Page 82 of Dark Secrets

“Water’s fine.”

“Good.” She looped her arm through Delaney’s and turned them toward the hallway. “Come with me.”

Delaney shot James a look with wide eyes, and he nodded, flashing her a smile. Evie didn’t speak as she led Delaney down the hallway and past a dining room big enough for twenty. But when they stepped into the kitchen, Delaney couldn’t help but gasp.

Evie chuckled. “We get that reaction a lot.” She crossed to the fridge, and Delaney turned in a big circle, taking in the expanse of marble and gleaming stainless steel. “Still or sparkling?”

“Still, please.” Evie grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and pulled a glass down from the cupboard, filling it with ice. “Your home is beautiful.”

Evie smiled, her eyes going soft. “I can’t take credit for it. It’s been like this for as long as I can remember. But I do my best to carry on the legacy.” She held the glass out to Delaney and cocked her head, that appraising look back in her eye. “I read about what happened in the papers. I’ve heard a little more about it from James.”

“And?” Delaney held her breath for Evie’s reply.

“And I’m glad the son of a bitch is dead and you were the one who killed him. It’s nice to exorcise our own demons every once in a while.”

Delaney nodded. She’d tried to conjure up the guilt she was sure she should feel over killing her husband. But she couldn’t. All that ever floated to the surface was relief and a wonderful sense of freedom.

“The world is a better place without him in it. Though his mother disagrees.”

“Mothers usually do,” Evie said with a small smile. “Ready to head back into the fray?”

“As I think I’ll ever be.”

“We promise not to bite,” Evie said with a chuckle.

They stepped into the room, and conversation faltered again. Being the center of attention made her uneasy, but she was here tonight for James as much as herself, and she wouldn’t let him down. These people could trust her because she was trustworthy. All she had to do was show them.

“Delaney, I’d like you to meet the Callahan family,” Evie said, pointing around the room as she made introductions. “Brogan and his wife, Libby; Aidan and his wife, Viv; Cait, who was married to Finn; and my husband, Declan.”

Her pulse jumped when she met Declan’s steely blue stare, but she forced herself to smile. “It’s great to finally meet everyone. James has told me so much about you.”

Cait crossed the room to wrap Delaney in a warm hug. “Welcome. Don’t let the men get to you.” Cait cut a look at Evie. “They’re very broody.”

Pressing a hand to the small of her back, Evie led Delaney further into the room, and James moved to stand on her other side, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. She relaxed a fraction at his nearness.

“James was saying you went to law school.”

Delaney nodded at Brogan. “In Chicago. I didn’t finish, though. I still have a semester left.”

“Do you want to finish?” Libby asked.

She tilted her head and considered. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. Not in years, anyway.”

“What kind of law did you study?”

“Criminal defense.”

That sent up a murmur around the room and even earned a raised eyebrow from Declan. She hadn’t told James much about her time at law school. He hadn’t asked yet. They had so much to discover about each other still.

“Would be nice to have a lawyer in the family,” Evie said, moving to pick up her glass of wine off a nearby table and stand in front of her husband.

Declan draped a possessive arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “We’ve got Daniel Ryan.”

Evie shot Declan a look over her shoulder. “He’s seventy-two. We’ll have to replace him eventually.”

“Lawyers are good with secrets,” Delaney said, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with Declan.

Declan flicked a glance at James when he shifted closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yes,” Declan agreed. “They can be. Can this family trust you with its secrets, Delaney?”

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