Dark Lies (House of Sin 2)

I wanted nothing more.

In fact, I still want nothing more than to bury myself inside her until we both scream out each other’s names and want nothing more than to fall into each other’s arms and stay there for all eternity.

And now she’s gone.

Vanished into a midnight storm as if she never even existed in the first place.

Even after she knew what she had done, and I was there to help her pull it out of her, she still chose to run from me. Why?

Why can’t I give her what she needs?

Rage overwhelms me, and I pick up the desk and throw it over, howling madly.

My chest is tight, and my heart aches as I tower over the mess I made, wishing I could chase her myself and bring her back where she belongs.

But the helicopter would take hours to get here, and by that time, she’ll be long gone.

Either she’ll have made it to land, or she’ll have been swept away by the sea.

The mere thought of losing her to the water chokes me up, and I grab my throat while closing my eyes, forcing these thoughts to stay at bay.

When did I start to feel so much for this girl? Why did these tears form in my eyes now that I realize I may have lost her forever?

“Fuck!” I yell. Turning toward the fireplace, I grab the nearest glass in my vicinity and chuck it straight at the fire.

I stare at the flames in front of me. They remind me of my soul.

Suddenly, the door creaks. I sigh out loud without looking to see who it is. “What do you want?”

But when a soft voice speaks, I look up. “Sorry, sir, I did not mean to bother you.”

“Mary,” I say, and I lean back up from the fireplace and pat down my clothes. “What are you—”

Her eyes travel across the room and scour the mess I made of my own desk, interrupting my thoughts as my cheeks begin to glow.

“Sorry, I …”

“Oh, no need to apologize,” she briskly says, forming a gentle smile on her face. “I understand. After what you have been through … anyone would be upset.”

I close my eyes and rub my forehead. “Please ignore it. I’ll clean it up myself.”

“Oh, no, sir. You’re far too busy trying to get Amelia back,” she says as she bustles inside with a broom. “Besides, I was about to sweep this area anyway. Might as well make it a big cleaning operation.” She adds a giggle at the end.

With a long-drawn-out sigh, I nod. I’ll allow it for once. Normally, I don’t enjoy company, and I only allow the assistants to come inside to clean when I’m away, but I’ll make an exception now. Better for her to find this mess than Tobias. He’d give me an earful, one I am not interested in hearing. Though I’m sure he could hear me yell from all the way across the hall. Maybe Mary could too.

As she toils away, I gaze at her work for a moment, wondering how on earth I ever found someone to work so diligently and without much complaint. The others could take a lesson from her.

“I’ll give you a raise,” I say out of the blue.

She looks up, her pupils dilated as she clutches her chest. “You … catch me off guard, sir. You don’t need to do that for me.”

“No, but I want to,” I reply. “You’ve been of great help with the girls.”

“Thank you,” she says as she quickly stands. “Really, thank you so much.”

I wave it off. “It’s only appropriate. After all the work you’ve done.”

“I do it with pleasure, sir,” she replies, smiling.

I raise one brow and lower the other. “With pleasure? You haven’t forgotten what we do here, right?”

She nods and clutches her fingers. “Of course not, sir. Tobias made sure I wouldn’t forget.”

Tobias usually instructs our staff about our plans and business.

“And I pride myself on knowing how this House operates, as it does God’s work.”

I snort and look away. “God’s work … but one of them is escaping as we speak.”

“She’ll be back,” Mary says.

I cock my head. “How do you know?”

She shrugs. “I just feel it. She’s the only one you’ve had this connection with.”

I frown and stare at her for a moment when she suddenly palms her face and covers her mouth. “I should not have said that.”

I laugh it off. “It’s fine. It’d be hard not to notice with the amount of time I’ve spent with her.”

“I just hope I have not offended you, sir.” She brushes the floor even harder. “I just mean … well, I’ve seen how she reacts to you, your name. She seems quite infatuated with you.”

I sigh out loud and shake my head. “If only that were true.”

“Oh, she is,” she reiterates, recapturing my attention. “I know what it looks like when a woman is falling for someone. And she was … falling harder than she might have been able to handle. Maybe that’s why she felt she needed to escape. After all, what can be scarier than falling for someone you’re not supposed to fall for?”