realize what he was referring to. The pain in my feet had been the least of my concerns for the past hour or so. But no sooner did he mention it than they started to burn and ache.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Dr. Tate returned my smile before looking at Talon. “I’ll have my meal delivered to me later.”
Talon nodded. “Thanks.”
“It was nice to finally meet you, Braelyn.”
I swallowed hard, staring into Jasper’s eyes. If there’d been any lingering doubt as to whether he knew Ransom, there wasn’t anymore. He really was the man from my brother’s past. A man I’d never met but had heard so much about. I’d been a teenager when my brother had been seeing Jasper, and I remember hanging on every detail of the stories Ransom would tell me.
But then one day, those stories just stopped, as though Jasper had fallen off the face of the earth.
“Shall we?” Talon said, his voice loud and clear.
As though that was the dinner bell, everyone took their seats.
Interesting dynamic, that was for sure.
*
TALON
As Dr. Tate exited the room, I let my gaze trail after him. I’d noticed the surprise on his face when I had introduced him to Ransom’s sister.
Being that I was a very private man, I’d done a deep dive into everyone who worked for me, including Jasper Tate. Upon hiring him, I’d been aware of his previous relationship with Ransom but had never brought it up. Not my place. Of course, when Ransom had approached me with his request for a favor, I knew the two would have a long overdue reunion. Now I was curious as to how it was all going to play out.
Something to deal with at a later date.
Not until I took my seat did the possessions begin bringing the food out, placing plates around the table. Aside from Zion and Tiegan, there were a handful of others who often traveled with me. Tiegan’s two assistants, as well as one who worked directly for Zion. I rarely interacted with them, nor them with me, but they were usually in the background.
It wasn’t surprising how easily Braelyn fit in with my team. I knew her brother well enough to know he was an intelligent and witty man. He’d obviously passed those along to the sister he had raised, because she had no problems following the conversation, contributing when necessary, and bringing up topics of her own. She was inquisitive, there was no doubt about it. Hard to believe that just a couple of hours ago she’d been in tears. Now, here she was, cool and composed, interacting as though she hadn’t been nearly kidnapped, her brother nearly killed.
Sometimes people needed a distraction, I figured.
Probably helped that we toasted in the new year although we’d missed the mark by more than an hour.
After that, everyone indulged in food and wine, maintaining a rather light conversation, but I figured that was due to the time. Because of my inability to sleep, I had been up for close to twenty-four hours, probably Zion, as well, and it was beginning to become apparent. More so for Braelyn, who began dragging toward the end of the meal, foregoing dessert even.
“Auberon, show Braelyn to my room and let Dr. Tate know she’s ready for him,” I instructed before turning toward Braelyn. “Once he tends to your feet, you should sleep for a while. No one will interrupt you in there.”
Her eyes searched my face, and I had to assume she got the answer she was looking for, because she nodded before standing.
When she paused, I had no idea what to expect, but the kiss she pressed lightly to my cheek, followed by a softly spoken “Thank you” was not on the list.
I nodded because I had no idea what she was thanking me for. I’d done nothing yet. Not to mention, I figured her gratitude would likely wane when we arrived on the island and she got a good look at what it was I did for a living. Many people claimed to understand the various human idiosyncrasies, but few actually did. And God knew I was pushing the boundaries.
Once Auberon led her from the room, I excused myself to my office, using the other door to enter so as not to disturb Braelyn as she got settled. I could hear her moving around for a few minutes, followed by Dr. Tate’s voice when he joined her. There was minimal conversation while he bandaged her up and then silence when