Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 7) (5 page)

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to
thank me. I love you, Darcy. We all do. The Foundation and Society
have always come first, but that doesn’t mean we won’t protect
all of you.”

Honestly, that’s what
I’m most afraid of—not the protecting, but the Society coming
first. I know it has to because they can’t risk everything we do
for just one person, but that doesn’t bode well for me.

I haven’t seen the
man she’s talking about in person for years, but if I called him,
he’d meet me. If it comes to that, I’m going to lose the family
I’ve built for myself. Hell, even if I don’t, they’ll find out.
Brayden won’t keep quiet forever, and the man who set this all in
motion would give me up in a second. The smart thing would be for me
to run now, but I won’t. I’m scared, but I’m not a coward, and
it’s time I paid for my past no matter the cost.

Darcy

It’s almost three
hours later when Reina finally arrives at the hotel. She called me
when she was still at Brayden’s house to make sure I was willing to
go back if all of their precautions for me were agreed to. I could
tell she really meant it, and maybe that means a change for the
Society. Reina will still put the whole first, but she won’t risk
any of us for it. I think she’ll work a way around anything that
comes up. Not to discount the women who came before us, but I can’t
imagine the Society had anyone smarter than Isa, Ainsley, and Audrey
ever working for them at once. The rest of us aren’t too shabby,
either. If anyone can keep me safe, it’s them.

“Darce, are you
really okay to go back?” she asks as soon as the door is closed.

“If you can keep me
from being tortured by my fiancé, then yes.”

“That little bastard
isn’t laying a hand on you,” Matt says, practically growling.

“Well, unless she
wants him to. He
is
pretty handsome.”

“I’m right here,
Rei. Remember me, your husband?”

“How could I forget,”
she says with a smile. It doesn’t reach her eyes, though, and I
know that she has her own shit to deal with. She shouldn’t have to
deal with mine.

“We should get down
to business. I’m sure Matt can entertain himself somewhere,”
Helen says.

“Matt’s not going
anywhere,” Reina tells her.

“This is Society
business, not Corrigan.”

“Matt—along with
Nate, Aiden, and Jake—have helped us all in immeasurable ways. They
are part of the Society, whether it’s official or not.”

“We didn’t agree to
that. There’s been no vote.”

“I’m in charge now,
Mallory, and while I welcome input from everyone, this is ultimately
my decision.”

They stare each other
down, and I’m honestly a little scared. After neither one of them
looks away for over a minute, Matt speaks up. “I’m going to go.”

“You don’t have
to,” Reina assures him.

“Thank you,” he
tells her, cupping her face tenderly. He leans in for a soft kiss
before pulling back to smile at her. “Just fill me in later. I need
to call Nate and let him know Darcy’s okay anyway. He already wants
to get on a plane over here.”

“We may need him
later.”

“He wouldn’t have
it any other way.”

“Thank you for
coming, Matt,” I say, letting him hug me tight enough to almost
crush my lungs. “Please tell Nate I’m good. He needs to stay with
Jade—or she might marry that pony instead of him one day.”

“It
is
a possibility. But just remember, DC, we’ll always be here for you.
Always.”

I laugh as he walks
away. The guys started calling me DC because I love superheroes so
much. They thought it fit since I can climb like a cat, and I was
once a cat burglar. It stands for Darcy Cat, which makes me think of
the man who makes my pulse race when he calls me Cat. He’s the one
I need to concentrate on right now, and not just because I’m
attracted to him. I turn back to Reina.

“What’s the plan,
Rei?”

“I spoke to the queen
alone, and advised her that the only way you’re going to Cyndryann
is if we have access to all of their security feeds and are allowed
to place additional personnel on site.”

“If they know who we
place, won’t they be able to immobilize them if Brayden doesn’t
back off.”

She smirks at me.
“That’s why we’ll be sending a few other people later if we
have to.”

“They won’t stand
out? I mean, the country is smaller than Manhattan.”

“Oh they’ll stand
out alright, but the locals will love it. Trust me.”

“I always do.”

“Can you tell me what
he wants from you?”

“No. I really can’t.”

Reina nods. “I
understand. I do. It’s just making things more difficult for me and
the team.”

“If it’s any
consolation, she won’t tell me, either,” Mallory says.

“I don’t think it’s
a matter of ‘won’t. She’d tell us if she could.”

“Thank you for saying
that.”

“We’ve been
together through all of this for several years now. We’re not best
friends, but I think I know you quite well. I also believe that I’m
a good judge of character. You wouldn’t ever jeopardize us, so
you’re owed the right to your secrets.”

“I would never
knowingly do anything to put anyone from the Society in extra
danger.”

“I believe you. You
also need to know that what Matt said, goes for me and everyone else.
That cocky little bastard may be a prince, but if he touches you in a
way you don’t want, or has someone else do it, he’s a dead man.
Make no mistake about that.”

I know she means it,
and I also know I don’t deserve it. I won’t turn down the backup,
though. “I guess I have to go back tonight, huh?”

“You do have to go
back, but I want to make them sweat a little. I’m thinking you
should meet Brayden alone first to feel him out. He’s promised to
behave, and he was very convincing. I’d like to see how you feel
with him, though. If you think anything is off, we’re going to draw
out the separation a little longer.”

“I appreciate that.
There’s an Italian restaurant in the mall that looked good. It’s
called Quindici.”

“Perfect. I’ll have
him meet you there at 7.”

“I should probably
change. I got a couple of other things at the mall.”

“No, Darce. You need
to go as you are. Don’t put out any extra effort for that ass.”

I bite my lip before
replying. “I kind of liked him before he threatened me. We already
kissed and made out a little.”

“If he wants you, it
shouldn’t matter what you’re wearing. I’m with Reina. Be you,”
Mallory tells me before giving me a hug and leaving.

Reina and I go over a
few more details, and I have to smile when she tells me who’s going
undercover. Especially the second team that Brayden and his mom don’t
know about. I definitely feel safer now than I did last night. I just
don’t know if it will be enough to keep me alive—or who will want
the first shot. The man who orchestrated this all, Brayden, or the
Society. I also don’t know which would be worse.

* * *

Brayden

My palms are sweating
as I wait for Darcy in this festive Italian place. My palms never
sweat. Just another thing to add in the “only Darcy can make me
feel this way” list I’ve started in my head. I have a feeling
that it’s going to be pretty fucking long by the time we part ways.

I have no delusions
that we’ll be together forever, but I need to exercise more finesse
from now on. The car ride yesterday proved that I want more than
information from my beautiful fiancée, which Noah has continued to
remind me is a very bad idea. But the cock wants what it wants, and
mine wants Darcy.

I look up, and it’s
as if my thoughts conjured her. Only it’s much better. She’s
dressed the way I think she must look when my mother isn’t
insisting on “future princess” outfits. The black leather pants
look like they’re painted on her, but the baggy superhero t-shirt
takes down the sex appeal. Or at least I think that’s what she was
going for. It’s not working on me. I think she looks hotter than
I’ve ever seen her.

I stand, straightening
my jacket. I should’ve known she’d go casual, but I let my vanity
get the best of me. A full designer suit with a skinny tie are what I
chose for our date in a mall. No one ever said I was a rocket
scientist, and they probably never will.

“You never let down
your guard with me,” Darcy tells me when she gets to the table.

“You’ve got your
armor on, too.”

“Touché.”

“You look beautiful.”

“Just sit down, and
turn off the charm would ya. I’ve told you before that it won’t
work on me.”

“I wasn’t saying
that to be charming. I mean it, Cat. I like you in fancy clothes, but
you shine in what you’re wearing right now,” I tell her honestly.

“Thank you. I’m
much more comfortable dressing down.”

“You can wear them
when we’re at the house—and the castle—if you want.”

She shakes her head.
“Your mother said I need to look the part for the staff.”

“Make it part of your
conditions for coming back.”

“Good idea,” she
says with a smile.

“I have one every ten
years or so.”

“You have to dress
down then, too.”

I raise an eyebrow.
“You want me in leather pants?”

“Is that what you
wear when you want to be comfortable?”

“No. I’m actually
most comfortable in a suit.”

“I’ve seen you in
jeans.”

“Been looking at
pictures of me, have you?”

“Obviously I had to
investigate you before I started this mission.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I did,” she says,
tossing her napkin at me.

“I’ll wear jeans
for you. What else do I need to do?”

She looks down, but I
see the vulnerability in her eyes before she does. I hate that I put
it there, even while I know it was necessary.
Is
necessary. I can’t let her sway me, and I won’t let whatever
security Reina Corrigan is putting in our castle stop me. I’m not
going to threaten her again, but I need the info she has, and I’m
going to get it.

“You threatened me,
Brayden.”

“Yes.”

“I need to know that
you won’t throw me in your dungeon once we get to your palace.”

“I won’t. Besides,
won’t you have people there to protect you?”

She ignores my
question, and continues on. “My life isn’t a joke to me.”

“I never said I’d
take your life.”

“Let me rephrase,
then. My
body
isn’t
a joke.”

No. It’s not. “I’m
well aware of that.”

“You’re an idiot,”
she says, getting up to go before we’ve even ordered drinks. “I’m
leaving. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before I can even think
about what I’m doing, I practically jump out of my seat. I pull a
startled Darcy into my arms, and kiss her softly. “I
am
an idiot, but I’ll try to be less of one when I’m around you.
Please stay and have dinner, a real date, with me.”

“You can’t just
keep kissing me whenever you want.”

“I can’t?” I ask
with a smile.

“Not unless I can do
it back,” she says, leaning forward to take my lips.

This kiss isn’t soft,
but it’s not like our time in the car, either. We’re both aware
that we’re in a public restaurant so we keep it G-rated. I pull
away after a couple of minutes, and hold her face in my hands.

“You can do that
anytime you want. Any fucking time.”

“I shouldn’t like
kissing you so much, but I do. I probably shouldn’t admit it,
either, but if we’re going to pretend to be engaged, I want to
enjoy myself.”

“Speaking of our
engagement,” I tell her as I drop my hands, “you need this.”

I pull the ring out of
my pocket and reach for her hand. She hesitates, but then lets me
take it. I slide the ring back on her finger, and then kiss her hand.
The restaurant erupts in cheers. It takes a moment for me to register
it, and then I can’t help but smile. They think I just asked her to
marry me. I look at Darcy, and she shrugs.

“We should just go
with it.”

I nod, before
addressing our audience. “Thanks everyone.”

I give her one more
hard kiss, and then we sit down. The meal is great, but the company
is even better. We laugh and tease each other while sharing our
pasta. This is without a doubt the best date I’ve ever had. I don’t
want it to end, but I know it has to. I walk her to her little hotel,
and kiss her outside.

“Thanks for dinner,
Brayden.”

“It was my pleasure,
Cat.”

“I can’t invite you
up tonight.”

“But you want to?”

“I don’t know. I
can’t just forget what you did.”

“I really am sorry
for scaring you. And hurting you.”

“But you’re not
going to stop, are you? Even though you promised Reina, and you act
like you like me.”

“I do like you, but I
need that information.”

“Goodnight.”

“Darcy.”

“I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

I want to say more, or
pull her back into my arms, but I can’t. I have to watch her walk
away from me, knowing that she’s someone I would want to really be
engaged to and marry. If circumstances were different, I would move
heaven and earth to make that happen. Unfortunately, I have to save
all of my energy for pulling that secret from her while trying not to
destroy her. I can’t promise that, though. Not at all.

Darcy

I’m back in one of my
“costumes” as I head to the airport to meet Brayden. Well,
Brayden and the thirty other people we’re traveling to Cyndryann
with. I’m thankful again that this isn’t a real engagement,
because I seriously couldn’t handle all these people around me for
the rest of my life. I love the other Society girls—and of course
my boys Nate, Aiden, and Matt—but that’s about all I can handle.
I grew up in a close-knit family, but I was a lone wolf for the three
years before I joined the Society, and old habits die hard.