Page 61 of The Hunter's Empire

A large desk dominates one corner, covered with carefully arranged papers and ledgers. Family photographs sit on nearby shelves. Expensive suits hang inside partially opened wardrobes. Fergus’ room.

My pulse quickens slightly as I step fully inside. The documents on the desk prove disappointing. Estate finances. Property records. Nothing useful.

Then I notice the closet. Something about it draws my attention immediately. I move between rows of clothing until a faint metallic reflection catches my eye. A digital safe. Hidden behind several heavy coats.

Interest immediately sharpens into excitement. I step closer. Unfortunately, I never reach it.

A floorboard creaks behind me. The sound is quiet but it still feels deafening. My body goes completely still.

"Lost something?" The voice is pleasant.

I turn around and see Roisin standing in the doorway. Her posture appears relaxed, but her eyes are anything but. They flick briefly toward the safe behind me before returning to my face.

My mind begins working instantly. "Oh thank God."

I force out a nervous laugh. "I've been wandering around this place for ten minutes."

She says nothing.

I continue anyway. "I was trying to find a clean shirt for Lucien and somehow ended up here."

The silence that follows feels far too long. Roisin studies me carefully which somehow makes it worse.

Eventually she smiles. "Yes. The manor can be confusing."

The words sound polite. The look in her eyes does not.

"Come on. I'll help you find what you're looking for." She steps aside and I leave the room with her.

But the feeling follows me. The certainty that she knows I was doing something other than searching for a shirt. The certainty that she simply hasn't decided what to do about it yet.

By the time we return to the main hall, I am still thinking about that look. When Roisin immediately returns to the couch.

She sits close to Domenico. Far closer than necessary. Her shoulder brushes his arm as she examines the fresh bandage. Her fingers rest casually against his skin while she checks the wound.

The reaction inside me is immediate. And irrational. A sharp wave of irritation twists through my chest before I can stop it.

I hate it. Not because of what it means. Because I don't understand why it exists at all.

Domenico is not mine. This relationship is not real. Everything between us is a performance. Yet watching another woman touch him still leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

I cross the room and hand him the water. "Here." My voice comes out shorter than intended. Roisin glances between us.

If she notices anything, she keeps it to herself. "You can take over." She stands and gestures toward the medical supplies. "Clean it properly." Then she leaves.

The silence she leaves behind feels immediate.

I sit beside him and begin cleaning the wound. The dried blood comes away slowly beneath the damp gauze. Neither of us speaks. At least not at first.

Eventually, Domenico's voice breaks the silence. "You looked ready to murder her."

I don't bother looking up. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A low chuckle vibrates through his chest. "You should hear yourself."

I press the disinfectant against the wound harder than necessary. He doesn't react. Which only annoys me more.

"You are imagining things."