Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 7) (3 page)

I’m so lost in my
pity party, that I don’t notice he’s stopped and is looking at
me. “Where did you go, Darcy?”

“I was just realizing
that I’m not special, and that
this
is just normal for you.” I paste a smile on my face. “It’s
okay. I just need to get my head in the right frame of mind.”

I lean back towards
him, but he pulls back, looking pissed and more than a little hurt. I
move closer, and he practically jumps to the other side of the car.
“Fix your hair. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Can you zip me up?”

“No. You did it
yourself in your room, you can do it now.”

“What just happened?
Why are you so angry?”

“You’re kidding
right? You just said that you think you’re interchangeable with the
other women I’ve slept with.”

“Aren’t I?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. I already
told you I’ve been thinking of you for ten years. I’ve never
thought of another woman for more than a few weeks.”

“Did I live up to
expectations?”

“Before you insulted
me? Fuck, yeah. You’re better than anything I could dream about. I
could write a sonnet about your mouth.”

“Really?” I ask,
brow raised.

“No,” he says with
a laugh. “I suck at poetry.”

“I’m sorry,
Brayden. I didn’t expect to be attracted to you, but I am. And then
I just got weird, and stupid, while you were doing nothing but
wonderful things to me.”

“Good thing I happen
to like weird and stupid,” he says, picking up my hand to kiss my
knuckles. “Just for the record, though. You
are
special. I’ve been with a bunch of girls and women, I can’t deny
that. But I never treated anyone badly, and they were all special to
me when I was with them.” I try to pull my hand away, but he’s
not done. “That doesn’t make you any less special, so stop trying
to get away from me. If I’m honest, you may be the most special of
all.”

“Do you mean that or
are you just saying it to get me to confess?”

“Maybe both. I don’t
know.”

The problem is that
neither do I. I need to stay on my toes because I can’t tell him
about those jewels. I’m bound to an oath I made, and I won’t
break my word. I can’t. Even though he makes me want to.

Brayden

It sucks that Darcy
thinks she’s just another notch for me. She should be, but she’s
not. Even though we’ve only officially met, I know that she has the
power to bring me to my knees, and make me want to forget that my end
goal is to bring
her
down. The teenage girl rappelling down our castle intrigued me, the
woman who has charmed the media—and my mother—for the past two
months challenges me, and the vixen who sucked my tongue like her
life depended on it inspires me. They’re all rolled into one, and I
don’t know any man who could resist that combination.

I help her out of the
car when we arrive at the restaurant, and we smile and share small
kisses for the paparazzi. That right there is different. In the past,
I’ve stuck my tongue down a woman’s throat and groped her,
knowing we’d end up in the news the next day. Never mind that I
want Darcy to know things are different with her, I
need
the press to see it. For my mother, and my country. They’re all
counting on me, and I won’t let them down. Not when I’m finally
closing in on my promise.

I sit across from Darcy
in the booth we’re shown to, instead of snuggling up next to her
like I want to. Again, this is not my normal M.O. I’ve been to this
restaurant many times, with many women, and never sat across from a
single one. Until tonight, with the most important woman. The one who
literally holds the keys to my kingdom, and more.

“Why did the maître
d’ look at me like that when you sat down?”

“I don’t know,” I
lie.

“Brayden.”

“Fine. I’ve brought
many women here before, but never once have I sat across from one.”

“Where do you usually
sit? Next to her?”

“Yes. Or more
accurately, half on top of her as I stick my tongue down her throat.”

“Oh.”

“No. It’s not like
that, Cat. You know I want you.”

“Then what
is
it like?”

I pick up her hand and
hold it in mine, running my thumb over her wrist. “I want
everyone—including you—to realize that you’re different then
all the rest.”

“Even after I
insulted you?”

“Especially because
you insulted me. You weren’t wrong, and I’ve already told you
that. I’d like the chance to show you that I can be more than what
I’ve been.”

“I’m willing to
give you that chance; although, you know that this will never go
anywhere, right? I mean, this is just a job to me. I won’t fall
madly in love with you. Once you’ve been seen as monogamous and
settled, I’m going back to my friends and my video games.”

Ouch. I have to admit
to myself that her words hurt. I won’t admit that to her, though.
Especially if she means what she says. Which I don’t think she
does.

“Our kisses weren’t
just a job. You want me just as much as I want you.”

She starts to open her
mouth, but the waitress is suddenly at our table. Unfortunately, she
just happens to be one of my old
acquaintances
,
too. Just what I don’t need right now.

“Hi, Brayden.”

“Hello.”

“You haven’t
called.”

“I said I wouldn’t.”

“But it was fun. I
know you enjoyed it.”

“I think we’re
ready to order,” Darcy says, barely hiding her smile at my
discomfort.

The waitress, whose
name totally escapes me, glares over at her while speaking to me.
“What are you having, Brayden baby?”

“Darcy should order
first.”

“You’re letting her
order for herself?”

“Yes.”

I know it’s a shock.
I always order for the women I take out. Unless I’m mistaken, Darcy
will know that, and this will be just another way that I can show her
she’s different.

"I’ll have the
sole with the risotto along with a beer. Whatever you have on tap is
fine.”

“Beer?” the girl
asks with a sneer on her face.

“Do you have a
problem with my order? Because if you do, I’m sure your manager
would like to know.”

“Bitch,” she
mumbles, and I’ve had enough.

I wave the manager
over. “We need a new waitress since this one is intent on being
rude to my fiancée.”

“You’re not really
engaged.”

I lift up Darcy’s
hand and turn it towards her. “Yes, I really am.”

“I’ve lost my
appetite, Bray,” Darcy says, standing suddenly. “I’d like to
leave now.”

I nod, and stand as
well. The manager tries to get us to reconsider, but we walk past
him. I place my hand on Darcy’s lower back, and whisper in her ear.

“I’m so sorry.”

All I get is a nod. I
should’ve known this restaurant was going to be a train wreck, but
I thought the staff would be on their best behavior with all the
publicity about my engagement. I’m not that good of a fuck for
women to lose their minds over. Okay, well maybe I am, but there’s
no coat check for class, so where that waitress left hers, I don’t
know. Maybe she never had any, and being around Darcy makes me
realize I should’ve set my sights higher all along. Then again, I
did. It’s always been her, and a part of me is afraid that getting
to know her better will solidify that. A big part.

* * *

Darcy

It’s not completely
Brayden’s fault that the waitress acted crazy. I mean, I’m pretty
sure she was one of his random hookups, but he at least tried to act
professional. He still shouldn’t have taken me there. I’d never
take him to the bars I frequent in Vegas, because I have my own share
of hookups, and he should really give me the same courtesy. Not to
mention that I’m hungry.

“On a scale of one to
ten, how angry are you?”

“If I wasn’t so
hungry, it would be a one. But I am, which means I’m at about a
twenty.”

“So you’re not one
of those girls who would’ve picked at her food in front of me?”

“I ordered a beer.
That should’ve given you a clue.”

The smile on his face
reaches his eyes for the first time since we left the restaurant. “I
knew even before then. You’re never going to put on a show for me.”

“Not when it comes to
food.”

He pushes the intercom
in the car, and instructs the driver to pull over at the next open
café. When he does, I jump out of the car like it’s on fire. I get
a few looks in my fancy dress, but the nearest waiter smiles at me as
I take a seat. I’ve already told him it’s going to be a take away
order when Brayden finally saunters through the door with another
smile on his face.

“Is it safe? I mean,
I didn’t want to get between you and your food.”

I laugh at his teasing.
“Shut up and look at the menu.”

“You’re not
ordering for me?”

“Could I?”

“Yes.”

“What if I order
something you hate?”

“I’ll eat it with a
smile on my face.”

It hits me then. He’s
a prince. I knew that, but I forgot what exactly that entails. He’s
probably had to endure many meals that he hated with a smile on his
face. I hand him both menus.

“Order for
me
,
please.”

“What? No. I want you
to have something you like. I know you’re really hungry.”

“I think you’ll do
just fine.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

When the waiter comes
back, the smile is gone from his face. He’s polite, but it’s
obvious that he was hoping my dinner companion was going to be
another woman. Brayden orders in French, earning him a little
respect, but nothing more. At least from the waiter. I lean over and
kiss him lightly after I hear him order me salmon with potatoes. I
knew he could do it.

“I did good?”

“You did.”

“Think he’ll spit
on my steak frites?”

“Probably.”

“I can’t fault him
for hoping he’d get a chance with you.”

“I am pretty
awesome.”

“You really are,
Cat,” he says, looking really serious all of a sudden.

“But you’ll still
try and destroy me if you don’t get what you want.”

“Yes. I
will
destroy you.”

“You’re welcome to
try, but I’ll warn you now that I won’t go down without a fight.”

“I have an army
behind me.”

“So do I.”

He snorts, but he
really shouldn’t. We may be smaller in number, but the women—and
men—who have my back should never be discounted. The fact that we
so often are is how we have such a high success rate on our missions.
We’re underestimated, and while modern society has embraced strong
women, I think there’s still a ways to go in thinking of us as
equally dangerous. And yet we are. Brayden’s going to find that out
if he keeps pushing me, and I will honestly be sorry to have to harm
him. But I will.

“You’re cute when
you’re acting tough.”

“It’s not an act,
Brayden. You can consider this your only warning. I am
not
going to say or do anything that I don’t want to. No matter what
you do to me.”

“I can be very
persuasive. And if that fails, I have people who can be equally
persuasive—just in a less enjoyable way.”

“You’ll never break
me, Brayden. You and your ‘people’ can try, but it’s just
simply not gonna happen.”

“I need those
jewels.”

“I don’t have
them.” Not technically a lie—they’re not currently in my
possession.

“But you know who
does.”

“No. I don’t.”

“Even if that’s
true, you know how to get the information for me.”

“I’m sorry, but I
can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t.”

“I won’t let this
go.”

“Then you’ll need
to let me go, and find someone else to play pretend with you.”

“No.”

It’s my turn to
laugh. “You may be a prince, but that really doesn’t mean
anything to me. Or my employers. If I choose to walk away from you,
they’ll back me up.”

“Are you sure about
that?”

“Yes.”

“I guess we’ll find
out, won’t we? Or maybe I’ll just make it so they can’t find
you.”

I pull out my phone and
dial. Reina picks up on the second ring. “Hi, Darcy.”

“Hi.”

“I’m guessing that
you didn’t call me to just say that.”

“No. I may need to be
removed.”

“Is he there with
you?”

“Yes.”

“Did he threaten
you?”

“Yes.”

“Do not go back to
the house with him. There’s a small hotel we’ve used before. It’s
on a side street near a mall, and I don’t think he’d look for you
there. A taxi is about to pull up outside. Get in and go. Call when
you’re safe.”

“Thank you.”

“Always. You know
that.”

“I do.”

I hang up and look over
at Brayden before standing. If I was a different girl, and he wasn’t
a prince I’d stolen from, this could’ve been something great. But
it is what it is, and nothing or no one can change who we are. No
matter how much I wish that could happen. I step away from the table
as he stands.

“Goodbye, Brayden,”
I say, tossing my giant engagement ring in the air as I turn and run.

I hear him yell after
me, but he’ll catch that ring before he comes for me. If those
other jewels still mean so much to him after ten years, then his
great-great grandmother’s ring isn’t something he’ll let go
either. That’s why I tossed it instead of just setting it on the
table. I needed the time to get to the cab. I make it into the
backseat and we’re already moving when he gets to the curb. I look
back at him, watching him run his hands through his hair. He looks
angry—and a little lost. I’m lost too, and broken. I told him he
couldn’t break me, and I meant it. You can’t break something
that’s already in pieces. That happened to me years ago, and even
though the Society has put some of me back together, I’m still not
whole. I honestly don’t think I ever will be.