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

Chapter 3


Brayden

I can’t believe Darcy left me on the sidewalk last night. But then again, I can. I was a total *, and if I was her, I wouldn’t have gone home with me, either. I expected her to call me today after she cooled off. She hasn’t though, and I don’t know how long I have until my mother finds out what happened. I told her Darcy needed some time alone, but if she’s not back today, I know she’ll want to call the people Darcy works for. That could go pretty badly for me. Which is why I’ve been trying to keep calm about her leaving. I’m not calm, though. I need her, and not just for the jewels.

The doorbell rings and I practically run down the stairs. Security wouldn’t let anyone through the gates unless they knew who they were. I’m expecting Darcy, but what I get is one pissed off couple. America’s Couple, in fact. Matt and Reina Corrigan. They don’t look like the couple their country thinks of as royalty right now. They’re both looking at me like they want to kill me, and I’m honestly not sure who I’m more scared of.

“Reina? What are you doing here?” my mother asks as she comes into the hall.

My mother doesn’t wither under the look that comes her way, which makes me respect her even more than I already do. “I made some things very clear to you when you came to me for help. You assured me that Darcy would be safe with your son.”

Holy shit. The Corrigans are part of the group my mother is using for help? And not just part of the group. Reina Corrigan is in charge. I may not make it through this day alive.

“Darcy’s safe. She needed some time to herself, so Brayden dropped her off at a hotel.”

“The cab I sent for dropped her off at a hotel after she called me because he threatened her.”

“No. That’s not right. Brayden?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “What Reina said is true.”

“I didn’t give you permission to call me by my first name.”

“You didn’t bow when you came into my home.”

“My wife isn’t bowing to you, *.”

I back up a step as Corrigan advances on me. I may be cocky, but I’m not stupid. I hold up my hands in a show of surrender. A fake show, but hopefully enough for now. “I just meant that if she’s going to be familiar with me, I will be familiar back with her.”

“I don’t really care what any of you call each other. I just want to know what could possibly have made you threaten Darcy,” my mother tells me.

“That’s between us.”

“No. This engagement is about more than the two of you. You’ve been raised to know what you must do. Emotions cannot be involved.”

“I will marry for my country when it’s time, Mother. You know I don’t believe in love. We can’t all be the Corrigans.”

I see Reina wince, and it piques my interest. Not enough to take me off course, but I’ll file that reaction away for later. I’m pretty sure that I’ll need everything I can get when this all blows up. I’m not letting Darcy go without the answers I need, even if that means things become more unpleasant for both of us than I’d like.

“I will not allow this to continue if Darcy isn’t comfortable with the situation.”

“Please, Reina. We can’t just replace her with someone else. That would negate everything all of us have worked for,” my mother reminds her.

“If you think I care about that, you’ve obviously been misinformed about me, and my organization. The women who work for me come before any assignment. No exceptions.”

“She told me her army could rival mine. I guess I should’ve taken her more seriously.”

“I still don’t understand why you would threaten her,” my mother says.

I know I have to give them something. “She has some information I need, and she won’t give it to me.”

“What information could she possibly have? You just met yesterday.”

“It really is between the two of us, Mother.”

“Not if it jeopardizes everything.”

There’s nothing if I don’t get the jewels, but no one except for me and Noah are aware that Darcy holds the key to my future. I need to keep it that way. “I’m sorry, but I need to have the information she’s withholding. It’s not an option for her to keep it from me.”

My mother nods. “Fine. Reina, I’ll need for you to make this happen.”

“What part of me putting my women first did you not understand? I agreed to help you, not the other way around. I need nothing from you, so I suggest that you refrain from trying to boss me around. That really won’t end well for you. Either of you.”

“I am a queen, and while I have let you ignore that until now, I must insist that you check your insolence at the door.”

“Oh, I will. On my way out your door. We’re done.”

“Wait, no,” I say, moving toward her.

“Take another step towards my wife, and see what happens.”

If I thought angry Matt Corrigan was scary, smirking Matt Corrigan is even worse. I have no doubt that he’s going to lay me flat, but I need to fix this. Somehow.

“Please, Re-Mrs. Corrigan. I promise that Darcy is safe with me. I shouldn’t have threatened her. I’ll behave. Give me another chance to do the right thing for my country.”