Page 2 of His to Keep
As my brother leaves the room, Jason sinks back onto his seat. A couple of female servers enter to pour wine for everyone. When the younger of the two women reaches me, she hesitates and looks toward her boss.
Drummond turns to my dad. “Would the little one be better with apple juice?”
Little one?I bristle at that. Though I can’t legally consume alcohol, I’m not a child. In fact, in six more weeks I’ll be old enough to leave school and get a full-time job if I want. Hell, I could even get married if I didn’t realize that would be a monumentally bad idea at my age.
“Eilidh has the occasional glass at home,” Dad replies, “but I think she’d be better off with juice tonight.”
At Drummond’s nod, the blonde woman scurries off to fetch my drink. She returns a minute later with a bottle of apple juice and pours me a glass. I don’t grumble that Lorna isn’t eighteen for another ten days and she got wine. If I’m honest, I prefer not to touch alcohol tonight. It makes my head fuzzy, and this is an occasion where it would be wise to keep my wits about me. I hope the rest of my family feels the same.
When everyone has a full glass in front of them, Drummond rises. “To a new era for our family.”
“Our family,” the men around the table echo.
Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, but the toast does nothing to convince me of Drummond’s good intentions. A decent host would have asked his men to raise their glasses to my family, our continued health and prosperity. It’s what Dad would have done if he’d invited these men into our home.
As Drummond retakes his seat, the first course is brought in. A plate with scallops, black pudding, and some micro greens is placed in front of me. Unlike the scarred man next to me, I remember my manners and wait until everyone has a plate before digging in.
“You still at school?” the man on my left asks.
“Going into fifth year after the summer.”
He nods. “Get your exam results yet?”
With all this business about merging our family with the Drummonds, I’d almost forgotten I was waiting to hear how I did in the exams I sat at the end of last term. “Next week.”
“Good luck with that.”
Apparently done with me, he turns to the man on his other side. Thankful not to have to make small talk, I concentrate on my food. The black pudding is delicious, but the scallops are overcooked. It’s like eating fish-flavored rubber. Dad would be upset with me if I left food on my plate, so I guess I’ll have to persevere.
Deciding I need something to wash it down, I take a huge gulp of my apple juice. As I set my glass down, I realize Alexander hasn’t returned to his seat yet. I glance at the empty space he left and then scan the room, eventually meeting Jason Henry’s cold blue eyes. He’s studying me carefully, lips pursed as if I’m a puzzle he needs to solve. A shiver runs down my spine, but I refuse to look away. He’s not the sort of man you can show any weakness in front of.
Our staring contest comes to an abrupt halt as a wave of nausea goes through me. Thinking I’m about to be sick, I push to my feet. My legs wobble and I drop back onto my seat.
“Eilidh?” Dad looks at me with concern. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
“She’ll be fine,” Jason answers for me. “She’ll have a little nap and wake up as good as new.”
“What?” I blurt out.
Before anyone can say another word, all hell breaks loose. Suddenly men are on their feet. Two of Drummond’s thugs grab Dad and force him to his knees. My head growing fuzzy, I turn to my brother for guidance. I’m met by a scene of horror. Jamie clutches his throat. Blood pours through his fingers as a hideous gurgling sound comes from him.
As he drops to the floor, I force myself to my feet. Through blurred vision I watch as my brother takes his last breath. There’s so much blood. It’s everywhere, ruining his new suit, staining the carpet. I can’t think straight.
My legs weaken until they can no longer hold me up. I grab the edge of the table. It finally hits me that I’ve been drugged. I’ve no idea how it happened, but it’s a mercy, I suppose. As my sisters’ screams fill the air, I crash to the floor and everything goes black.
CHAPTER 2
Four years later…
Eilidh
“Sit up straight. Keep your mouth shut. If my brother gives you an order, obey without question.” Jasmine Henry barks a familiar list of commands at me as we pull up outside a beautiful hotel in the Scottish Highlands. She says the same thing every time Jason takes me out of the house. They’re the first words she’s spoken to me on the three-hour drive it took to get here, but I’m not complaining. If I never had to hear her voice again, I’d be ecstatic.
The silent bodyguard who was in the passenger seat gets out of the car and opens the door for me. It’s not a chivalrous gesture. He’s making sure I can’t run. There’s little chance of that in these ridiculously high heels. Since the taciturn redhead doesn’t offer his hand to help me down from the seat of the Mercedes SUV, I wobble as I step out onto the gravel driveway. Thankfully, I don’t fall. That would earn me a punishment, because in the Henrys’fucked-up world, accidents don’t happen. As far as Jasmine and her brother are concerned, every action is deliberate, and people have to answer for their mishaps.
Jason is waiting for us at the front door. He drove up earlier with a couple of his men to take care of some business before Jasmine and I arrived. A scowl forms on his face as he drags his eyes up and down the length of my body. I don’t know what right he has to disapprove since he insisted I wear this skimpy red dress tonight. He’s not alone in disliking it. I hate this dress. Its neckline plunges deeper than I’d like and the hem lands at mid-thigh, showing off too much of my long, skinny legs. I feel exposed.
Back before Jason murdered my family and locked me away, I didn’t mind wearing clothes like this. I liked to dress up when I hung out with my friends, trying to attract attention from the hottest boys at school. Callum Barclay was my first crush. He was two years older than me, and I was desperate to impress him with what I foolishly imagined was my sophistication. In those days, all I cared about was doing well in school and getting a boyfriend. That was a lifetime ago.
