Page 76 of Black Mark's Heart

Chapter Fifteen

Darius held my hand with a grip that suggested he thought he might lose me. Marshall walked in front of us as we entered the elevator of one of the most prestigious buildings in town. Darius turned me and wrapped his arm around my waist, reminding me how soft my belly now felt.

"I still don't agree with you being here, Mora," Marshall grumbled. "You've only just had a baby, you should be home resting."

"I want to make sure they have the story straight, Dad," I argued for the umpteenth time in the last twenty-four hours. "You have both sacrificed enough. I've sacrificed enough."

The day after Boxing Day, a week ago exactly, Marshall and Darius had both been called to attend a special Fehu meeting. They'd made the mistake of discussing it in front of me, and I'd insisted I'd come. As a bonus, we spent New Year’s Eve in London with our friends. The kids were currently sleeping at Darius's London apartment, under Steffen and Bill's watchful eyes.

Darius tightened his grip on my hand. "They will take my interview as the truth, even though they know otherwise. They will use it to take what they want."

"Which is?" I asked.

I winced when Darius suddenly tightened his grip.

"Money, power, whatever it is, we will deal with it when it's finally spoken," Marshall growled. Darius nodded.

"Finally spoken?" I asked.

"They will suggest otherwise, dance around what they are after, hint at something they know we won't part with, so that when they finally do take what they seek, it doesn't seem that great a loss," Darius educated me. "It's how they work."

"It's not how I work," I muttered. It made Darius and my father smirk.

The elevator doors opened and two men in butlers’ attire greeted us.

"Masters Blake and Rafal, you are the last to arrive, please follow us," the shortest of the men announced and turned to lead the way, but not before he gave me a disdainful look. I rolled my eyes at him, which, to my pleasure, seemed to shock him and ruffle his feathers.

Darius put his mouth to my ear as we walked. "They've told us the wrong time and have already met and deliberated. We will be walking into an execution."

"Yes, but it won't be ours," I mumbled back. Darius looked at me, surprised. I gave him my apologetic eyes. "I might have prepared for this after they kept interfering in our lives and set something up to protect myself and my interests."

Darius looked at me, worry clear in his hazel eyes. "Mora, what have you done?"

I turned my head and kissed his lips. "Shh," I whispered as we entered the boardroom.

Members of the Fehu sat around the large cherry wood table, polished to within an inch of its life, so that the sour faces of all the seated members reflected back at you even if you tried to avoid looking at them.

"Master Blake and Master Rafal, how good of you to join us," the man at the far end of the table greeted, his eyes flicking to me. "Mrs. Rafal, we weren't expecting you."

"Well, I think you men have spoken enough about me behind my back. Since you seem so determined to interfere in my life, I thought I should be present."

He adjusted his tie, as if my presence made him uncomfortable. "Really, Mrs. Rafal, you needn't have inconvenienced yourself, you have a young baby at home."

"She's nearby, and after you kept my husband and I apart for nearly two years with your archaic bullshit, I really don't think another few hours will make a difference. Inconvenience away," I dismissed his concern, taking an empty seat at this end of the table.

Jeremy, who sat next to the empty chair at the other end of the table, smothered a laugh.

"Should I sit by my daughter, or take my chair?" Marshall asked.

"Sit by your daughter so you can keep her quiet," Dr. Lennon Brook, my least favorite of all the Fehu members, grumbled.

"Please, Lennon, you told me you like to hear me scream," I purred.

Everyone around the table froze, their mouths falling open. Darius's hand gripped mine hard enough to hurt.

I looked at everyone, surprised. "Oh, you didn't tell your brothers about our little encounter?"

"Shut up!" Brooks growled menacingly.

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