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“Did you grow up here?” I ask as the propellers lose speed and I can hear myself think again.
Mase shakes his head. “Grandfather built this when I was around twelve, but I was away at school, so I only spent part of the summers here. Before that, we were in Texas.”
Texas. “That explains thedarlin’s.”
Mase smiles ruefully. “It does.”
He’s gotten some of his colour back, but his eyes are bleak and there’s no sign of his dimple. What kind of family can do that to a person?
Mase leaves our bags with the pilot and I take his hand in mine, carefully twining our fingers as we walk towards the house. “It’s going to be okay,” I tell him, just like he promised me with Bexley.
He snorts. “You’re sweet.”
I keep the smile on my face with difficulty, as the closer we get, the more nervous I become.
No need to panic, I tell myself, taking long, deep breaths. Everything will be fine.
Everything will be okay.
What’s the worst that can happen?
“I need to call my brother,” I say as we cross the circular driveway, and approach the front door as if we were selling magazines.
“Why don’t you wait on that for a bit?” Mase’s voice is cool and detached.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look at him quickly, but then we’re at the door and we fall silent.
I have never been to a house like the Stirling family home.
Even the front door is impressive—at least eight feet tall and black as the night sky. Because of that, I expect the interior to be intimidatingly dark, but when Mase opens the door without knocking, the foyer is spacious and full of light.
And inside the door is Riese.
Mase’s youngest sister doesn’t say a word, just rushes to him to give him a hug. He meets her halfway, holding her tightly and speaking in quiet murmurs as I wait by the door. Finally, with a laugh, Mase releases her, and she comes straight to me.
“I’m Riese,” she says, throwing her arms around me in a welcoming embrace. “The good sister.”
I take a deep and shaky breath, just now realizing how frightened I was to be here. How frightened Mase’s change has made me. “I’m Fiona. The good wife.”
She laughs. “I like her.”
Mase doesn’t say anything, and that worries me more.
“Do you need anything before…?” Riese trails off and I look at Mase. His jaw is set, blue eyes cold. Unease pricks at the skin on the back of my neck. He doesn’t even look like the Mase I fell in love with.
How can family hold so much power over a person?
Mase glares at the doublewide staircase, which separates halfway to the second floor, leading, I suppose to either wing. “We’ve been summoned, so let’s do this,” he manages through gritted teeth.
“That’s fine.” I reach for his hand, looking for support as much as I’m trying to give it. “I look forward to meeting everyone.”
It sounds fake even to my own ears.
“Grandfather first,” Riese says apologetically, leading the way to the stairs. “It’s his way.”
“If he scares you off, no one else needs to get involved.”
I stop, foot poised to take the first step. “Is that what he’s going to try and do? Scare me off?”Pay me off?
