Page 5 of Twisted Truths

“What else would it be?” I hold his stare with my own. Daring him to say it. Daring him to accuse me of what he’s assuming.

When he looks away, I know I’ve won this round.

Time to put the mask that I wear for the world back on, and that weight buries me again. “You bring my phone with you?”

Kol nods and pushes his hand into his pocket, emerging with my phone fully charged.

“Thanks.” I take it and pull up Mr. Smith’s contact, typing out a text to him.

Got a job. Need you to find someone. Interested?

I set the phone face down on the bed beside me.

“Who are you texting?” Kol asks.

“Don’t worry about it.”

I want to find the woman who saved me. Although I’m not even sure why. Something in my gut tells me that I should.

Within twenty-four hours, my brothers have me on one of our private planes, whisking me back to Midnight Manor. I don’t have the mental energy to fight them, so I go without protest.

No one questions me further on the way home. I almost think I’ve avoided any further backlash, until Asher sends me a text a few days later. Sometimes I’m jealous of his calculated patience.

Meet me in my office.

“Fuck,” I grumble, pocketing my phone. He doesn’t want to meet with me to see what work I’m behind on since my unannounced departure.

On the walk through Midnight Manor, I do my best to adopt an unaffected air, but it proves pointless because by the time I reach his office, I’m fixing for a fight like I am so often these days. It’s becoming harder and harder to hide behind my mask.

The door is ajar when I arrive, and I stand on the threshold, finding all three of my brothers inside, stationed throughout the sitting area in front of the massive fireplace.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this summoning?” I step inside and prowl over to an empty chair, undoing my suit jacket to sit.

“We’ve been talking, and we think it’s time to make some changes around here.” Asher starts, ever the eldest.

“What kind of changes?” I ask, interest piqued. There’ve been enough changes around this place now that all three of them have their significant others living in the manor.

“It dawned on me that the three of us have been preoccupied, and there’s a possibility that left more work on your shoulders as far as Voss Enterprises is concerned.”

Asher’s not wrong, but I don’t hate it. Now that they’re coupled up for life, it’s more obvious how very alone I am. But we’re not here to talk about our feelings, so I’ll take the win.

“I never said I minded.” I shrug and rest my ankle on my knee.

“Regardless, we think it would be a good idea to hire someone to work by your side. Take some things off your plate and help you with whatever you need.” Asher smooths his tie down his shirt, his eyes following his hand.

“I already have an assistant at the head office.” My eyes narrow.

“True,” Kol says. “But we think you could use someone here. Someone who would be here day in and day out. Someone who could anticipate your needs and step in before they become… overwhelming.”

“Take some of the pressure off,” Nero adds.

I scowl at the three of them. “Why does this feel like you’re hiring a fucking babysitter for me?”

“That’s not what this is,” Kol insists, but they don’t fool me.

They think what happened on the West Coast is a repeat of what happened a decade ago, but they’re too chickenshit to come out and say it. So they want to hire someone to keep an eye on me.

I stand from the chair and button my suit jacket across my waist. “I don’t need a snitch by my side day in and day out.”

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