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“Have you ever considered it’s a way of exorcising the demons locked deep inside, Styx? You were off saving lives before being hired to kill dozens of people. Creed thought himself to be the mafia king of the world. God know how many other bodies he added to the hunting grounds. I simply tried to live like a normal guy teaching classes. Well, get this. We’re not normal by a long shot. We never will be. You can hide behind all the celebrations and birthdays you want but the bottom line is that our past is embedded in our memory banks. While it’s affected each one of us entirely differently, we are younger versions of our father.”
A flash of anger rolled into his system. “Yes, I have. More than once. I know what I am and how I tried to cope with the devil inside. I finally found balance for one single reason. A woman. My wife knows all the ugly details because I kidnapped her. Remember? I took her life away for the sole purpose of attempting to soothe the beast living inside me, the same one that’s living inside of you. I was lucky that she saw past the monster, preferring to seek out the good in me. And yes, there is good, just like there is in you. More so in you because you’re like our mother. Tell me why you hired an intern. Be honest with me.”
He could make me more exasperated than almost anyone. But he was also the one who correctly called me on the carpet. “Yeah, okay. Maybe you’re right in that I’m finally realizing I need to add some light into my life, that I hunger for a hint of salvation. Maybe I’m trying to see if lightning will strike twice.”
“By hiring a kid?”
“She’s not a kid, Styx. I assure you she’s an incredible, magical, and very talented woman who could make any man hunger.”
As if on cue, she suddenly appeared in the open doorway to my office, catching my eye and my hunger. She’d changed into shorts and a tee shirt, now barefoot wearing her signature ponytail I’d seen her wear in class. Only instead of the clothing being baggy, it was form fitting enough to highlight her voluptuous curves.
Even my happily married brother sucked in his breath.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, giving my brother a respectful nod. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“That’s okay, Sara. This is my brother, Styx. This is my new assistant, Sara Adams. She’s quite a talented author herself. I think you’ll be seeing her books lining the shelves of Barnes & Noble one day.”
She beamed from my nod of approval, walking with long strides highlighting her shapely legs toward Styx, her hand outstretched.
He was able to throw me a quick look before accepting her gesture. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said. “Just be careful with my brother. He’s a little cranky from time to time.”
When she laughed heartedly, it was as if the entire world had just been lit on fire, the sound was so melodic. “I learned that months ago by sitting inside his class. I’m hoping to get a different perspective now, like he’s a starving artist in need of direction, which is what I intend on providing with my powerful research.”
She was egging it on, and he was loving it.
“I have a feeling, brother,” he said without bothering to look in my direction, “that you’ve met your match. She’s very formidable, which is exactly what you need in your life.”
I could feel the scowl on my face and did what I could to ignore the man. “Older brothers are a pain in the ass.”
“That much I know to be true,” she said, winking for both of us to see. She must have sent her story to my email, which I couldn’t wait to read.
“Was there something you needed, something wrong with your accommodations?”
“Not at all. Milly was kind enough to provide me with more than I need. I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I had a glass of wine.”
“Of course. You have full run of the kitchen. Open any bottle you’d like.”
“Be careful saying that. I do have expensive tastes.”
Her change in demeanor was delightful and I burst into laughter. My soul already felt lighter. That is if I actually had one. “No worries. I can afford to fulfill your greatest desires.”
The slight blush was far too adorable, reminding me she was still very young.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I think the two of us were holding our breath for a full thirty seconds after she walked out of the room. When he turned toward me, he crowded my space as if fearful someone would hear us.
“I meant what I said. I think you’ve met your match with her, which is a good thing. She can certainly hold her own around you. However, allow me to be perfectly frank with a piece of brotherly advice.”
“Could I even stop you?” I asked with amusement in my tone.
“Be careful. You’re going into the same dangerous territory I did so without a net. She doesn’t know about your extracurricular activities.”
“Of course not.”
“She will learn about them eventually, especially since she’s living here. You can’t ignore the darkness any more than I could but for so long. Plus, you’re just as possessive. You’re going to keep her, even if that means against her will. And don’t try to tell me otherwise because I can already see it in your eyes. The intense longing. The kind of burning desire that will eat at you until you can’t sleep or eat. Just be prepared for the full ramifications and for losing a part of you that you’ve been attempting to hold onto for a long time.”
“And what is that, pray tell, brother?”
