The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy 1)

“How old are the females around here?”

“Quinn is thirty-five. She married your father young, but Ser doesn’t count her own mother. Most of the female staff on the estate are in their forties or fifties. When Quinn came into the picture, most of the younger females were asked to leave or were transferred to other estates, other jobs owned by your father.”

Cripes. Quinn sounded like she had issues.

“They weren’t fired?”

He shook his head. “They were relocated. Besides yourself, and a few staff members, the only other female allowed around Ser is Victoria.”

I was going to ask who Victoria was when he continued on. “And then there’s Cyclone.”

“Cyclone?”

“Your little brother, and he’s a handful.” He laughed lightly before standing up, then paused. Looking down at me, his eyes darkened before he shook his head. “You look better, not so pale. Let me grab you something to drink quick. Don’t stand up.”

He left, and I rested my head back.

A little sister who seemed to lack female companionship, who was shy but excited. A brother who I had a feeling might be a terror. I mean, I doubted his real name was Cyclone. And Matthew. Even from the tabloids and gossip sites, I knew he was a handful.

That could’ve been me.

If I had known, if I had been raised here, it might’ve been me in the tabloids.

“Here.” Kash came back in, a glass of water in hand. He held it down and I took it. Our fingers grazed against each other. I averted my gaze, and he stepped back. “I have to be somewhere.”

He paused, and I lifted my head again.

Those eyes, they were locked on me. A deep look was in them, as if there was a storm going on in his head, as if somehow that storm had something to do with me, as if he didn’t like that. Then, like before, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, gone. The storm was dead.

I didn’t know what that was about, but I felt as if I’d just lost out on something, something big, something I might’ve desperately wanted.

A bunch of sensations twisted inside of me.

He cleared his throat, deadpanning, and yeah, I was completely locked out of whatever had gone on in his head. Again.

“Are you going to be okay here for the evening?”

“No freak-outs.” I shook my head, a hard wave. “I’ll be fine.”

Kash gave me a doubtful look, and I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t believe myself either.

I amended, “I’ll do my best.”

“Okay.” His eyebrows were dipped low, but his phone buzzed and he sighed. “I really do have to go.” He pointed to the ceiling. “You can have your pick of the rooms upstairs. My room is on the main floor, but make yourself at home. Relax. Settle in. There’s food in the fridge, or if you wanted the main kitchen to make you something special, just pick up the phone and dial one. It’ll ring you through to the communications desk.”

A communications desk.

For a house.

Yeah. Not normal.

He stepped farther back. “If an older woman comes around, it’ll be Marie. Like I said, she’s the only other one who really knows why you’re here. You can trust her. Go to her for anything you might need.”

His phone buzzed again. He cursed, reading whatever was on the screen. “I really have to go.” He stepped to the side, then stopped. “Oh. I called yesterday and you should have clothes upstairs for you. If they aren’t in the room you want, just mention it to Marie. She’ll have the staff switch everything for you.”

One more pause, one more look back. “Do you need anything from me?”

I needed my mom. I needed all of this not to have happened. I needed a new father.

I forced a smile. “Not a thing.”

“Okay.” And he was gone.

Yes. Not a thing …

TEN

I was snooping. No shame here.

An hour later, I was in his bedroom. He had his own library in there, and his own balcony. Not to mention the bed. The bed! It was big enough for five people to sleep in it.

“We kill cats here.”

I jumped as I was shutting the balcony doors, and whirled.

I thought it was Kash, but it wasn’t. Someone else.

My insides instantly knotted, seeing who it was, recognizing who it was.

Matthew Francis leaned against the door frame, a smirk on his face, dressed like he was going to a nightclub. Low-hanging jeans. A leather jacket. A shirt underneath that was one of those where they bought them already ripped. His hair was messily rumpled, though I was sure there was hair product in it. The jacket added a little more bulk to him than I had noticed the night before, but he was still gangly.

“You kill cats here?”

His eyebrows went up. His smirk turned knowing. “So you are Kash’s mystery guest, and you’re already snooping around?”