Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #7)(35)

“I’m not going quietly,” I say as I enter the room, guns drawn.

“If I was here to take you in, I wouldn’t expect it to be easy,” Reina says.

“If?”

“Would we really be hanging out on your couches if we wanted to grab you?”

I look at the women I’ve come to call friends. They’re all smiling at me, and no one has a weapon out. “Jane said I was the enemy.”

“Yes, well, Jane is no longer in charge, so she can say what she wants, but that doesn’t mean we’ll listen.”

“We can’t function without the mentors and their money.”

“No, but we also can’t abandon our friend—our sister. You are my priority right now. As is your mother.”

“Matt?”

Reina looks away, pain clear on her face. “He won’t go against his grandmother.”

“Thank you, Reina. It means a lot that I have at least one Corrigan on my side.”

“You have three. I’m not sure what we can do to help, but we’ll do anything we can.”

I turn to see Alex and Jessica Corrigan walking into the room. Alex is Matt’s sister-in-law, and the receptionist at the Foundation. Jessica is Matt’s stepmother; although, technically, she’s been divorced from his dad for years. He still loves her like a mother, though.

“Matt and Miles are not going to like you helping me.”

“You let me worry about my sons,” Jessica tells me.

“And Reina and I will worry about our husbands.”

“Now that we’re all here, let’s talk about what we’re going to do,” Reina says.

“I need to get to my mom.”

“No. They’ll expect that. You know Isa is still at home, dying to help out. Tegan is also at home right now since Ethan was getting an award at school, and she didn’t want to miss it. I’ve already been in touch with them, and they’re ready to go wherever you need them.”

“Tucson. My mom is in Tucson.”

I give them the info, and Ainsley uses a secure channel to pass along the information. It’s decided that Faith and Audrey will meet them there as well. They hug me goodbye, before rushing off to take one of the Corrigan jets while Reina still has control of them. We all know it’s only a matter of time before Jane realizes she’s helping me, and cuts her off.

“This is going to be bad for you, for all of you. I’m an enemy of the Society, but you’re helping me.”

“You’re not our enemy, Darce. I don’t care what Jane says, you’re still one of us. We’ll do everything we can to protect you, even if we can’t do it officially. I promise you that.”

“Thank you,” I say, and then realize something. “Where are Nate, Aiden, Jake, Ellie, and Jade? Are they…are they…” I can’t finish. If my best friends are against me, I don’t think I want to know.

“They’re in the palace dungeon. That Derrick guy had them arrested.”

“We’ll get them out,” Ainsley tells me. “I don’t know how yet, but I’m working on it. Zack’s still there, doing intel for me.”

“Zack’s doing intel?” I ask, trying not to laugh. I love the guy, but he’s not really cut out to be a spy.

“He’s trying,” she says with a smile.

“Let’s get down to business and figure out how to untangle this mess. Tell us what you can, and we’ll go from there,” Reina tells me.

I sit down and take a deep breath. I can’t tell them everything, but I can tell them the basics. “When I was fifteen, I was hired to steal some jewels from the royal family. I was told that they weren’t the most important of the jewels they have, but they held a sentimental value, and the monarchy would do anything to get them back if they were stolen. It was a challenge, and I’ve always loved a challenge, so I did it. Angelo was also hired to steal them, but I got them before he did.”

“So you stole the jewels and turned them over to the person who hired you?”

“No. I never turned over the jewels.”

“Shit, Darce. You still have the jewels? No wonder everyone’s after you,” Stella says.

Reina’s more direct. “Why do you still have them?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?”

“I’m sorry. I would tell you if I could. Hell, I would give them to Brayden if I could. But I took an oath, and I won’t break it.”

“Your boss made you swear an oath?”

“He wasn’t exactly my boss, but yes.”

“There’s no way to break it? To just give them to Brayden? ”

“No. If certain things happen, I’ll be free of it and can give them to him if I choose, but until then I’m bound to keep it.”

“What are the consequences to breaking it?” Ainsley asks.

“The loss of my honor and the betrayal of people who believed in me and trusted that I would keep my word.”

“Got it. How likely is it that the things needed to free you will happen?” Reina asks.

“At this point, I believe that they are very likely. A month ago, I would’ve said it was still a long way off, but now I’m pretty sure we’re close.”