“Um, yes.”
“It was an office romance then?” Maxim sent Jardin a look.
“Nothing happened until after she left,” Jardin said.
“Ran from you.”
“She didn’t run from me.” Jardin scowled at his brother.
“We were running from that asshole, Silvers,” Keir spoke up.
That shut Maxim up.
“Keir, don’t say asshole,” she whispered.
“That’s what he was, though,” Keir replied.
“Keir is quite right,” Regent said, wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin. She was glad she didn’t have to do the laundry. “He was an asshole and more. But you don’t have to worry about him any longer.”
“Thank you,” she told him sincerely. “For taking care of him.”
“He threatened our family,” Regent answered, taking a sip of red wine. “That will never be allowed.”
“We couldn’t find your father though,” Victor said.
That was the first time he’d spoken.
“Oh.” She frowned, wondering where he was.
“Our dad?” Keir asked. “What’s he got to do with anything. Wait . . .” Keir turned to her. “Did he have anything to do with this asshole wanting you?”
She bit her lip. “He, um, owed Silvers money.”
“Bastard,” Keir muttered while Ace stared at her solemnly.
“Keir,” she scolded again
“He’s not wrong, Thea,” Jardin said.
“Maybe we should all talk about something else,” Carrick suggested.
“I’m sure Dad is fine,” she reassured Ace.
“I don’t care,” he said. “He’s not our real dad. So long as we get to stay with you, Thea, I don’t care about him.”
She reached over and pulled him close to her. Then she gave Keir a smile. He just gave her a nod back as though in agreement with what Ace had said. Her heart lightened.
The door to the dining room opened and a slim-built, dark-haired woman entered. She was pale. And thin. Too thin. There was something almost ethereal about her. She was wearing a flowing, dark blue dress.
Charlotte.
The sister who’d been kidnapped. She paused and looked around the room, her eyes wide. Thea’s heart broke at the heartache in her eyes.
Regent immediately rose and slowly, carefully walked toward her, as though she were a wild animal who could take off with a wrong move.
“Lottie, darling, are you hungry?” he asked her.
“Not really,” she murmured, glancing along the table. All of the Malone men had stiffened, watching their sister.