Page 24 of Shattered Vows

It’s clear to me that he’s the youngest of the brothers, and unlike the two brothers I’ve already met, Nero has blue eyes that contrast with his dark hair.

“Rapsody, I’m Asher,” the last man says. “Why don’t you have a seat beside Kol?” He gestures across the table as Anabelle returns to the seat on his left.

“Thank you.” I nod and follow Sid over to that side of the table, where he slides his breakfast plate to the left.

“You can have my seat, Rapsody.” Then Sid gestures to a woman dressed in a housekeeper’s uniform in the corner, and she darts away, seeming to read his mind. I hadn’t even noticed her.

Sid pulls the chair out for me, and I slide in next to Kol. “Thank you.”

Seconds later, the woman returns and sets down a clean plate and cutlery in front of me. I smile and mumble a thank you.

I have a hard time concentrating, my eyes pinging to different locations in the large room. I glance at a crystal chandelier hanging over the long, dark wood table. I’ve never seen a table with this many chairs before. Despite the chandelier and some flickering sconces on the walls, the room is still dim, and it’s hard to tell if the paint on the walls is black or a deep blue. Paintings in ornate gold frames line the walls, and a large mirror hangs over the huge fireplace.

A long buffet table is set against the wall behind the head of the table, and above it is a large painting of a pretty woman with long, flowing dark hair and deep blue eyes. Eyes that hold sadness despite the upward curve of her lips. I admire the way the artist was able to capture such depth of emotion in her eyes, which is no small feat.

“Who is she? She’s beautiful,” I ask.

Silence greets me, and I still, fearing I’ve found my way into unwanted territory.

Nero clears his throat. “It’s our mother…was our mother.”

My chin dips, and I glance at the empty plate. “I’m sorry.”

I don’t know any details except for what Kol shared with me—his mother was murdered. After I ran off, I did a lot of googling on Kol Voss but never looked up his mother. It just didn’t feel right.

“You didn’t know,” Asher says from across the table. “Now, help yourself to whatever you’d like before these three polish it off.” He gestures to the center of the table and the platters of food.

I do as he insists, adding bacon, eggs, fruit, yogurt, and granola to my plate.

“So, will you be staying with us long?” Sid asks from my left.

I glance at Kol, knowing I’m only here because he’s allowing it and unsure how long he’ll allow me. “I’m not sure.”

“You don’t have anything important to get back to out west?” he asks.

“Is she on fucking trial?” Kol snipes.

Sid chuckles low in his chest. “Apologies, Rapsody. Sometimes I forget I’m not in a courtroom.” He smiles. Though on the surface it appears genuine, there’s something predatory underneath.

Anabelle saves me from having to think of a response. “What do you do for a living? Are you still in school?” She radiates warmth, and her smile is welcoming.

Though I appreciate her trying to save me, I’m not sure how to answer. Obviously, Kol hasn’t told anyone how I grew up.

“Oh well, actually I… I wasn’t working before I came here. I was…” I turn to Kol, but his head is buried in his plate. “I was supposed to be married, and I was going to stay at home and run the house. It’s what he wanted.”

Shame weighs heavily on my shoulders, and they slump while I push my eggs around my plate with a fork.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Anabelle says, clearly sensing my discomfort. “I think running a household is even harder than a nine-to-five job, especially once kids are involved.” She kindly doesn’t ask anything about my fiancé or the wedding or whether I’m married.

I give her a wan smile.

“Speaking of weddings…” Anabelle leans forward and looks around her husband at Nero. “How are the preparations for your big day going?”

“You’re getting married?” I say excitedly, happy to discuss anyone but myself and my sad existence.

Nero grins. “In the fall. We’re just putting the final touches on everything now.”

“That’s wonderful. What’s your fiancée’s name? How did you meet?” I lean back, knowing I need to tamper down my enthusiasm.

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