Page 61 of Tempting God

I’m just being paranoid, right?

But the Brotherhood is good at hiding the news they don’t want the public to know about. So it’s possible something happened to Jones or Zhang. I know it’s not Charles, Alessandro, or Brooks, because I know for certain I would have heard something.

A knock on the door has me jumping.

“Get it together, Greer,” I say to myself as I cross the floor.

Looking through the peephole, I spot Aimée. Something isn’t right. How did she know I was here? I purposely didn’t tell anyone in my family that I was going to be in town for this very reason. So why is she here?

Opening the door, I ask, “Is everything okay?”

“Of course it is, darling,” she answers as she walks into the suite. “Can’t I come see my favorite family member?”

There are holes in her statement. I’m not her favorite family member. My mother is. And how did she know I could be found in Grant’s suite?

“Aimée, what’s going on?”

Because the last time she showed up somewhere unannounced it was to drag me to Alessandro’s house to make Isa jealous…

Her eyes widen in innocence. “Nothing. I swear.”

“Did Charles send you?”

“No.” She waits a beat and says, “Well, he let me know you were in town, and I need someone to talk to. I think I might be pregnant…”

Well, that’s not what I was expecting!

“Oh my goodness! Congratulations!”

I hug her, but she doesn’t hug me back.

Instead, she says, “I was hoping we could go celebrate.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well, you know how protective my husband is about me going out, so I planned a spa day at the house. It won’t take long, I promise.”

A spa day that’s not going to take long? Warning bells go off in my head, but I nod.

“Of course. That sounds lovely. I just need to grab my cardigan.”

In the other room, I pull out my phone.

Grant

Listen, I’m not sure what’s going on, but Aimée is here and wants me to go to her house for a bit.

My gut says this has something to do with the Brotherhood meeting you’re at.

So, please, let me know if there’s something I need to know…

He doesn’t reply, so I have no choice but to tuck my phone in my pocket and grab my cardigan. Aimée is typing on her phone when I walk into the main room. She smiles as she stands.

“Let’s go.”

I pray the entire car ride that Grant will text or call. He doesn’t.

When we arrive at the house that Charles and Aimée live in, my stomach churns. It’s been years since I’ve been back at this mansion. Not much has changed on the outside, making it even harder to walk through the front doors. I almost expect to smell Grandfather’s cigar lingering in the air. Instead, I’m met with a harsh floral scent that makes my nose twitch.