Page 135 of Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Duet 7)
Isaac had other ideas, pointing to the bed.
Everly crawled in first. I followed, curling up behind her as Isaac dragged the blankets over us.
“Sleep,” he ordered.
For possibly the first time in my life, I drifted off, Everly in my arms, not once thinking I would rather be alone.
RANSOM
Dark thirty couldn’t come fast enough.
As I sat in my living room, the light finally fading outside, I stared at the wall while finishing off the first of two shots of vodka I allowed myself each day.
I never needed more than that, and coming from an alcoholic father and a drug addict mother, I knew better than to tempt fate. Alcohol was a poison that could stir in the veins and become more important than the blood that flowed there. My parents had proven that long ago.
My cell phone, resting on my knee, buzzed with an incoming text.
I downed the other shot before picking it up.
Done.
That was all it said. All it needed to say. And it didn’t require a response of any kind.
I exhaled, dropped my head back against the chair.
Some would’ve thought I could ignore the niggling at the back of my mind telling me I’d sinned again. They would’ve been wrong.
My reputation portrayed me as a man whose sole job in life was to stir up mischief. While I enjoyed that minor role I played, it was only a fraction of who I was.
Some thought I was little more than a sexual Sadist who got off on other people’s pain. They were more accurate in that regard. I did enjoy it greatly.
However, those were pieces that came together, merging with my past, to form the whole.
And now…
Now my true colors were bleeding through with every passing day, the world I thought I’d left behind finding me, shackling me like one of the masochists I very much enjoyed making cry.
Soon, everyone would realize the instigator was merely my way of coping with the truth, the Sadist was only part of the darkness that lurked inside me, and my past …
My past had finally caught up.
ISAAC
The knock that sounded on my door at eleven o’clock at night had me grabbing my gun and slowly moving toward the entryway.
My brother was right behind me, both of us silent.
“It’s Ransom,” the deep voice bellowed from the other side. “Open the fucking door.”
Frowning at Ian, I unlocked the deadbolt, opened the door before lowering my weapon.
“You could’ve called,” Ian said before starting toward the living room.
“No, I couldn’t,” he countered causing my brother to stop short, pivot.
“Come in, then. You want a drink?”
“I’m not staying,” Ransom announced as he stepped inside, not bothering to close the door.
I turned to face him, Ian stepping up beside me.
“I’m just here to let you know that I’ve reassigned the men.”
Before Ian could ask, I put a hand on his arm, silencing him.
“Understood.”
Ransom turned to walk out. “Oh, and I heard there’s an interesting story on the news. Might want to check it out.”
“Will do.”
As quickly as he’d come, Ransom left.
Ian didn’t say a word, leading the way down to the basement. He was on his computer, fingers flying over the keys. He stared at the screen a moment before turning the laptop toward me. I stood over his shoulder and read.
LOCAL WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN AND SON KILLED IN HOME INVASION.
I skimmed the article that announced the death of one Thomas Hathaway and his son, Vernon, both shot multiple times when thugs barged into their home. The wife, who had hidden in an upstairs closet, and the housekeeper and two others, were not harmed. According to investigators, a suspect was taken into custody, interrogated, and confessed.
“Holy shit,” Ian groaned, his eyes hard.
Yeah. Holy shit was right.
There was no mention of the details Ransom had relayed, those relating to Dante’s past. If I had to guess, they would never see the light of day. I hoped that was the case. As far as I was concerned, Dante had been through enough already.
There was only one way they’d gotten a suspect, though, much less someone to confess. It had been set up that way. A fall guy put in place, which wreaked of organized crime.
I glanced at Ian.
He instantly shook his head. “No. Wasn’t me. I didn’t make the call.”
“I know.” I held his gaze, waited for him to catch on.
It didn’t take long.
“Fuck.”
Yeah. That about summed it up.
The following morning, I slept in. Rare for me but sometimes necessary. However, I wasn’t the only one.
When I cracked open my lids, glanced over, Ian stirred.
While I was still getting my bearings, he rolled toward Everly, pulled her against him, and snuggled her close to him. There might’ve been a smirk on his face, but I couldn’t quite tell.
After using the restroom, I pulled on shorts, grabbed my running shoes, and headed for the bedroom door. Just in time to hear Everly’s soft sigh as my twin woke her appropriately.
