Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
A knock booms in the silence, and I think it’s the doomsday feeling in my head, but it comes again. Louder this time.
“Dahlia?”
I scramble to my feet at the sound of Helena’s soft voice and quickly throw on Kane’s shirt that he left on the floor. It only reaches my thighs, but it’s better than nothing.
“Just a sec,” I call as I rush to the ornate golden door. I feel self-conscious for even touching it.
When I open it, I find Helena standing outside, barely filling out her straight white dress, her skin pasty against the color, but there’s a flicker of life in her sunken eyes.
“Hi,” I say awkwardly, pulling down on the shirt.
“Thank you for seeing me.”
“Anytime. Um, sorry for how I look. I don’t know where my clothes are.”
“They’re being cleaned. The staff will bring them as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
She takes my hands in hers. “I’m the one who should thank you. And apologize to you. I didn’t want Kane to come and get hurt, but he reminded me of everything you did for us. He reminded me that he’s a much better person than I’ll ever be, and I want to apologize for ever asking him to turn his back on you.”
“You were just scared for his life,” I say in a low voice. “I should be the one to apologize. It’s because of me that…uh…your husband…died.”
“On the contrary, I’m grateful.”
“Even if…Kane became a murderer?”
“It’s not his first murder and won’t be his last. But at least this time, he did it for himself. He finally got himself and me—though coincidentally—free of Grant’s chains. So thank you, Dahlia.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you’re in Kane’s life.”
No. I’m glad he’s in mine.
A tall man in a butler’s suit walks toward us carrying a basket. Samuel.
Helena releases me as she wipes her eyes. “There. Samuel brought your clothes.”
“Julian Callahan is here,” he announces as soon as I take the basket.
My hand tightens at the name. Helena merely frowns. “If he’s here for Kane, then tell him he’s not in.”
“He wants a word with Miss Thorne. He’s in the late Mr. Davenport’s study.”
My heartbeat skyrockets and I think I’m shaking, because Helena wraps an arm around my shoulders and strokes my arm.
“Tell him to return when Kane is here,” she says to Samuel.
“Very well, madam.”
“No, it’s okay.” I spit out a breath. “I’ll change and be right back.”
“You don’t have to do this.” Helena’s frown deepens. “Julian is a snake no one likes for a reason. It’s better if you wait for Kane.”
“I’ll be fine.”
If Julian intends to press charges for the DNA tests and using his laboratory illegally, I don’t want anyone, let alone Kane, to be there.
After I get into my clean, fresh-smelling jeans and T-shirt, Helena still tries to persuade me not to go, but I assure her that I’ll be fine and follow Samuel.
As he opens the door and stands outside, I realize I’m lying big time.
Julian gives me the chills. I swear he’s creepier than his brother. At least Jude is more up-front and doesn’t have the macabre aura that hits me as soon as I step into a room.
The door closes and I regret not bringing Helena along.
Grant’s study is as dark as his soul. The shelves and the desk are a dark brown, the sofas are black, and the wallpaper is a depressing green.
Julian stands by the shelves, leisurely flipping the pages of a hardcover. I catch Diogenes of Sinope on the spine before he tilts it down and stares at me, his gaze piercing, his body effortlessly upright.
“You wanted to see me?” I ask, keeping a safe distance away from him, and close to the door.
“Yes, I figured now would be the best time before Kane finishes making his father’s murder look like a boating accident.” He smiles. “I don’t indulge in cannibalism, so you can relax. I won’t eat you.”
He flips another page even though he’s looking at me, the act meticulous and somewhat menacing. Though maybe it’s not the act itself, it’s the dead look in his eyes.
So this is what a Vencor Founder looks like at all times.
It’s suffocating.
“You see, Grant made a mistake.” He flips a page, pauses, then flips another one. “He underestimated Kane’s emotions. He never thought the son he molded into a copy of himself would take a page out of his book and simply remove him from the picture to achieve his goals. He also underestimated you and your capabilities to be the catalyst that pushed Kane to take that last step. He truly lost his touch at the end, especially after he was kind of forced to abandon his brother and some of his power. Sad, don’t you think?”
“I’m only sad because Kane had to live as that asshole’s son for twenty-one years.”