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Carven glanced toward the doorway. “This can’t be good,” he muttered and headed for the hallway.
Colt followed his brother, leaving me last. London strode toward us, his focus directed at me as he slowed at the doorway, waving me back inside toward the study first.
“Okay,” Carven muttered. “Hit us with it.”
London unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair before he took his usual stance, leaning back against the desk. His shirt strained as he rolled the sleeves and crossed his arms.
“Well?” Carven snapped. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“My gut is telling me the Ares murders are connected to Hale somehow,” he started, glancing at me. “But it’s not an outward attack, not from what I’ve seen.”
Surprise hit me. I shook my head. “It’s not?”
“No.” He settled that careful stare on me. “I think it’s exactly what they said it was…a murder-suicide.”
A murder-suicide. In my head, I saw the way Dante and Meredith Ares had looked at each other in that sitting room. They were in love, that had been so damn obvious. Blinded by their obsession, they barely saw anyone else. That wasn’t a couple at war…not one that ended in both of them dead.
Then Angelica slipped in…
Angelica, with her quiet, careful demeanor.
Angelica, whose gaze was fixed on me, because she knew.
She knew I’d seen her in that place….
With the Principal.
“The wife was scared.” Colt shook his head. His deep voice was huskier than it was before. “She knew Ophelia was coming after us and she wanted to be as far from that as possible. Because she was scared of Dante finding out what she was up to. Maybe he did. Maybe he found out and he didn’t like it one bit.”
My body trembled as a chill tore through me. The idea of that was terrifying. This had The Order written all over it. The repercussions of that vile place would be neverending. “I don’t like this,” I whispered, meeting his dark stare. “I don’t like any of it.”
“I don’t either. But right now, we have enough to deal with…” he winced, choosing his words carefully. “Seeing as how Ryth and her stepbrothers are back.”
My breath stopped.
My mind raced.
“Ryth’s back?” I glanced at the others. Carven wasn’t showing any hint of surprise, but Colt was.
“Yes,” London answered carefully. “And she wants to see you.”
My chest swelled as my lips curled. “Yes…now? Can we go now?” I started moving toward the doorway.
“No, pet.” His answer stopped me cold. “There are things you need to understand. Things you need to prepare yourself for.”
I spun, finding that same careful expression fixed on me. “What things?”
He pushed from the desk and strode across the room. “Things haven’t been easy for her. I need you...” He glanced at the others. “We need you to prepare yourself.”
Things haven’t been easy? What the hell did that mean? “Tell me,” I demanded.
“She’s pregnant…” He lowered his gaze to my stomach. “Very…very pregnant. And it looks like the pregnancy hasn’t been easy. She’s going to watch your every reaction, every flinch, every stutter. It’s all going to matter to her. The Banks boys are protective enough already.”
Then it hit me. I stepped closer to him. So close he automatically reached for me, pulling me against his muscular body. “She was supposed to stay hidden. Why is she here?”
He looked down. “It seems Dante and the other heads of the families didn’t like that they were hiding. They wanted them where they could see and use them.”
I flinched as it hit me. “Did they kill the Ares’?” As soon as the question arose, I knew it didn’t sound like them.
