Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
He gets to his feet and shrugs. “Oh, I’ve a few ideas.” He beckons to me. “Come here, lass.”
I look to Leith for permission, as I know he wouldn’t let me go to his brother unless he allowed it. His jaw is tight, his eyes narrowed and angry when he responds.
“Go on, then. But don’t you forget whose she is.” My heartbeat spikes with fear. Why is he giving him that warning?
His brother looks at him with wide eyes, as if he’s astonished that he’d ever think of doing anything but performing completely on the up and up. “Now, Leith, I’d never dream of doing anything disrespectful toward you, brother.”
Leith nods at him, giving me permission to go to Mac.
Mac leads me away from the table and off to the pantry. I look at the shelves of the pantry eagerly, since I’ve never seen anything like this before. What on earth? Shelf after shelf, teeming with food as far as the eye can see.
Non-perishable goods, rows of crackers and tinned things, spices and jams and jellies and pickles.
“Now, lass, look over at Leith,” Mac says with surprising calm. I look over at Leith, who’s looking at me as puzzled as I am. What is Mac playing at? But before I can formulate a response, a large bang sounds, and a huge crashing sound makes me jump nearly out of my skin. I open my mouth in a silent scream, and turn around to face him, absolutely shocked. Of course, I don't make a noise. My heart pounds, slamming against my rib cage with the fear.
“Solved that, then,” Mac says with a wink. “She didn’t make a bloody sound.”
Leith’s on his feet, walking my way as something cold and wet pools at my feet. I look down in astonishment at a huge jar of pickles broken on the tiled floor, the yellowish-green liquid seeping around my feet as the smell of garlic and vinegar reaches my nostrils.
“Honest to fucking God, you couldn’t have clanged a bell or something?” Leith asks, though he doesn’t look as angry as I’ve seen him before. Staff rushes over with a mop. Leith jerks his chin at Mac. “Hand it to him,” he says to the staff. “Don’t you dare help him clean it up.”
Mac only shakes his head with a chuckle, clearly pleased with himself, but not at all deterred by the dressing down of his older brother. He must be pleased he was the one that’s proven my disability. Fucking bully for him.
“And you,” Leith says, holding me by the elbow. “You’ll come with me.” He brings his mouth to my ear. “Now that I know how to communicate with you, we’ve got much to discuss, don’t we?”
Well. We’ll see about that. I only nod.
“If you’ll excuse us,” Leith says to his father. “I’m going to ask her some questions, and I’ll be back later.” Tate walks into the room as we’re leaving. “Tate, call the others and tell them we’re meeting at noon. I want everyone prepared with their quarterly reports as well.”
The quarterly reports thing throws me a wee bit. He’s an interesting sort, half gangster, half businessman. What on earth does he do? Who is this family, that they have this reclusive lodge, apart from all people and nearly completely detached from all civilization? Who did I fall in with? I’d ask myself how do I get out of it, but I have no interest in doing so quite yet.
Eventually, I’ll get there. Right now, my curiosity’s a bigger pull than the call for freedom.
We leave the kitchen and don’t head upstairs like I expect, but down a hallway that leads to another room. I inhale deeply as we walk, enjoying this so much. The staff is cleaning, and the scent of pine and wood polish fills the air, mingled with the scent of woodsmoke from various fires. The one in the kitchen, one in a sitting room of sorts, giving the home a cozy atmosphere.
He opens a large door to a room that’s lined with books and drags me in. I wish I could speak. I’d tell him he doesn’t need to drag me around like this, that I’m fully capable of walking of my own accord. And really, have I given him any indication whatsoever that I’ll run?
“Have a seat,” he says, gesturing to a large, comfortable-looking dark brown sofa. I obey, sitting primly on the edge. He doesn’t speak at first, pacing about the room with his hands in his pocket. “And to think,” he mutters as if to himself, “all this time I thought she was willfully silent, and she can’t fucking speak.” He looks up at me and scowls so harshly I flinch.
It isn’t my fault, I think at him, glaring.
“Don’t you give me that look,” he warns, wagging a finger in my direction. I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at him like Islan did, when the door to the study opens, and the younger sister walks in, not realizing at first we’re there. She’s got a mobile up to her ear and she’s speaking in hushed tones, but when she sees Leith glaring at her, she nearly drops it.