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She steps back, pulling from my embrace. “Do I need a reason to come and see my son?” she counters, turning to survey my room before her eyes find mine. “You haven’t been home this entire fall break.”
“I just needed a few days to be alone,” I explain, rubbing the back of my neck. “There’s still over a week left of break. I promise to come home this weekend.”
My mother’s knowing gaze tells me there’s no need to explain further. She’s the only other woman I let my guard down for. “This will be over soon enough, Wesley. You rid yourself of the lecherous viper. Now, the real work begins—earning Ariah’s forgiveness.”
“I know.” I sigh. “But it’s easier said than done.”
Amusement fills my mother’s features. “If love were meant to be easy, so many people wouldn’t get it wrong,” she insists before sitting and crossing her legs. “More people are in relationships disguised as love. So the first chance their love is tested, it doesn’t weather the storm.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I say, trying to get her to understand. “I spent months trying to run Ariah from town, and I spent even longer denying there was any attraction.” A fact I’ll take to the grave. I gave Wyatt and Owen shit for their obsession with Ariah, but in truth, I was enthralled—am enthralled. The day I received her file, I studied it until I memorized every detail. I did it under the guise of knowing my enemy. “But the minute I allowed myself, it was so effortless to love her.”
My mother’s lip quirks. “I’m going to impart a little wisdom on you. Falling in love is easy. Staying in love takes more effort, but growing in love takes work. If you’re unwilling to do the work, Wesley, you’ll need to let her go because Ariah is not a girl who’ll accept half-assed effort.”
I ruminate on her words before I profess, “Ariah is my forever. I’ll do more than whatever it takes to love her like she deserves.” Then I peer down at my mother, waiting for her to meet my eye before I declare, “But there isn’t a scenario where I’ll let her leave me.”
She stands, smoothing out her clothes before grabbing her rust-colored Dior purse. “Good. I’m glad I didn’t give birth to a quitter. Now come and have lunch with me.”
“Why do you think we’re here?” Owen asks as we exit the elevator outside the Council’s chambers.
An hour after I had lunch with my mother, my father called, requesting we all come to the Fraternitas.
“I’m sure it has something to do with Senator Baker,” Sebastian replies.
“Has something new happened?” Wyatt inquires as we proceed down the hallway.
Turning, I wait for Sebastian’s response. Things have been eerily quiet. Outside campaign events, we haven’t heard anything from the Senator or his wife. It would be suspicious if Lev didn’t inform us that Senator Baker has Samantha under close watch. Which means we won’t have to deal with her delusional ass.
We’re standing outside the chamber doors before Sebastian answers. “Not that I know of, but given that he planned to force us to marry Samantha to secure his position for the presidency, one can deduce that Baker is planning something.”
I hum my agreement, opening the door. The Council sits five original families strong. It’s still strange to see a Bradford occupying a seat that has been vacant for decades. Ariah’s father sits to the right of mine, and I can’t help but wonder why he doesn’t demand his rightful spot.
“Boys, have a seat,” my father instructs, waiting for us to sit before he continues. “First, we’d like to congratulate you on a job well done. You five have made the Fraternitas proud. Now that the bomb has been removed from Owen, we can weed out the other traitors in our ranks.” My father points to the tablets on the table. “On these, you’ll find the information of at least three dozen people who need to be questioned and then eliminated.”
Picking up the device, I bring my eye up to the scanner. It beeps, prompting me to place my palm on the screen, initiating the biometric thermal scanner to open the tablet.
“As you see, we’ve tiered them based on rank within the Senator’s organization, level of suspected knowledge, and position within the Fraternitas,” Owen’s father explains.
A fist slams against the table, forcing my attention to where Owen sits. “This fucker is mine,” he snaps, holding up an image of a man with a slender build. He’s barely six feet tall with oily chestnut hair and murky-brown beady, dead eyes.
I read his name, but it’s Sebastian who voices the question. “Who the fuck is Grady Templeton?”
“A dead man,” Wyatt answers. “If the look on Owen’s face says anything.”
Owen’s usually light hazel eyes darken, narrowing to slits. “He’s the asshole I separated from the head of his dick over the summer. The one I plan on making a eunuch for whatever’s left of his miserable life.”
Memories of conversations play in my mind. Unlike when he was younger, Owen has shared some of what happened to him. He didn’t share everything, but it’s far more than he’s ever done before.
“So, he’s first, then,” Lev says, speaking for the first time. His fingers are already fast at work, digging up every detail of Grady’s life. By the time he finishes, we’ll know the last time Grady flossed his teeth.
I grunt my agreement and study the rest of the names on the list. I don’t know if there’s a family in town who didn’t play a part in trying to destroy the Fraternitas. And not for the first time, I wonder if the organization we pledge allegiance to will survive.
Wyatt springs from his chair first. Sebastian, Owen, and I are quick to follow suit. “Have a seat. We’re not finished here,” Ariah’s father demands.
My gaze flits to Lev, wondering if they have an idea of what we’ll discuss next, but he shrugs.
“As you know. My daughter is pregnant and hell-bent on returning to school.” Mr. Bradford begins, and I know whatever he says next will be a fight once Ariah discovers his plan. “This means she’ll need around-the-clock protection.”
The door opens, but I don’t bother to look away from Aaron. I already know it’ll be one of the Council’s assistants bringing our new assignments.
