Embrace the Darkness (The Maura Quinn Series Book 1) - Ashley N. Rostek Page 0,52
everything and I mean everything that happened yesterday. He asked why I hadn't been paying attention to where I'd been walking when I'd run into Greg and I answered honestly. I told him I'd kissed Jamie and had been confused. He looked a little surprised by that tidbit but made no comments about it. Then I explained why I'd freaked out, flashbacks, satisfaction, guilt, and all. I told him I felt like a monster.
“You’re not a monster. You just take after me,” he said and stunned the hell out of me by giving me a hug. He held me tightly, offering comfort. I didn't think I breathed the entire time. “Don’t ever doubt yourself. You’re strong and intelligent. Everyone in this family underestimates you. I’m guilty of it myself, sometimes. Trust your instincts and embrace what feels right and everything will work out. If not, I’ll make sure it does.”
Wow, who the hell is this guy and what did he do with Stefan? Did he really mean all that or was he playing the role of a caring father because of our deal? This would be the most fucked up thing he’d ever done to me if it was all an act.
I forced a smile as I pulled away. “By the way, I’ve decided to accept your offer.”
Stefan held a fixed expression as he digested my words, then nodded. “I have a meeting with your uncles in my study at eight. That’ll give you a few hours to get ready, unless you need a few days to recoup?” he asked as he brushed a finger over my bruised cheek.
“Nope, I’ll be there. What’s the meeting about?”
“Yesterday’s incident,” he answered. “News of what’s happened has spread through the family and they want a clear understanding. Rumors have already twisted the story.”
“I don’t understand.” I really didn’t. Who was spreading rumors?
“I guess I should give you a quick rundown of how things work. Let’s go down to the chamber. It’ll be easier to understand if I can show you.”
I followed him down to the first floor toward the center of the house. The chamber was windowless and had steel reinforced soundproof walls. When the house had first been built, the room had been a ballroom used for formal dances and lavish parties. Over time, as balls had become a thing of the past and our family’s criminal empire had grown, the room had been converted to what it was today. Due to its length, there were heavy wooden doors on each end of the room leading out into the hallway. The east door was the one we used. He opened it, flipped on the lights, and gestured for me to go in.
Walking in, my eyes were immediately drawn to the massive espresso colored table in the center. The table looked like it had been cut from a giant tree, burned to give it its color, and varnished to give it a sleek feel. It had been in my family for generations. It amazed me that an old piece of furniture could hold such importance. Eight matching wooden chairs surrounded it, but the table was long enough to fit more. Three chairs sat on the right side of the table and three on the left, with one chair on each end.
The only lights in the room were hanging over the table. Stefan put his hands on the back of his chair at the head of the table before moving behind the chair to his right. He patted the top of the chair and said, “Samuel.” Then moved to the next chair to the right. “Conor.” He put his hand on the last chair on the right. “Your cousin Dylan.” Stefan moved past the chair at the other head of the table and began touching the chairs on the left side, starting on the opposite end and working his way back to his chair. “Louie, Rourke, and Jameson.” Jamie’s chair sat to the left of his and directly across from Samuel’s.
I walked over to the chair at the other end of the table, the other head, the one he'd skipped. “No one sits here?” I knew this chair. It was where my grandfather had sat before he'd passed away and it was where I'd sat when I'd told Stefan I'd been raped seven years ago—the only time I’d ever sat at his special table.