AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sebastian looked out now on the clan lands as well. “You think he has something he’s holding over her, so she’ll do his bidding?”
“I’m not sure,” I said slowly, the wheels still turning. “But it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. What do you know of Rosalind’s family history? When she first resurfaced, Mason did a little digging and discovered the Hawthornes had adopted her. What’s the story there?”
Sebastian moved back to his desk. “It’s been years, and I don’t know all the details, but I know Rosalind was passed from home to home a bit when she was young. Her biological mother died in childbirth, and her father was reported to have died of a broken heart not long after. Her mother had two sisters, and the oldest was Caroline, Tomas’s mate. Caroline and Tomas took Rosalind in, adopted her, and raised her as their own. Well, for the first four years, anyway.”
“What happened then?” I turned from where I was looking out the window.
“Caroline died. As she was the mate of a fellow alpha, I was informed of the details. Supposedly, the family was out on their yacht. Rosalind was playing and fell overboard. Caroline jumped in to save her, but she wasn’t so lucky. She was pulled out to sea and her body was never recovered. She was presumed dead.”
I stared at Sebastian, horror-stricken. “That’s terrible. She lost her mother and her aunt?”
Sebastian nodded grimly. “That isn’t even the whole of it. Tomas was rumored to have fallen into a deep depression after that. He blamed Rosalind for his mate’s death and wanted nothing to do with her. He sent her away to live with her other aunt, Caroline’s younger sister and Rosalind’s only remaining blood relative. But she, too, died before Rosalind made it to adulthood. So, Rosalind ended up back with Tomas.”
I crossed back to the desk and sank down in a chair. As much as I despised Rosalind, no one deserved so much death and heartache. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
It was heartbreaking, yes, but it made me question Rosalind’s role in this game even more. After living through that childhood, how was she so willing to give up her only child? Did she really feel nothing for Sofia? The entire pregnancy was a setup, a trap so I was right where Tomas wanted me, but after hearing about her past, I couldn’t believe she was really so heartless.
I thought back to that day when I’d seen Tomas and Rosalind in the hall—the only time I’d actually seen them together. She’d been quiet, submissive even, and then when she’d chased after me, the panic was palpable. Maybe she felt she had no other choice but to obey.
“I don’t think there’s much love lost between the two of them. What if her loyalties don’t fully lie with Tomas?” I mused, calculating, bits and pieces of a plan forming. “Based on what I’ve seen, she might be acting out of fear. That could work to our advantage.”
“The only way to know is to talk to Rosalind without her father around,” Sebastian said. “You know her better than I do. Any ideas on how we could get to her, away from Tomas?”
I did have one, but my mouth twisted into a grimace at the thought. Mariah had asked for days if we’d heard anything from Jaxon. I’d written him off as a possibility, and I’d been okay with that, too, as I simply didn’t trust the man who’d lied about being Tomas’s son.
“Jaxon might help.” I watched Sebastian closely as I said it, seeing my own doubts reflected in his expression, and I held my hands up. “Believe me, I wouldn’t even suggest it if we weren’t running out of options as well as time. But if he can help us get Rosalind to drop the case, I’m willing to take a chance.”
Sebastian nodded slowly. “Tread carefully here, son. You have to remain vigilant and watch for any signs indicating a bigger game. But I trust your judgment. It hasn’t steered you wrong yet.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. I’d left Mariah behind in New York when I came here, thinking I had to face the Careys on my own, but that was my biggest mistake yet. Mariah never would’ve been kidnapped if I’d had better judgment then, but I didn’t say that out loud, either. I just reached for my phone and pulled up the text thread from when Jaxon helped us find the Hawthorne fortress.
I hesitated, grimacing when I recalled the familiar way he’d spoken to Mariah the last time we called. I already didn’t trust the guy, and that conversation flipped my protective instincts into high gear. If I had any other option, I wouldn’t be doing this, but if Jaxon could help me get to Rosalind, it’d be worth it.
I tapped out a quick text and tried to keep it vague.
If you’re serious about our previous discussion, I have an idea.
I hit send, then waited, staring at my phone until the message showed delivered. There was no immediate response, so I slid my phone back into my pocket with a sigh. “Now what?”
“We continue to wait, observe, and evaluate. This is a step forward, Evan,” Sebastian said. “Try to be patient, hard as that may be. Why don’t you go get some lunch? Maybe we’ll have a response after that.”
I thanked him, then made my way out of the office and downstairs to the second floor. I peeked into the room Mariah and I shared, the one I’d lived in so many years before, but found it empty. I jogged down another flight of stairs to the main floor, the sound of Mariah’s laughter drawing me to the kitchen.
The sight of Mariah, standing at the island with a bright smile on her face, made my chest tight. She was here, she was safe, and I’d do anything necessary to ensure that.
I went and wrapped my arms around her before pulling her to my chest, pressing a hard kiss to her lips, deepening it when her lips parted on a tiny gasp.
Mine.
The word echoed in the back of my mind, a possessive claim by my dragon, but I felt it in my very soul as well. This woman was mine, and I refused to let anyone take her away again.
The sound of someone’s throat clearing made me stop. “Don’t mind me.”
I pulled back from Mariah to find Lucas standing on the other side of the island, his arms crossed, and a smirk pulling at his lips. He laughed as I blinked back at him. I’d been so overcome by seeing Mariah that I hadn’t even noticed my half-brother.
Glancing down at Mariah, I grinned as her cheeks turned pink, then I looked back at Lucas. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
“I was the same when Cynthia and I first got together,” Lucas said, tossing a water bottle up in the air and catching it nimbly. “I’ll leave you lovebirds to it. I have a meeting with Dad now that you’re done.”
