Page 51 of Intrigued
“Well, he’s a bad guy, corrupt and power seeking. He’s the kind of person that would kill anyone to be on top.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits as her nostrils flared. The look on her face showed pure anger. I’d never seen Bryn look that way.
“Do you have a picture of this guy Arthur?”
I hesitated but called up an article that was written about him, the one regarding tax fraud. The man was in his early seventies, balding, and was such an angry, bitter person that his entire face drooped. I showed Bryn the picture and watched her closely as she studied it.
“Humph,” she said passively. “I’ve never seen him in my life.”
I didn’t believe her.
She calmly rose to her feet. “Now, what about the secret hallways?”
Once again, my instincts blared. Something told me she already knew about the hallways. Perhaps they all did. The shadowy passages made perfect sense. The Christmases were dark. Behind their façade of the purest blue blood lived secrets so muddy and dismaying to those who regarded them above God. I wasn’t sure if Bryn wanted to destroy their image, regardless of how she always wrestled against it.
“Sure.” I pasted on a smile as I realized something. I could’ve left. I should’ve left. But I decided to stay. Not for Bryn, though. I was staying for Jasper and not because I wanted to make mad, passionate love to him. Bryn was hiding something, and I was afraid Jasper was in danger because of it. “Let’s go.”
* * *
I showedher the hallways through the cabinet. She feigned surprise in all the right places. I pretended to buy her act. I figured Dale Rumor might have traveled through the tunnels whenever he came to see her. I also suspected the passages ran deeper and farther than I could ever imagine. I watched Bryn’s eyes closely and studied her body language. At one point, I slyly allowed her to direct me. There was one thing I’d learned about infinitely slick people. They weren’t as smart as they thought they were.
“You never told me what you’ve discovered so far,” Bryn said as we reentered my guest room.
“Well, one of my sources revealed your mother’s real age.”
Bryn stopped in her tracks. “Which source?”
I shook my head. “I always protect my sources. You know that. However, I’ll provide you concrete evidence if you’re still interested.”
“I’m interested.”
I nodded, appreciating how eager she sounded. “Your mother was forty-two when she died.”
Bryn’s eyes grew wide with surprise.
“How old did you think she was?”
“Older than that,” she said.
“So you really never knew your mother’s age?”
She shook her head just as there was a knock on the doorjamb, and Jasper filled the frame.
The sight of him made my heart rate accelerate. Damn it, I was falling for him.
“Bryn, we need you downstairs.”
“For what?” she snapped.
“Your fucking father just died. Get the hell downstairs and pay your respects.”
She bared her teeth but left anyway. “You’re a jerk,” she hissed as she swept past him.
Jasper stood in the doorway, glaring at me. I could tell he was chastising me with his eyes.Did he know I was just in the hallways with Bryn?I wanted to ask, but at the moment, I couldn’t speak.
Suddenly, he closed the door behind him.Say something, Holly.But before I could, our lips were connected, and his greedy tongue was deep in my mouth. He was kissing me as if his life depended on it.
“How about we get the hell out of here tonight?” he asked between kisses.
