Page 57 of Moonlit Temptation

“The kind of power people fuck, steal, and kill for.” Because that cleared everything up. “Have you ever wondered why my company grew as rapidly as it did? Became as successful as it did?”

“Honestly? No.” I didn’t give their success much overthought. “I just thought after Dad helped get you started, you guys put in the work and reaped the benefits. Wait. Did he actually help? Does he know about this?”

“If only it was that easy.” Saint shook his head. “No, your dad doesn’t know about Icarus. His help got us started, but as powerful as Anthony thinks he is, it was Icarus that gave us the connections and leverage we needed to grow at the pace we did behind the scenes. There is no way we’d be where we are after only five years without them.”

“So you basically cheated. And Archer knows about this as well?”

“All successful businesses cheat, Madelayne. Any company who pretends they didn’t to get to the top is lying,” he told me. “And no, Archer doesn’t know.” I saw the tension in his eyes as he admitted that. To keep something like this from my brother... “The Sons of Icarus is a secret for a reason.”

A secret society.

Wow.

I didn’t know if I preferred that over a sex cult.

All this time, I thought of Saint as this loyal, self-made man when he was someone else entirely.

“Why are you telling me, then?” Despite everything, I liked the fact that I knew something about Saint that Archer didn’t.

“Aside from the fact you demanded it?”

I nodded.

“Because you can’t tell anyone what you saw.”

Because no one could know Saint and I have been together.

Suddenly, all the warm feelings I was feeling about knowing this secret dissipated like mist in the air.

Nothing between us would leave this hotel room, and it stung to be reminded of that. But if I had come this far, I might as well know everything.

“What else?”

“What else?” he parroted.

“Why did you join in the first place?”

He grew quiet. “Because I was lonely. And they offered me a family.”

My heart splintered for the man in front of me.

There would always be a piece of him that was the little boy discarded by his family, desperate for affection.

Through this society, he got the two things he loved most: power and devotion.

But at what cost? “What did you have to do to get in?”

“They make prospects go through what they call the Labyrinth Trials.”

That felt very on theme, but didn’t answer my question. I waited for him to explain.

Silence stretched between us, filling a chasm we had placed ourselves on either side of.

Saint stared at me, I stared at him. Stress was etched into his usually playful eyes, begging me not to make him answer.

I didn’t.

Saint’s head fell forward as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

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