Page 48 of Darkness Tempt Me
"Ah, yes. Mr. Rose. I do business with him from time to time." Daniel studies Mavik for a moment. “So, you were serious about the proposal?”
“I am. I gave Drake all the information, and he said he would email it to you a few weeks ago. By the way, I’m so sorry to hear about your son. Have the police discovered anything yet?”
Daniel places his cell phone on the table. I make eye contact with Mavik. He gives me a barely there nod, the sign to proceed. I send a text to Hunter.
Peyton: Need you.
Not even fifteen seconds later, Hunter strolls through the side door. “Ah, Mr. Sinclair, Mr. Blackwood, you’re finally in one room together. I have the contract you wanted, sir. Would you like me to go over it? By the way, Mr. Blackwood, congratulations on your deal with the Monroes,” Hunter says casually.
Surprise flickers across Daniel’s face. The Monroes are a wealthy family that Daniel has been trying—and failing—to secure a contract with. What Daniel doesn’t know is that the Monroes have been silent supporters of Blackwood Investments for years. Mavik helped them out when the Monroes had an insider steal millions from them about a decade ago. Not that anyone aside from Mavik, Hunter, and I know that.
When Mavik pulls out the contract, I quietly slip over to Daniel’s phone and grab it before silently slipping out of the room. A moment later, Hunter walks out of the room under the guise that he forgot something, and that Mavik and Daniel should look over the contract together while they wait.
“Do you have it?”
“I wasn’t supposed to leave the room unless I had it,” I say as I wave the phone in front of him.
Hunter chuckles. “You know, you surprise me, little assistant.”
Hunter leads me into another conference room and locks the door behind us.
“How long will this take?” I ask, pointing at Hunter’s laptop. “Not long. Cloning a phone with this tech is actually really easy.”
He doesn’t even have to plug the phone into anything; he just sets it down on some strange-looking pad that looks more like a charging dock.
“Mavik is a good guy, you know,” Hunter says suddenly.
“I know that.”
“If you can look past the darkness inside of him—well, inside of us—then I know you two can have a happy life together.”
My gaze bounces over to his.
“Did Mavik ever tell you how he saved me?”
I shake my head. “No. I just know you two are close. Like brothers.”
He smiles. “We grew up together. My father worked for Mavik’s family. We were ‘the help’ while the Blackwoods were wealthy. Mavik never cared that I didn’t come from money. He treated me better than anyone ever had before. He treated me like family, but his father hated me. Finn Blackwood was not a good man. While Finn passed his wife around to be used, he passed me around to be a punching bag. One night, I fought back, but Finn was stronger, quicker, smarter. Mavik walked in on his father trying to beat me to death.”
I swallow hard, not realizing exactly how important Hunter and Mavik are to each other. I reach over and squeeze Hunter’s hand. “I’m glad Mavik saved you. And I’m glad he killed his father.”
Something flashes in Hunter’s eyes, and his gaze bores into mine. “I’m glad Mavik married you, Peyton.” Hunter reaches for Daniel’s phone. “All done.”
Suddenly, my phone dings. I have four missed calls from Tyler. What the hell? Why didn’t my phone ring? I check my text, and my blood runs cold.
Tyler: I sent you Connor’s address, but I haven’t heard back from you.
Tyler: Heading there now. Meet me there? I don’t want to be there alone for long.
“Fuck. Tell Mavik I have to meet my brother at Connor’s house. I don’t want him packing his things by himself.”
“Sure thing. And Peyton?” Hunter waves Daniel’s phone. “Thanks for helping. You have no idea how much this means to Mavik.”
I offer him a smile before rushing out of the room.
Chapter thirty-one
Mavik
