7
Declan
After leaving my brother in an attempt to diffuse the situation, I mingled through the crowd.
My mother and David stood near the corner, talking with fellow politicians as they meandered over to her. While she gave off the air of calm composure, I knew she was brewing just below the surface. I hadn’t spoken with either her or David in-depth for weeks, but a conversation was needed.
The tensions in our family would soon spill over into the public eye. As much as I wanted to find Audrey instead, the opportunity to confront my mother was more temptation than I could pass up. She saw me coming, smiling at the man she was talking with before saying something that caused him to move away from her.
“I see you can still drive a man away with just a few words,” I said.
“Oh good, you’ve come to offer me your opinion. Here I was just assuming you’d ignore me like my calls and texts.”
“Unfortunately, it’s time you and I had a discussion. That is if you think you’re done nursing the baby?”
“At least David understands family loyalty. Tell me, what have you done for your father’s future lately? Besides try and destroy it.”
I chuckled. “Well, aren’t you feeling confident? Maybe we should talk about dad’s political career? Oh wait, it was built on a foundation of lies.”
“You’ve got a lot of opinions for a man with no career of his own.”
“What can I say? We can’t all be lap-dogs like David.”
She glared at me. “I was hoping you wouldn’t make it back from your little sabbatical for the party, but I’m sure Audrey is thrilled to have you and Dakota here.”
Her words sent a chill through me. Behind her veil of diplomacy, I saw my mother’s true nature. The first lady was as diabolical as her partner. She was fishing. Dakota and I had yet to discuss specifics of his deal with David. Still, I knew my brother wouldn’t share that much information with him about our private life. Still, whatever David had offered her, it was enough to strike fear in my heart.
“Perhaps we need to have a conversation as a family before my brothers and I head back to our vacation.”
My mother smiled. “That would be something to talk with your father about. As you know, I don’t handle anything like that. I know he was hoping to have a word with all three of you, though, before you left. Something you would know if you ever returned a phone call.”
“Why would I answer my phone when I could have these lovely little mother/son conversations in person? You really do seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Oh yes, there is nothing better than knowing that two of my sons are making a mockery of our family name. Don’t even get me started on your other brother,” she hissed.
I glared at her. “You can have your little temper tantrum about Dakota and me all you want, but I would caution you against saying anything about Derek and the brave decision he made to open up about his lifestyle.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Just because Derek is going through a little attention-seeking phase doesn’t mean that he needed to drag it out in public. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t have noticed if one of my own children was gay? You’ll see in a few months. He'll find he's already bored with the lifestyle, and we will be left picking up the pieces of our shattered reputation.”
“How can you be so ignorant?” I gaped.
“I guess it must run in the family, especially if neither of you can see that Audrey Adams is just using you for her own gain. Just look at her up there. She’s already making those same pathetic eyes at a new victim.”
I turned and saw Audrey as she walked through the crowd of people. She hadn’t seen me from where I was standing with my mother and brother, but my heart sank when I saw who was walking close by her side. Kylan moved not even two feet behind her, watching everyone in the crowd as Audrey smiled and greeted her guests.
It was a small event, hosted at her mother’s estate, where guests could move outside on the lawn or inside the house. Only a few red sashes blocked off the staircases and kitchen to keep guests from going anywhere private. Jealousy surged through me as my hands balled into fists. How many of those intimate, shuttered bedrooms had Kylan Klaus seen?
“Oh Jesus,” my mother hissed. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to start a fight like some heathen right here in the middle of the party, are you? You had to know that she was going to replace both of you the second she couldn't have you at her every beck and call.”
“Give me a break,” I snapped. “Of course, I’m not going to start a fight, mostly because I’m not worried about Kylan Klaus. Nothing is going on between them.”
“Right, because a woman like her has such a high moral compass that she would never toy with more than one or two hearts at a time?” she snapped.
“I think this conversation has come to an end,” I told her. “I will speak with my father, but I’m done discussing it right now. You obviously can’t keep your emotions out of it. I never set out to hurt this family, and I will still do everything I can to preserve it, but I won’t be spoken to like a child.”
Her face paled, her mouth dropping open slightly at my tone. I’d never spoken to her in such a manner before. Yet, she was increasingly crossing a line that she wasn’t going to be able to recover from quickly with any of her sons. I wanted to include her in my life, but I wouldn’t let her control it either, not anymore. I’d given enough of myself to the family. They couldn’t have more.
I’d only made it a few feet from them when Audrey finally caught my gaze. Her eyes lit up as she smiled, making it impossible not to return the look of pure excitement. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, but I knew that it wasn’t going to happen, not for a very long time. It already felt like I’d gone months without her, not just a few weeks. Behind her, Kylan glared at me. I didn’t know him well personally, but I knew enough about his reputation to sense the threat.
“Declan! I’m so happy you came!” Audrey exclaimed.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I whispered. “You look amazing, by the way.”
“Thank you,” Audrey said as she took my hand. “It really means the world to me. I saw the rest of your family too. It’s too bad your dad couldn’t make it.”
Her hand slipped away from mine, leaving behind a small piece of paper. My heart raced as I casually slid the note into my back pocket. Under Kylan’s watchful gaze, I wouldn’t get a chance to look at it until Audrey had left me alone again, something I wasn’t going to rush. No matter what it said, she was standing there with me, and I wasn’t going to cut that short.
“I see you’ve made a new friend,” I muttered. “I don’t think your taste in company has improved since we’ve been gone.”
Audrey gave me a playful grin. “This is Kylan Klaus, though I think you two already know each other. My mother has decided he’s going to be my shadow from now on.”
“Well, if Hazel thinks it’s for the best, I can’t argue with her. As long as he’s not bothering you, then I think the extra protection can only be a good thing.”
“Glad to hear you are on board with my presence, not that it matters any. I’d have enjoyed myself just as much knowing you were as pissy about it as Dakota was.”
Audrey glared at Kylan. “Ignore him. He’s harmless. He’s just mad because my mother said I could have you all here.”
“Think whatever you want, princess,” Kylan growled. “You’ve lingered with the Hartleys long enough. I’m in charge of your reputation now, so keep moving.”
“Go,” I said. “I’ll give you a call later on.”
“Try and have a good time,” Audrey whispered. “And tell Dakota –”
“Save the small talk for private,” Kylan interjected. “This isn’t the time or the place for it. I will shut this whole party down if you can’t play by the rules.”
Audrey shot him another look that could kill before smiling at me and moving away. Kylan glared at me as he passed, but all I
could do was grin, knowing I had a little part of Audrey in my back pocket. I slowly milled around the party before ducking into one of the restrooms. My hands trembled as I unfolded the note and saw the hastily scribbled instructions.
Get Dakota, meet me in the garage, 4:30. Don’t be late.
I took a deep breath and quickly wrapped the paper in tissue before flushing it. The last thing I needed was for it to fall out of my pocket or get lost and end up in the wrong hands. Quickly making my way back out to the party, I made a beeline for Dakota. He was still leaning against the outdoor bar where I’d left him earlier, but Derek had vanished.
“What do you want?” he grumbled, already a little drunk.
“Jesus, Kylan got to you, didn’t he?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter. Why don’t we go for a walk and get some fresh air?”
“I’m already outside, can't get much fresher than that. Why don’t you go make friends with the Klaus kids? You seem to be good at that.”
“Give me a break. What the hell are we supposed to do about it?”
“We could beat him to a bloody pulp,” Dakota hissed. “That would feel good and get us some time with Audrey too.”
“No, it would get us thrown in jail and thrown out of our family once and for all. We’d burn every political bridge we’ve worked on making too.”
“So? Who cares anymore? We all know this is going to blow up in our faces before long,” he said.
“Listen, I need to talk to you in private, and I’d really like it if you weren’t working on getting drunk while we talked. Think you can leave the bar for five minutes?” I asked.
Dakota glared at me. “I’m not drunk, so don’t talk to me like I am, but I plan on rectifying that situation quickly.”
“Will you please just come with me?” I whispered. “It’s about Audrey, but we can’t talk about it here. We are running out of time.”
Dakota rolled his eyes as I checked my watch. Thank God I’d slipped it on as an afterthought before leaving that morning. Our phones, along with the phones of all of the other guests, had been confiscated upon arrival. It was a good move for protecting Audrey, but it definitely made things a little more complicated. It was already a quarter after four. We would have to be sly as we walked and take our time, but Dakota was still ignoring me. He was going to push me too far if he wasn’t careful. I could feel my nerves with him starting to fray.
Finally, after a few more seconds that ticked by like molasses, Dakota set down his empty drink and waved his arms with a flourish for me to lead the way. My jaw clenched at his theatrics, hoping they hadn’t drawn the attention of either Klaus in attendance. Without waiting for him to make more of a spectacle of himself, I stormed out of the back yard through the side gate, emerging near the corner of the garage at last. My heart raced as I reached for the door. Dakota glared at me but said nothing as we slipped inside.
8
Audrey
I watched the two men disappear from the corner of my eye, giggling at whatever joke the secretary of state had just made.
After a few more minutes, I headed for the house with Kylan close behind me. It wasn’t until I reached the back door that I spun around and glared at him. He was really starting to get on my nerves. It was going to be impossible to slip away until he gave me a little bit of space.
“Listen, as much as I enjoy having you stalk me around like a creep, I need a break.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal. Wherever you go, I go.”
“The idea is to keep me away from Dakota and Declan, right? Why don’t you go follow them around for a while then?”
“I already know where they are at, around the front of the house.”
“Well, I’m not going around there. I’m going to the kitchen to talk with the staff and get a break from you, got it?” I snapped. “There is only one way to get in and out of the kitchen, with the main door locked, so you can stand here and guard the door until you’re blue in the face, but you’re not following me in there.”
Kylan glared at me but said nothing as I spun around and darted into the house. The door leading into the kitchen from our dining room had been locked since the party started. The staff was happy using the back entrance to cater the event, and guests understood the area was off-limits. I watched the staff mill around the kitchen, several of them embracing me to wish me a happy birthday. I loved our little family. After spending a few minutes with them, the crew started back to business and vastly ignored me.
It was the moment I’d been waiting for as I slipped into the cellar, locking the door from the inside and quickly scurrying down the steps. I wouldn’t have much time before Kylan undoubtedly came looking for me. Within two minutes, I’d made my way into the garage and poked my head out into the main area. Dakota saw me first, his eyes lighting up as I beckoned them into the small office.
A flurry of emotions washed over me as Dakota wrapped his arms around me, Declan not far behind as he kissed my neck. My body tingled with desire. They were everything I wanted as the world faded around us. Hands moved down my body, pressing against my breasts, my buttocks, the small of my back.
I turned my head away from Dakota, leaving his lips to trail down the plunging neckline of my dress as Declan captured my mouth with his. His hot breath sent another wave of desire coursing through me as he whispered my name. Dakota's rigid cock pressed between my legs, the layers of clothing a prison I despised.
Beyond the confines of the small room, I could hear the shuffling of feet. The sound jolted me out of the moment with a sharp snap. Pushing away from the brothers, I held a finger to my mouth and motioned for them to follow me. We moved silently down through the tunnel, stopping at the bottom of the steps.
“That should buy us a few minutes,” I whispered. “But I don’t know who was out there or how long Kylan will stay distracted.”
“Fuck Kylan and Molly Klaus,” Dakota snapped.
“Listen, I know all about your history with both of them, and honestly, I don’t care. I know what we have is real, okay? You need to relax. There is nothing to worry about.”
“Those sound like famous last words,” Dakota grumbled.
“Lay off the mood,” Declan snapped at his brother. “Jeeze, what happened with all of you was a long time ago. Why are you letting those two get under your skin?”
“We just need to lay low and let them do their jobs. If my mother thinks kissing asses and smiling to crowds for three weeks will buy us the room we need to breathe and finally be together, so be it.”
“Of course, you’re fine with all this. We both saw the way you looked at him,” Dakota said.
Declan's hands flew up. “Whoa, don’t drag me into this. I spent the evening trying to figure out what our mother knows. I didn’t see any looks exchanged.”
I took a deep breath. As much as I loved Dakota, sometimes his temper was infuriating. His jealousy sent a little thrill through my body, but I pushed it back down. There was no time to soothe his brooding manner. Nor was there time to hold Declan in my arms, though I desperately wanted to. I sighed and reached into my purse, fishing out three small, sleek, black phones.
“Listen, we are out of time. I had Greta buy four of these. No one knows I have them. Now we can really talk to each other, though.”
“Greta?” Dakota asked.
“Audrey’s housekeeper, jeez. She’s worked for the Adamses for almost twenty years now and is one of Audrey’s oldest friends. Honestly, I don’t know what you see in him,” Declan said.
“Both of you stop it,” I snapped. “While I’m gone, you need to focus on your own careers, okay? We have to show the world that our personal lives do not affect our public ones. If this gets out, we need to already be one step ahead of it.”
“That’s a good plan,” Declan said.
“I have to go,” I whispered to them.
Pulling Dakota into my arms, I gave him a quick kiss before moving to Declan. Anything more, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself fro
m getting caught up in the moment again. My body ached for the duo, my temptation fighting to take hold. Pushing Declan away, I backed away from the pair before turning and jogging back to the kitchen. When I reached the steps, I took a deep breath before carefully cracking open the door. The staff was bustling around, but there was no sign of Kylan.
Greta gave me a wink as I slipped back out to the party, the smile on my face just a touch brighter than before. Near the end of the yard, I saw my mother and a few friends admiring the gardens and set off to join them.
“Do you always hide in the kitchen at your own parties?”
I spun around and found Molly grinning at me.
“It’s okay. I need little breaks from these things too,” she whispered. “I was thinking the same thing, actually. Funny I didn’t see you in there.”
My heart pounded. “That would make sense unless you went into the pantry. There is a little cubby back there I’ve always hid inside. You can see it from the side of the house actually, would you like to go look? It’s the enclave with the small window.”
“Ah, well, then that makes sense. Honestly, I was a little distracted when I went in there. Those Hartley boys sure are lookers when they get together. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m a little jealous of you.”
“There is nothing to be jealous of,” I said. “We are all just friends now, but I’m sure you could go find them and see if one would like a date. A pretty older woman like you probably has a dozen men lined up for dates.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe I’ll have to take you up on that. Seeing Dakota again certainly did stir a few feelings for both of us. It will be lonely here without my brother for three weeks.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, your mother didn’t tell you? I won’t be joining you on the campaign trail. No, I’ll be taking care of things from here.”
Wicked Dynasty: The Untouchables | Book Two Page 5
