Page 5 of Unfulfilled Promises
When I was in the kitchen, my mind was so focused that I didn’t have time to let the intrusive thoughts in, so I enjoyed cooking more than most. Also, seeing someone enjoy something I made myself was rewarding.
I placed the breakfast meats onto a warming tray and slid them into a low heat oven while the bread baked. The kitchen smelled amazing as I took the last tray of bread from the oven and placed it in the cooling racks. Everything was done, so I slipped out the side door and made my way to the sitting area on the back patio. The morning was chilly, and I felt a shiver down my arms as I took a sip of my now cold coffee.
Hearing footsteps along the side of the patio, I looked to see who was joining me and was surprised to see Seth walking up, looking too good this early in the morning. I didn’t worry about fixing my hair or doing my makeup today, so I was sure I was a frightful sight for him, but I really couldn’t have cared less. Looking up as he approached, I saw his full smile as he joined me at the table.
“Good morning, beautiful. I’m surprised to see you up so early. Couldn’t sleep?” he inquired before reaching over and gently taking the coffee cup from my hand.
Confused, I watched as he turned the cup so he could drink from it where my lips were then he placed it on the table. When he brought his eyes to mine, butterflies took off in my stomach while I tried to rein them in. I wasn’t some clueless schoolgirl who swooned when a man showed her attention, and for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why Seth was showing me attention suddenly.
Instead of answering the question he asked, I asked my own. “Why are you here?”
Leaning forward, he gently took my clenched fist into his hands and opened my fingers up. When he slipped his hand into mine, the confusion grew. I went to open my mouth to speak when he said, “If you mean why are any of us here, then that depends on your philosophy on life. If you mean, why am I here at your brother’s house, then I’ll say we’re meeting this afternoon about some Syndicate business.” I glanced betweenour linked hands and his handsome face, which was getting closer to mine. “If you mean, why am I here with you, then I can’t lie.” Pausing, he brought his lips almost to mine as he whispered, “I’m enthralled by you, Regan.”
He softly pressed his lips to mine as his free hand brushed down the side of my cheek. There was no tongue or frenzy, and I was caught off guard. This was the kind of kiss I witnessed between the men in my life and their ladies, so him kissing me like that was extremely confusing. He leaned back, breaking the connection, and winked at me.
Again, this man took the words from my mouth, and I wasn’t used to anyone being so brash and brave with me. It was refreshing and scary all at the same time.
“You never answered my question, beautiful. Did you have trouble sleeping?”
He kissed the back of my hand he was holding before looking at me, waiting for an answer. “I never sleep well. I haven’t in years.”
“And why is that?” he asked, and I shrugged, avoiding the question.
He released my hand and sat back in his chair, observing me with what seemed like great thought. I felt like I was under a microscope and I didn’t like it. When I went to stand, he reached over, wrapping his hand around my wrist, and I swung my head to look at the connection. Bringing my eyes to his, I raised my eyebrows, silently asking him what he was doing when he stood up next to me.
“Keep your secrets, little firecracker. Just remember, the things we want to keep hidden the most are the things that usually reveal themselves. And the worry and fear we attach to our secrets often is overinflated by our own inner demons.” He pecked me on the cheek and whispered, “Fuck, you smell good.”I swore he also said, “I bet you taste even better,” but I couldn’t hear his words exactly over the thumping of my heart.
I didn’t know if it was the idea of my secrets being revealed to everyone or if it was just him and his interest in me that left me speechless. Seth wasn’t shy or reserved about his need to touch me, and what scared the hell out of me was that I liked his attention more than made sense. I shouldn’t have reacted to him the way I did, and it was confusing me.
He smiled at me as he stepped back, giving me access to leave. I felt his eyes on me as I walked away, and I didn’t know why but it felt good. Just as I went to open the glass door leading to the kitchen, I turned and looked over my shoulder. Seth was standing at the table with his legs apart and his arms crossed over his muscular chest. He smiled at me and winked before turning and walking around the side of the patio and out of my sight.
I looked out into the yard, completely flustered and off-kilter from his actions. Yesterday, I was floundering alone, scared, confused, and worried. And now, after hardly any interaction with him, I feel more confident, braver, and less scared.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t terrified of my shame coming to the surface, but if what he said was correct, maybe it was better to tell everyone now, so they could wash their hands of me faster and move on with their lives.
Just the thought of not being a part of this crazy, blended family made my heart hurt, and that’s why I was terrified of them knowing. Without them, I had no reason to stay in the light. I could walk into the welcoming darkness and finally be at peace.
SITTING AROUND THEgigantic table in the formal dining room, eating breakfast as a family was nice. Everyone was joking, visiting, and having conversations with whoever was sitting near them as they ate every bite of food I’d made.
“I think Regan needs a round of applause for this amazing breakfast,” Hannah joked, and the whole room erupted in cheers.
I felt a blush on my face and waved off the compliment.
“Whoever is going to the meeting, we need to be in the war room in fifteen minutes,” Rhys said to the room, and I saw quite a few place their napkins down and begin to stand.
Rhys whispered something to Hannah that made her nod before he pecked her on the lips and left the room with the others. I was confused when Stella stood with them and I looked at Hannah for an explanation.
She leaned over and whispered, “They’re trying to reconstruct the timeline of the Syndicate to see what they’re missing, and with Stella’s . . . involvement, they wanted to get her input. I told them I’d join them in a few to see if I can add anything.”
Fuck!
I knew I had some if not most of the information they wanted, but how could I tell them without implicating myself in that monster’s vile plans? Hannah looked at me and asked, “Are you okay?”
I nodded and said, “I’m not feeling great. I’ll clean up in a little bit.”
“We’ll clean up,” Elise offered as she, Amaya, and Aubrey stood from their seats halfway down the table. “You did all the cooking, so it’s the least we can do.”
“Thank you,” I replied and stood from my seat, needing to get out of this room for a moment to think.
