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Chapter Twelve
Willow
I feel like a child with the way I’ve been avoiding Duncan the last week. Maybe I am one, or maybe I regret every part of our exchange last week. He was there for me on the worst day that I have every year – the day my mother died. The day that I lost the most important person in my life, the one who I knew loved and cared for me more then anyone. When she died, I felt lost. I felt like there was no purpose in my life, and for a time, I wish that I had died with her. I didn’t know how to cope with life without her. For a long time, it was such a struggle, and then I fell in love with pastries and how to make them. One day my life had no purpose without my mother, and the next I found meaning in a sweet treat. I laugh to myself thinking about it, I’m sure my mother was watching me from heaven and sent me a dessert to give me meaning. She’d find the humor in something like that.
The more I think about it, the more I regret what happened. What I allowed to happen. Sure I was emotional and having a very rough day, but I shouldn’t have let it happen…I should have had more self control. I shake my head, telling myself that there is nothing going on between Duncan and I. There is nothing behind it. I’m just being rebellious and testing my boundaries. Yep. I’m just being a plain old brat. Plus, how could I even trust him? I can’t, it’s plain and simple as that. I stand up from the chair I was sitting on in the garden and overlook the flowers, walking along the perimeter. My father’s corgis decide to walk alongside me, and for a split second, I have a distraction from the one thing that plagues my mind – Duncan. Until I’m thinking about him yet again.
Duncan freaking lied to me, and not only did he fabricate everything that I thought I knew about him…but he kidnapped me. He freaking KIDNAPPED me and dragged me halfway across the world, back to the U.K. How could I even entertain the idea of having feelings for him when he’s done this shit to me already? I don’t have feelings for Duncan. I have feelings about the idea of Duncan, or any sort of Duncan. He’s no prince in shining armor, and I deserve so much better than a liar. That’s for damn sure. There has been enough lying in my life, and I don’t need any more of it.
“It’s time to get going.” His voice startles me enough to make me jump in my place. Lucy, the girl corgi, barks at him and growls. I laugh at her, trying to be my fearless protector and bend down to give her a rub.
“Such a good girl,” I say, scratching the top of her head. Brutus, her brother, walks up to me and demands some of his own attention so I show him some love very quickly before I get barked at by the two legged dog standing just a few feet away.
“I’m assuming that my luggage is already prepared and in the SUV,” I state as I glance up to him, and he nods, crossing his arms in front of him. I stand up and walk along the stone path until I’m in the house and heading towards the front door. Duncan is closely behind me, and as I approach the front door, two men exit before me. I’m not used to these new security protocols. There have been even more threats made against the clans ,and everyone is using extreme precautions. It’s not like they hadn’t been before, but it’s grown exponentially worse, and now I’m starting to realize just how serious this is. Even if I wasn’t here in the U.K. I’d be undergoing the same risk back in Australia.
I am escorted to the SUV, which I’ve come to understand is bulletproof and one of the safest things on the market. We drive to the airport and board one of my father’s private jets. The same security detail that took me to the airport will be on the plane with me. I notice how one of them helps load my luggage onboard while the other sits in the back, far away from Duncan and I. He ,on the other hand, sits directly across from me. I wonder if he realizes that I’m thinking about him.
***
A long plane ride later and a few hours of sleep isn’t enough to prepare me for what is about to happen today. I’m in New York City, about to attend my first Clan meeting as an Adame. My father did his best to prepare me for what to expect, however told me to expect the unexpected so he’s really been no help at all. I’ll walk into this meeting like I walk into every unknown situation that life brings me; with confidence and stride. I am my mother’s daughter, after all. I can handle anything that comes my way.
Duncan, James, and Bruno accompany me to the meeting. All looking very men-in-black like. Although, I believe the men in black cracked a smile and a laugh here and there. I wonder if they believe every clan member to be an immense threat. It’s the impression that they’re giving me.
Duncan sticks close to my side, arms crossed, eyes surveying the surrounding area. “Is there anything I should know?” I whisper to him, loud enough for him to hear but lowly enough to where no prying ears could.
“Well, you’re kind of a myth to everyone here. The locked away Adame, the last heir to the Clan.”
“Ah, so that’s why everyone is staring at me.”
“No, that’s because you’re Korean.”
I glance up to him and laugh, smacking him on the arm. It’s the first time I’ve felt like nothing has been awkward between us. It reminds me of Australia, and even though he did lie to me about almost everything…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss this. I miss his friendship, and his awful jokes.
I hear a few people gasp and turn in the direction that they’re staring in when I see my father rolling in on his electric wheelchair. I furrow my brows in confusion. He told me that he didn’t believe it would be wise for him to make the trip given his health issues. Does he not trust me to handle this by myself?
“I thought you’d be dead by now, old man,” I hear someone say to my father, and even though I don’t have the best relationship with him, I can’t bear to hear someone say that.
My father chuckles, “Willow, I forbid you to marry this man. Over my dead body will you procreate with this creature.”
The man’s eyes lift up. “So she’s on the market?”
“She’s not,” Duncan growls out, shocking both my father and I.
“Uh, what was your name? I don’t think I got it,” I say, distracting the group of us from the awkwardness that just transpired.
“I’m Stefan.” He grabs my hand and presses his lips against it. “It’s lovely to meet you. I can tell that you obviously take after your mother, and what a blessing that is.”
I hear a rumbling sound and immediately think it’s something coming from the city around us. Even being up high you can still manage to pick up sounds, but then I realize it’s coming from the man standing beside me. “Your guard dog is a little territorial. I hope he hasn’t peed on you yet.”
Out of nowhere everyone stops the small conversation that is going on amongst the room, two individuals walk straight through and head directly towards the massive table in the middle of the room. Instead of one seat at the head, there are two. A blonde woman with gorgeous hair sits first, and the built man beside her takes his seat. “We don’t have a lot of time today. Everyone, please take a seat. There are numerous pressing matters that we must discuss,” the woman states, and this is when I realize who she is. Mariana, the Queen of the Clans.
The group of us heads for the table, and my father grabs ahold to my hand, instructing me to wait. It’s now that I realize seats are assigned by clan, but there are no other women here besides Mariana, a red headed woman, and I, which strikes me as odd. “First order of business, we have discovered through the help of Logan, Jordan, and Christian Steele that Jan Constantin was framed to look like the instigator of the assassination attempt on Mariana,” Ion tells us all. From the corner of my eye I can see the red headed woman shift away from the man who sits next to her, they both have rings on their fingers which tells me that they’re probably married. “Natasha, please accept our sincerest apologies. Every piece of evidence had led to Anton going after your uncle. It was a horrible mistake, and we will live the rest of our lives knowing that an innocent man was killed.”
“Your apologies mean nothing to me. It won’t bring my uncle back from the dead, and it won’t change what happened,” she sternly states, looking at Ion and then to the man beside her.
“Anton was under explicit orders to do what needed to be done. Someone had tried to kill my wife, and it wouldn’t be tolerated,” Ion states.
“Instead, my husband killed my fucking uncle, who was innocent. I don’t give a damn whose instruction he was under. This does nothing but piss me off, enrage me more then anything you all can fathom. I want to know who did this. Who is the bastard who we’re going to make pay for all of the pain and suffering?” Her face turns beet red from nothing but anger. This woman is passionate, and I respect her so much because she doesn’t stay quiet, she says whatever it is that she’s thinking.
