Page 9 of Captive Mafia Wife

Fredrick grins.

But it’s more than just a smile. That cocksure, dangerous facial gesture tells me he thinks he’s in control here. My mind goes to the conversation Callum and I had at the top of the stairs. Did he ask Fredrick to keep an eye on me tonight?

Where is Callum?

Ignoring the whisky-stealing, steadfast elderberry popsicle before me, I glance around the garden. Carol Ann leads a group of her and Fiona’s friends from home through the gates, overnight bags hanging from their shoulders as they head toward her guest house slash craft cabin where they’ll stay the night.

Arran and the boys from earlier are no longer gathered at the boat bar. They’re settled around the bonfire with cups of beer from the keg. Their voices are lowered, and their talk has turned reflective as they watch the flames crackle over the logs.

My party is winding down.

“Excuse me, Freddie. I’ve got to find my brother.”

“Party’s. Over.” He slips an arm in the crook of mine. “Allow me to escort you to your room. I have something to show you. Something I know you need.”

Darn him. He’s piqued my interest. “Fine. But you go no further than the door. Understood?”

“Sorry.” He shakes his head, then runs a hand through his dark hair, showing off how thick it is. I almost want to reach out and touch it. “That won’t work,” he says. “You’ll want privacy for this.”

What could it be that he wants to show me? A tickle dances over the back of my neck, telling me to turn down his offer. But anyone who knows me knows I can’t leave a mystery unsolved.

I have to know everything.

“You want to come inside my…bedroom?”I gulp.

Callum and I bought this estate a couple of years ago so that he could establish the Kings Mafia in Glasgow and I could experience city life. We only just finished the final renovations before this party. I’ve thrown myself into establishing my place at a new law firm and restoring this house to its former beauty.

I’ve not dated…anyone.

There’s been no man in my bedroom. It was the same as in my childhood home on the island. If I snuck off with a boy, it was always somewhere else.

And I always keep things from going very far.

I tell myself that’s why there’s a strange, squishy feeling in my belly. I’m just not accustomed to having a man in my room. But I want to know what secret he’s keeping.

I’ll treat this as a business meeting. “Okay, but I’m only giving you five minutes.”

We’ve reached the back door. He glances down at me, narrowing his brow. “I’ll need at least twenty to unwind it.”

Now, I’m inquisitive.

Working with my brother as he does, Fredrick’s a frequent guest, so he knows his way around the house. We slip through the kitchen, and he leads me to the rear staircase, away from the prying eyes of lingering guests. We reach my door.

He stands beside me, waiting for me to open it. The small signal is another power grab, forcing me to consent to his visit by turning the knob myself. I would face him in a standoff, waiting to see who breaks first and opens the door, but I want to know what it is he’s showing me.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” I slip into the room, leaving the door partway open. He closes it behind us, the metal clicking as it latches.

Suddenly sober, I stand in the center of the room, unsure what to do with my hands. I leave them hanging at my sides and glance around the room. My guest armchair is covered in the discarded outfits I last tried on, leaving the bed open. I am not inviting him to sit on the bed.

“Nice room,” he says, strolling around, taking in the pale blue walls, the chandelier suspended from the tray ceiling, the silver bed frame, and the fluffy feather duvets. I may be nearing thirty, but as an unmarried woman, my conservative upbringing still tugs at my conscience for having a man in my room.

Silly, I know, but we girls were taught to keep our legs crossed and our minds on Jesus. Only now, standing here alone with him in my private space, do I realize the enormity of the energy we’re exchanging.

One spark and…kaboom.

I take a shaky step back. I feel entirely out of control.

And that’s making me fizzin’. I need to get rid of him. Now.

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