. My chest tightens at the sight of her as it always does. It’s driving me mad. I came here to destroy her, to make her pay for betraying my family. Instead, I watch over her like some lovesick fool.

Watching her now, so innocent and pure in the silvery light, I can't reconcile this Jenna with the conniving girl who helped murder my parents, the girl who worships the ground Ronan walks on while he barely knows she exists.

The loyal servant who defends the Keans even as they threaten her livelihood.

I want to hate her. I need to hate her. But every time I'm with her, every kiss we share, every smile she gives me chips away at my resolve. She's burrowed under my skin, into my heart, and I don't know how to cut her out without bleeding myself dry.

I catch the shift in Ronan's expression before he even turns his head. That entitled smirk I remember from ten years ago spreads across his face as his gaze fixes on Jenna while she stops briefly to check on a flower.

My blood runs cold. After all these years of Jenna pining after him, now he notices her? Now that she's with me?

"Do you think she’s as innocent and pure as she looks?” he asks.

I want to smash his face in.

He tilts his head, studying her like she's a shiny new toy. "Funny how you don't notice someone until…" He trails off, that arrogant smirk widening.

Until what? Until she's happy with someone else? Until she's no longer mooning over you? My fingers itch to wrap around his throat, but I keep my hands relaxed at my sides.

"She seems different lately," he continues. "More confident. Less…" He waves his hand dismissively. "Mousy."

Because she's with me, you pompous ass . Because I make her feel valued, not invisible. The irony of my defensive thoughts isn't lost on me. Aren't I supposed to be using her? Breaking her heart?

"I should reacquaint myself," Ronan says, adjusting his cuffs. "After all, it's important to know one's staff."

His meaning is quite clear. My hand flexes then fists in response. But what right do I have to feel protective? I'm planning to hurt her far worse than Ronan ever could.

Aren't I?

"Miss Hart's mother had surgery today," I say, keeping my voice carefully neutral despite the rage churning in my gut.

"Did she now?" Ronan straightens his already perfect tie. "Perhaps I should pay her a visit. Show the staff we care about their personal matters."

My fingers curl into fists behind my back. The audacity of this entitled prick, pretending to care now when his mom wouldn't even let Jenna take time off to get her mother to the hospital.

“I suspect there’s limited visitation.”

"Ah, well." He shrugs, utterly unbothered. In fact, he’s probably relieved he doesn’t have to make a show of concern.

I think he’s going to move on to the next thing when he says, “But I can go offer my support to Miss Hart. A pretty girl like her shouldn’t be alone at such a time. I bet I could make her feel better.”

The men around us snicker. My vision goes red. My hands shake with the effort not to kill him here and now.

"Besides. It's been a while since I've had a little fun with the help. And she's certainly… blossomed recently."

I force myself to breathe slowly, to maintain my neutral expression even as murder pounds through my veins. I can't blow my cover, not when we're so close. But God help me, the thought of him touching her…

I force myself to take a deep, steadying breath, pushing down the murderous rage threatening to explode.

"Sir, with respect, shouldn't we focus on the upcoming party?

" I keep my voice measured, professional.

"There's been talk of potential threats, and your father stressed the importance of maintaining appearances with the other families. "

"Always so serious," Ronan says with that dismissive wave I'm growing to hate. "But I suppose you're right. Can't have anything disrupting our little soirée. The other families are already circling like vultures after those ridiculous allegations and these petty attacks."

I seethe at his casual reference to my parents' murder as 'ridiculous allegations'.

“Then again, she could know something. The staff are often the best sources of information.”

I still at his words. Is that why he’d asked Jenna about secret ways into the house?

"I could speak with her, sir," I say, keeping my voice casual. "Find out if she's noticed anything suspicious around the grounds. You have more important things to deal with than talking to the gardener.”

Ronan's eyes narrow slightly. "You don’t think I can talk to her?”

“I know you can, but as head of security, it's my job to investigate all potential leads.

" I shrug, affecting an air of professional detachment.

"As the gardener, she has the most access to the perimeter.

If anyone's been testing our defenses, she might have seen something. But it’s my job to find it out.

You have more pressing issues to deal with. "

He studies me for a long moment, and I force myself to meet his gaze steadily.

"Fine," he says finally, though his tone suggests he's not entirely convinced. "But I want a full report of anything she tells you. And don't think this means I won't have my own chat with her eventually."

My fingers twitch at the implied threat, but I maintain my neutral expression. "Of course, sir. I'll speak with her now."

"See that you do." He straightens that damn tie again. "Now, about the security rotation for the party…"

I let out a slow breath as he moves on to other topics. I make my exit proud that I haven’t killed him yet. Knowing I will do so soon is the only reason I have the self-control to hold back now.

I head to Jenna’s cottage. When she opens the door, I see a mix of emotions playing across her face—exhaustion, worry, hope.

"Hey."

"Blaise!" She throws herself into my arms, and I catch her automatically, breathing in the familiar scents of flowers and earth that cling to her skin. "Mom made it through surgery. The doctors say it went really well."

I hold her tighter, feeling her slight trembles. "That's great news."

"They say the next few days are critical." Her voice quavers. "There's still a risk of rejection, and she's so weak…" She pulls back just enough to look up at me, tears gathering in her eyes. "I'm scared. What if?—”

"Hey, no." I cup her face in my hands, thumbs brushing away the tears that escape. "Your mom's tough. She made it this far, didn't she?"

Jenna nods, leaning into my touch. The complete trust in her expression makes my chest ache. She has no idea who I really am or why I'm here.

"I just… I don't know what I'd do without her," she whispers. "She's all I have."

What about me? The thought comes unbidden. Unwanted. Worse, I want her to need me not as part of my plan to ruin her, but because I need her to need me. Like deep in my soul.

I pull her closer. “I’m here.”

She melts against me with a shaky sigh, and I hate myself for how right it feels to hold her like this. For how much I want to protect her, even as I plot to destroy her.

Jenna's hands tremble as she unfolds a paper. "Mom wrote this before surgery. She wanted me to have it, just in case…"

I take the paper she offers. Her mother's shaky handwriting fills the page with warmth and love for her daughter. Then my breath catches as I reach the part about me.

"You helped get her the heart?" She turns those bright green eyes on me, brimming with tears. "How did you…?"

I cup her face, trying to find words that won't reveal too much.

"Your mother deserved a chance," I say finally. "I just made sure the right people understood that."

She launches herself into my arms again, pressing her face into my neck. "Thank you. I can never repay you for this."

The pure gratitude in her voice tears at something deep inside me. This is exactly what I wanted, to make her indebted to me, to strengthen her emotional attachment before I destroy her. So why does it feel like I'm the one being ripped apart?

"You don't need to repay me," I murmur into her hair. "I did it because…" Because I'm falling for you. Because seeing you hurt kills me. Because somehow, you've made me forget everything except wanting to make you happy.

"Because what?" she asks softly.

I pull back, reality crashing over me like ice water. What am I doing? I can't tell her any of that, can't admit how deep she's gotten under my skin.

"Because you both deserve it.”

“That promotion gave you a lot of power and influence, I guess,” she says.

I shrug, knowing that she’s caught on to my using the Keans’ power and influence to help her mother. I just hope it doesn’t get back to them. “It’s part of my job to protect the Keans and what’s theirs.”

"You must be good to have Ronan trusting you like he does.”

"Right place, right time, I guess. They needed someone who could handle crisis situations after the recent attacks."

"And you certainly proved yourself."

The irony of being praised for handling a crisis I created makes me want to laugh. Or scream. Instead, I kiss her temple. "Just doing my job."

“I don’t know how I’d get through any of this without you. You’ve proven yourself to me too.”

Guilt threatens to break me. For a moment, I consider telling her everything, laying bare all my sins and secrets, consequences be damned. About who I really am, about my brothers waiting in the shadows, about how every step closer to the Keans is meant to destroy them. And her.

“I’m happy that you let me in.”

She smiles up at me, her eyes studying me like she’s looking for something. “There’s a lot to you, Blaise Tine. I want to know it all.”

Oh, how I wish I could let her know all of me. “Oh?”

“Like how you can afford fancy restaurants and expensive hotels on a guard’s salary.”