Page 30 of The King of Hearts

“Are you expecting anyone?” Mom asks Dad.

“Ryker and Brax. We’ve got a few things to go over before Brax leaves for Virginia.”

“Stay,” I tell him when he goes to get up. “I’ll get the door and send them to your office.”

I leave everyone in the sunroom and make my way to the front of the estate, pulling open the door for the two men.

“Good morning, gentlemen.”

Braxton offers a smile. “Morning, Sav. Looking good as always.”

Braxton Hayes is a tall, good-looking man in his early thirties. Cropped dark-blond hair, hazel eyes that make many women’s panties melt right off them, and always a few days’ worth of growth on his face. As with most men who work for The Raven Group, he exercises regularly, and you can tell by the muscles bulging from his dark-gray t-shirt and the flat planes of his stomach. He’s been with The Raven Group for ten years and is one of the members who goes out into the field.

He walks inside, and a silent Ryker follows behind.

Ryker, like Bishop, doesn’t talk much. He’s in a black Henley with the sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms, revealing a slew of tattoos, and a pair of dark jeans that look like they’ve been washed a few too many times. He hasn’t been with the company as long as Braxton. He’s participated in some field jobs, but it’s rare. His particular skill set is best suited here on the island. I’ve seen his work before, and despite the nature of his specialty and the mess he makes while he does his thing, it’s impressive, if somewhat gruesome.

“Come in.” I stand back and gesture with my hand.

As Ryker passes by me, a whiff of his cologne fills my senses. A woodsy scent mixed with a hint of leather.

Both men face me once they’re across the threshold. I’m used to being around attractive men since many of the men in the group are as such, but for some odd reason, I want to blush withboth of their eyes on me. Luckily, I manage to push the feeling away before the redness creeps up my neck and covers my face with the evidence of the weirdness.

“You can wait in Dad’s office. He and my brothers will be there in a moment,” I tell the pair, shifting my eyes away from them.

They turn and start down the hallway leading to the center of the estate, and I go up the stairs. At the top, I make a left. I go past my room and stop at the one beside it. I softly rap my knuckles on the door, and I’m not surprised when I don’t get an answer. If it were up to Liliana, she’d never have any visitors. Too bad for her, I won’t let her stay by herself. Everyone needs someone, even if it’s a stranger.

“I’m coming in!” I call out just in case Liliana is in the middle of getting dressed.

I give it a few seconds before I push open the door. Liliana is sitting in a chair positioned in front of the balcony doors. Harper is on her lap while her mother braids her long blonde hair. The little girl’s legs swing back and forth in front of her.

Liliana doesn’t acknowledge my entrance, but I can see Harper trying to look at me out of the corner of her eye.

“Good morning,” I tell the pair and walk further into the room.

Liliana keeps her lips sealed shut, but Harper, who’s slightly more open, says shyly, “Hi.”

The little girl is absolutely adorable, and my heart melts each time I see her.

I don’t let Liliana’s reservedness deter me. I walk to the window and stand in front of it. “How are you this morning?”

Nothing from Liliana, but Harper smiles at me.

“It’s nice out today, so I figured we could walk the grounds and get some fresh air. Would you like that?”

Ever the typical child, Harper’s face lights up at the idea. I can imagine how bored she’s been cooped up in this room. I bought a few toys for the little girl, but after having only them for a source of entertainment for over a week, I’m sure they’ve outgrown their usefulness.

Liliana still doesn’t respond, but I know she can see Harper’s interest. I’m not even ashamed that I use that interest to my advantage.

I direct my words at Liliana, but they’re more for Harper. “There’s a beautiful flower garden we can visit, and you can even pick some flowers to put on the table beside the bed. And there’s a big water fountain with an angel that spits water out of her mouth.”

The muscle in Liliana’s jaw twitches. She knows exactly what I’m doing, and I’m sure isn’t appreciative of it. A part of me feels bad to be using her daughter against her like this, but a bigger part, the one who wants to help this woman and her child heal and get the closure they deserve, outweighs my guilt.

I don’t say anything else after that. I just turn and look out the window and wait. It doesn’t take long.

“Momma,” Harper’s tentative voice fills the silence. “I wanna go outside.”

I mentally fist pump the air at the request. From what I’ve seen so far, Liliana is a great mom, so there’s no way she’ll be able to deny her daughter, especially when she sounds so earnest and innocent.

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