Chapter 4
The name dropped like a live grenade into the center of the marble foyer. Daddy James.
The three security guards in their dark-navy suits instinctively stepped forward, sensing the catastrophic shift in their boss’s demeanor. Adrian raised a single, heavily tattooed hand, stopping them dead in their tracks. He didn't look at his men. His piercing blue eyes were locked entirely on Claire Bennett.
"Leave us," Adrian commanded. The words were quiet, but they carried a lethal, unquestionable authority.
"Sir, the perimeter—" the lead guard began.
"I said leave us!" Adrian roared, his voice suddenly exploding, shaking the very crystal of the chandelier above. "Clear the foyer! Now!"
The guards immediately bowed their heads and retreated, vanishing down the west corridor. Mrs. Holloway, still covering her mouth with her trembling hand, practically sprinted toward the kitchen, leaving Claire utterly alone with the most dangerous man in Connecticut.
Adrian slowly stood up to his full, towering height. The charcoal-gray fabric of his tailored suit pulled tight across his muscular shoulders. He clutched the silver pocket watch so tightly his knuckles turned white. He closed the distance between himself and the trembling maid in four long, terrifying strides.
"Mr. Cole, please," Claire whispered, her voice breaking. Tears finally spilled over her eyelashes, tracking down her beautiful, anxious face. She instinctively took a step backward, but the marble wall stopped her.
"My brother has been dead for three years," Adrian said, his voice dropping back to that horrifying, quiet calm. He stopped inches from her, his movie-star handsome face twisted in absolute agony and rage. "I buried an empty, burned casket. I spent three years hunting the men who took him from me. And you are standing here, in my house, wearing my uniform, hiding a child who calls him father."
"I was trying to protect her!" Claire sobbed, her hands gripping the cream collar of her uniform. "You know what this world does to children, Adrian! Look at what it did to James!"
"Do not say his name," Adrian growled, leaning closer, the cold intensity of his gaze pinning her to the wall.
"Uncle Adrian is loud," Nora announced from the center of the foyer.
May you like
Adrian froze. He slowly turned his head. Nora was watching them, her little hands planted on her hips, completely unaware of the life-and-death stakes of the conversation. She was wearing his burgundy tie, staring at him with James’s eyes.
"Pick her up," Adrian ordered Claire, turning his back and walking toward his private quarters. "Bring her to my study. We are going to have a very long conversation, Claire. And if I catch you in a single lie, God help you."
