Page 37 of Innocent Intentions

She reminds me so much of my Nana, I can’t even be mad at her.

“Here. Eat this.” She sets a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I sit down and start eating. It’s delicious.

The kitchen is bright and pristine, all sleek appliances and a marble island at the center. The fridge is restaurant-sized. It smells amazing.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made something simple. You’ll tell me your favorites for my future menus.”

I swallow my bite. “Oh, I don’t plan on staying long.”

“Nonsense.” Dotty waves me off. “My sweet Matthias has never brought a girl home. Now that he has, we’re not going to let her go. He’s spent too much time working and not enough on finding a wife.”

I nearly choke.

“We’re not together.”

She smiles knowingly. “You’ll see soon enough.”

She’s planning our wedding. I can feel it.

Nope. No. Absolutely not!

Dotty takes my empty plate and claps her hands. “Now, time for your tour.”

“I–”

“You should get to know your new home.”

“Not my home.”

She ignores me. “I’m so proud of Matthias. He built all this from nothing. Unlike his brothers.” She tuts. “They take after their father.”

I go still.

“Brothers?” I ask carefully.

Dotty nods. “There are four of them. Matthias is the second-born. Dominic is the eldest. The poor man is far too serious. He should’ve run the company with Matthias, but instead, he chose theSyndicate. Then there’s Roman. He’s close behind Matthias. That troubled boy needs to sort through his anger issues. And seek the Lord’s forgiveness for his offenses. And finally, Sebastian. The baby. His brilliance is wasted onthat life.” Her voice turns wistful. “Evelyn didn’t raise them for that. Their father, Damien, left them a dark legacy. Only my sweet Matthias chose to work in the light.”

My blood turns to ice.

Roman.

Roman, the psychopath torturing and potentially murdering someone, is Matty’s brother.

Syndicate. Offenses. Dark legacy.

What the hell did I get dragged into?

I force a blank expression. “What’s the Syndicate?”

Dotty freezes.

She plasters on a too-bright smile. “Let’s continue the tour”

I barely hear the rest.

Who is this man holding me captive?

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