AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Everything surrounding my father’s death is a mystery. There are no leads, no suspects, no nothing. He kept his circle small and close-knit, and I knew everyone he knew, so how do I not know this man, yet he still seems familiar? “You’re lying.”
“I may be a lot of things, but a liar is not one, Monkshood.” He turns into the kitchen.
Both twins are sitting at the counter with a large manila envelope in front of them, but I don’t pay them any attention as my head spins with what he just called me, and chills run down my spine at the thought of him knowing my dad. My dad was a good man, but this guy… Something about him tells me to be careful. It isn’t like the feeling I get around Cameron, but it’s close.
My skin tingles, my ears ring, and my hands shake. All of the signs you’re in danger.
“Don’t call me that, Teddy.” I remember Sloan told me his name was Theodore, but I’m not sure where the nickname came from. It slipped out of my mouth with ease. It feels right to call him that, and at this point, I want him to think I have some sort of upper hand too.
He chuckles, turning to me in a less threatening manner. His eyes meet mine, and I’m suddenly torn between the spectacle of the gray specks upon the sea of blue and the confusion now surrounding me in the form of three men I barely know. “If you’re going to call me by the name your father used, I will continue to do the same.” He motions his hand toward the twins in a final gesture, then disappears, leaving me behind with only the twins.
My mind whirls around everything he just said. He gave me so little, yet it was still enough to make me want to stay and learn more. He’s obviously a king of persuasion.
“Here you go, Flower.” Tweedle Dee tosses the envelope in my direction.
I make no move to catch it and let it fall with a thud onto the granite countertop. It’s almost as if my brain is unable to send signals to the rest of my body because it’s too busy attempting to make sense of what is transpiring. My mouth can’t even formulate the words to question the events even if I wanted to.
I attempt to pull myself together and reach for the envelope. The seal is still damp, letting me know it wasn’t closed until a few moments ago. I gently slide my finger along the seam, feeling the adhesive give way, exposing the contents. Inside, there is a stack of papers carefully put together and detailed like they’ve been written by a lawyer. I scan through them, quickly summarizing and paraphrasing their do’s and don’ts. Everything points to what he already told me. He wants me to be his bodyguard essentially.
There is no mention of what he does for a living, but I’m sure it can’t be anything good. What normal person needs paid protection? I shake my head lightly and try to tell myself if I do this, I can maybe find out what happened to my dad. If I keep him in mind, I can do anything. I’m determined.
I look at the twins. “I don’t need training,” I remark, after reading where it says I will be training with a professional. “And if you two are here, why does he need me?”
“You do,” the mouthy one replies. “And there are some cases it’s more discreet for a woman to be in our place. At a restaurant eating, in his bed at night—”
I cut him off by raising my hand, not interested in anything else he has to say. I can already tell he and I won’t get along. Not only is he mouthy and arrogant, he also seems to have an air around him that screams “I don’t take anything seriously.”
I read further. “Who is Lucas?” I look up and see him smiling from ear to ear.
“Nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m Lucas Hale, and this”—he points to the quiet one—”is my brother, Julius Hale.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I roll my eyes.
“Nope. You’ll be training with me, and don’t worry, after the stunt you pulled in the car, I won’t be taking it easy on you.” His eyelids lower and zero in on me.
“What if I say no?”
He laughs and turns to his brother, who has a smirk on his face. “No one tells him no.”
Do I really want answers that bad? I question myself. The answer is yes. At this point, I would do whatever it takes to figure out what happened to my dad, and as much as I hate to admit it, I feel Teddy can give me some answers.
“Fine,” I say, defeated.
Lucas nods at me. “I’ll let him know.” He looks past me and yells into the hallway. “Carl!”
The old man from the car appears in the doorway. “Show her to her room.”
He nods and gives me the same warm smile he wore earlier. I take a deep breath and question what I’ve just done. Realizing there is no turning back at this point, I walk slowly to the door. Carl, as I now know him, has taken a step back, allowing the presence of morals from decades ago to enter the room. More of a ladies-first scenario. I continue walking toward him, to appear superior yet feeling insecure all at once. I swagger through the door into the hallway. Once through the door, I look to the older gentleman for guidance in the navigation of such a big home. As he begins to escort me to my room, I hear a familiar voice coming from behind me.
“Training starts tomorrow, Flower,” Lucas yells.
I don’t acknowledge him. I just continue to follow Carl through the house until he stops in front of one of the many identical doors lining the front of the hallway. They are plain, yet stylish, with brass doorknobs and a vintage keyhole, like the ones on the front door. He glances behind him, making sure I am still there, before pushing the door open and stepping to the side again to let me enter the room first.
My dirty shoes sink into the plush white carpet. I stand there, analyzing the room. A king-size bed with four giant posts, which you can tell have been hand carved from the wood of a cherry tree, sits directly in the middle. It is neatly cloaked with satin sheets, giving way to an Egyptian cotton, royal blue duvet cover. It is embellished with lovely embroidery and textured details. Along the elaborate headboard are what appears to be down-filled pillows encased in celestial silk. It is truly breathtaking.
There are two doors to right and a small white vanity to the left. I glide toward the first door and open it. A claw-foot tub made of cast iron sits to the left of the bathroom, held up by golden feet. It is accompanied by a glass-encased shower with a marble bench built within.
I exit the bathroom and head to the other door. I push it open to reveal a closet fully stocked with shoes, dresses, pants, and T-shirts. I flip through all the clothes, looking at the tags, and sure enough, everything is my exact size. They are perfectly arranged and sorted by colors and attire type. It is clear someone put a lot of thought into this.
“I will be in the room right across the hall if you need anything, Charlotte.” Carl speaks from behind me. The sound of his voice startles me. I had gotten lost in the details of the room, forgetting that he was there.
I leave the closet and sit on the bed before giving him a nod. He leaves and lets the door close quietly behind him.
“What the fuck have I done?” I say out loud to myself. I lean back and let my body sink into the bed.
