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I do as he says and lower my backside to the couch, folding my hands in my lap when he lets me go and sits next to me. “Solitaire is a Secret Society. We operate in the shadows, shaping governments and global organisations to our will. I am the Head of this Society, as was my father before me, his before him and so on.”
“A Secret Society?” I’m still none the wiser.
“There are intricacies and rules and things that I can’t go into right now, but I will soon. Just know that for now, I am called the Don, and you have stepped unknowingly into a hornet’s nest. Or rather, Sophia brought you here.”
“Why am I in danger because I know this?” I ask quietly.
“Part of the rules are the Society remains a secret. It’s in the name,” he says with a soft smile, “but deeper than that, there are protocols and ancient laws. We operate in the shadows for a variety of reasons, but the main one is so we can conduct our business without interference.”
“I understand that. But I still don’t understand why my knowing puts me in danger.”
“Because you aren’t in the Society. You could tell others, and if the Society becomes public knowledge, there will be an outcry. We have members in every sector of every district in every country in the world. Judges, lawyers, Police Commissioners, doctors, nurses, CEOs of billion-pound companies, scientists, teachers, civil servants, the jockey who throws a race to corrupt the bets, the man who owns the corner shop, the delivery guy, the waitress who serves the President of Uganda his to-go cup of coffee. Do you understand now why you can’t say anything to anyone?”
Taking in the enormity of what he is saying, I nod, even though I’m not sure I fully get it. It’s still more than I knew a minute ago. “So keep quiet and don’t tell anyone anything,” I murmur.
“In a nutshell. I can protect you only so far, Isla. I will die for you, but if I’m dead, there will be no one to save you from those whose very job it is to eliminate threats to our existence.”
“Shit,” I mutter. “Threats?”
He nods. “This is all I can tell you for now, but you have to promise me you won’t ever mention Solitaire again or anything about what I’ve told you.”
“Whydidyou tell me all of this?” My palms have gone sweaty, and my mouth is dry.
“I am serious about where I want this to go between us, Isla, and that means not lying to you every second of every day.”
“Only some seconds?”
He chuckles. “Yes, that, unfortunately, is the way it’s going to have to be.”
“Can I become a member? Is there a fee?”
He smiles and takes my hand. “Your soul,” he says sadly.
Thinking he is joking, I burst out laughing but when he doesn’t join in, I gulp. “Oh. You’re serious.”
“Deadly.”
“So no on the membership then.”
“Not right now. Maybe one day, but you are not even on Solitaire’s radar. I cannot just bring someone in off the cuff. There are…”
“Protocols. I’m a nobody.”
“You’re not a nobody, Isla. You should be grateful and proud not to have made it onto the radar.”
Somewhat insulted, I huff out a breath. “Easy for you to say.”
“You are everything to me, Isla. I hope, for now, that will be enough for you.”
Getting over myself quickly, I realise I’m being a bit of a brat. So what if the elite club didn’t even notice me? What else is new? I should be happy that Gideon has told me the truth, showing me I can rely on him and trust him.
“It’s more than enough,” I murmur, reaching out to cup his face. “I don’t care who you are to everyone else. You are everything to me as well.”
His eyes fill with longing and desire, and he grabs me, crushing his mouth to mine as his tongue urges me to open my lips. Our tongues duel fiercely as we devour each other, and I know I’m ready for this to go further. We both want it. We both need it.
I just hope no one interrupts us this time before we get down to it.
51
