Page 64 of Black Mark's Heart

Chapter Twelve

"Hello?" I answered the phone.

"We spent nearly twelve months planning this wonderful joint first birthday party, and you don't even show up," Cassandra whined. "Where are you?"

"Cass, what are you doing with my phone number?" I exhaled as I collapsed onto the lounge.

I'd changed my mobile and only given the new number to Jasper and Jeremy, and only because I still worked with him. I wasn't recording as much anymore, but I was being booked for performances here in Scotland, Ireland, France, and Denmark. Jacob and I had become real jetsetters over the last month, but managed to settle into living at my new house in Archer Field, North Berwick.

"My husband is your agent. How the hell do you think I got it? And what's with that? You just up and disappear without telling anyone?" Cassandra continued.

"Does Jeremy know you have my number, Cass?" I asked.

"No!" Cassandra answered unhappily. "He's in the shower, and it's the first time I managed to get his mobile unattended," Cassandra pouted through the phone. "What happened, Mora?"

I sighed, "I know the brotherhood tried to drag Jeremy over the coals about our close friendship."

"How?" Cassandra yelled, then quickly lowered her voice. "I told Jeremy not to tell you."

"Darius told me while subtly calling me a slut," I answered. "I'd had enough, Cass. I started to feel like every time I found some happiness in my life, the brotherhood would try and squash it. I just didn't want anything to do with any of it - and by it, I mean them - anymore."

"Why did I get cut out?" Cassandra mourned.

"The only reason Jeremy has my number is because I still need to work," I reminded her. "I was going to leave Green's Recording too, but Jeremy promised not to give my number to anyone or tell anyone I was working for him, if I stayed on book."

"I miss you," Cassandra sighed. "You missed a beautiful party. What did you do for Jacob?"

"We had a little party here with some friends." Also known as Jasper, his girlfriend, Rebecca, her husband, and their kids. Rebecca's youngest boy was a few weeks younger than Jacob, and they played well together. I took a breath. "How is everyone?"

"Well," Cassandra cleared her throat. "Only Marshall and Darius came to the party. Both are still very somber about your disappearance, and they pretty much stood shoulder to shoulder the entire day, probably wondering where Jacob is and what he was doing."

I cringed, feeling guilt twist in my stomach. "I'm sorry, Cass. I should have left straight after the wedding. Jeremy convinced me to stay in England when I should have listened to my gut." My gut had told me to move to Scotland then, but I'd let Jeremy talk me around. "I couldn't let the brotherhood keep ruining my life, or holding me over Darius. I needed to make a clean break." This time I didn't give anyone the chance.

Cassandra took a breath. "Mora, did something happen other than Jeremy getting a rap across the knuckles?"

I cringed. "It doesn't matter now. I needed to leave, and I did. I'm happy here where they can't touch me." I shivered, still remembering my encounter with Brooks.

"What's the new place like?" Cassandra asked after a moment, relenting and not pushing the subject.

"Big." I sold my place in Clerkenwell and still had some left over after buying the new house. "It's a five-bedroom house with a detached staff quarters that is probably nice enough for a guest house. It's on an acre of land, so plenty of room for Jacob to run and play, and there's a heated pool out the back, so I've been teaching Jacob to swim."

"You sound happy," Cassandra said.

I took a breath. "For the most part, I am."

"Who you talking to, Cass?" Jeremy asked in the background. "Is that my phone?"

"Gotta go," Cassandra squeaked and hung up.

I looked up. Rebecca stood there looking at me. "You okay?" she asked gently. I'd cried on her shoulder about Brooks’s attempt to blackmail me. She was going to tell Darius where I was and what happened until I told her Brooks threatened to ruin him. We both worried if Darius confronted Brooks, he would reveal our secret and condemn himself.

"Should we try and get the kids into bed?" Rebecca inquired when I failed to answer.

I forced a smile, standing up. "How many red frogs did they eat?"

"Too many!" Rebecca laughed. "Tim is trying to herd them into bed, but I think they defeated him."

I smiled. While Henry, their near one year old, was staying in the guest bedroom on the ground floor with them, Nigel and Sienna, their older kids, were staying on the second floor, effectively unsupervised. The master bedroom was on the first floor, along with two other spacious bedrooms, which I'd set up for Jacob and number two.

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