Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Is that what a normal family is like?” I ask, our earlier conversation coming back to me full blast once we’re alone.
“Not sure about normal but that’s Isabelle. She’s been good for my brother.”
I nod. “So, what did you find out?” I ask, broaching the subject I need to discuss.
Zeke recaps their meeting with Augustus for me, tells me about Ines and Antoine Girard, painting a different picture than I’d constructed of the man I remembered from my few moments with him several years ago. A man who would employ the Hoxton brothers to carry out his bidding.
“Do you think he still loves her?” I ask.
Zeke shrugs a shoulder. “Not sure about love, but he must have his reasons for being there. I think he’s playing a dangerous game, though, staying under Augustus’s roof.”
“What does he have to lose? Augustus destroyed his life. He physically maimed him. And it sounds like Augustus married Ines only to punish her. Whether or not Antoine Girard still has feelings for her, he’s probably been festering all these years. I mean, the man has money. It’s not like Augustus could take that away, even though he took everything else. With money comes power. I can see his sole purpose becoming revenge and after twenty-five years of single-minded focus, anyone would have tunnel vision.”
“Well, whatever they have going on between them is not my concern. My concern is your safety.”
“So, the Councilor knows you killed Hoxton and he’s covering it up.”
Zeke nods. “He knew Hoxton worked for Girard. Which again, makes no sense that he’d stay at the Councilor’s guest house.”
“Keep your enemies close?”
“Maybe. But there’s more. I get the feeling Augustus isn’t through punishing either his wife or his one-time best friend for their betrayal.”
“Did he say anything about me?”
There’s a pause before he answers. “Just mentioned the beautiful woman on my arm.”
“Right.” I roll my eyes.
“I’m serious.” He holds out his hand. “Come.”
“You haven’t told me everything yet.”
“We’ll get to it. I need to think. I haven’t been home in a long time. I want to walk.”
With a sigh, I nod and take his hand. He leads me toward the back door. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a place I want to show you.”
We step outside into the night that is cooling off but is still comfortable. Holding my hand, Zeke leads me away from the pool and onto the path Isabelle told me leads to the small family cemetery which I guess I didn’t realize people still had but rich people are weird.
“It’s starting to rain,” I say, feeling the first of the rain they forecasted.
“That’s the best time to go,” he says, grinning. This is a rare glimpse of Zeke.
“Jericho was away a lot growing up, first with school, then traveling so Zoë and I would have hours and hours at home on our own. When our father was away, it was glorious. Summers spent in the pool and running around the woods. Mom was different when he was gone, too. She was relaxed and happy. This is one of the good places.”
We walk in silence, my hand in his, and, about ten minutes later, he steps off the path and into tall grass. A few minutes after that, when I’m wondering if we’re lost, Zeke points.
“See it?”
I look up and not too much farther, I see a huge weeping willow standing nearly on its own, its branches bowing almost to the ground.
“Wow.”
He smiles as I stare up at the beautiful towering tree. We walk underneath it where the ground is covered in soft, pillowy moss. I slip off my shoes. “It’s beautiful and so peaceful.” All I can hear are crickets.
“And completely private,” Zeke says as I turn in a circle looking up into the endless branches.
I shift my gaze to Zeke. He walks me backward until my back touches the trunk of the tree. His eyes have gone dark, and my body responds, knowing what he wants. He wraps an arm around my waist and weaves his other hand into my hair to kiss me. I open to him, my arms coming around his shoulders. He guides us down to kneel in the lush grass. He draws back to take a breath, slipping my top off before undoing my jeans, sliding one hand into my panties before kissing me again, his fingers wrapping around my sex.
“Do you bring all your girlfriends here?” I ask casually, not even thinking about what I’m saying.
He draws back. “I don’t have girlfriends.”
That is sobering.
He kisses me again, his fingers moving. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.”
I moan against his mouth kissing him back even as I know I should stop, but unable to. When this ends, it’s going to hurt. I know that. But I can have this now, can’t I? I draw back long enough to pull his shirt over his head, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the house.