Page 131 of Brutal Truths

There’s a click before it releases, and I grin like a crazy woman. A rush of pride settles in, the kind that comes from getting it right.

It disappears the moment I look inside.

A ledger and a set of keys.

One key is instantly familiar. A spare to the gallery. I’ll be heading there next. I need to figure out if what my grandmother told us about the walls is true or something her mind created to fill in the gaps.

With the ledger tucked under my arm, I climb out from under the desk and leave the office. The walk down the familiar hallway feels longer this time. The weight of what I might find pressing in with even step.

At the door, I insert the key into the lock and pause, taking a deep breath before turning it.

“Here goes nothing,” I whisper as I step inside, my gaze lifting to the bare walls.

Chapter 40

Aiden

When I wake up and reach for Isabel, she’s not there. The cold side of the bed tells me she’s been gone long enough to matter. I’m moving before anything else sets in.

“Isabel.”

Nothing.

Control first. Panic later, if warranted. The building is locked down tight. Darius confirmed it himself. Security posted, perimeter tight, no risk of a breach. The ladies assigned to us while King Antonio and his wife are in London are supposed to be elite.

They had better live up to that. Because if they don’t, I’ll deal with it personally.

The bathroom is clear. I backup into the bedroom, head for the door and throw it open, stepping into the main area of the penthouse. I keep moving. My need to confirm she’s safe drives me. After everything that’s happened, I’m not trusting assumptions.

Rounding the corner to the living room, my feet stop when I see the two female guards on the sofa, coffee in hand like nothing’s amiss.

They glance up, then drop their gaze just as fast.

“Where’s Isabel?” I ask, hoping they know.

The one closest to me points without meeting my eyes. “She’s in the gallery.”

I start that way when the one next to her says, “Should we tell him, Hillary?”

“Tell me what?” I frown at them. “And the answer is always yes.”

Hillary’s smirk says it all. “Clothes.”

Looking down, I let out a low groan, covering my dick with my hands. “Sorry. Forgot. Didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

“It happens.” A playful grin spreads across Amanda’s face as she tips her head back. “We’re used to it. Trust me, we didn’t intentionally look.”

I turn my back to them, and I hear them snicker.

Hillary mutters under her breath, low enough she probably thinks it won’t carry.

It does.

“Damn. Our little princess knows how to pick them. Wow, just… wow.”

Not embarrassed in the slightest, and fully aware of what she’s referring to, I reply over my shoulder. “I thought you didn’t look?”

Amanda laughs hard, not trying to hide it. “Sometimes it’s impossible not to notice. Now we get why she fell so hard and fast. Impressive.”