Page 51 of Blood that Burns
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MAGGIE
When I wake the next morning, I’m in a strange room. After I’d stormed from the kitchen, I retreated by heading to the library to curl up on the settee next to the fireplace. The library is cavernous and typically empty, save for Marina. Since I knew she was preoccupied, I knew I’d be left alone, surrounded by one thing that had always given me comfort—books.
But that’s not where I am. This room is three times the size of Marina’s with twelve-foot ceilings, a fireplace of its own, and a mahogany four-poster bed that I’m currently snuggled atop, covered in warm and comfortable navy bedding that smells of sandalwood and mint.
It smells like Law.
“Morning, sunshine,” Katina bellows as she bursts into the room, carrying silver-covered trays. “I bring breakfast.”
“What am I doing in here?” I ask, forgoing the courteous good morning Katina deserves.
“Law found you in the library and carried you in here. It’s his room.”
My cheeks warm at the thought. How did I sleep through that? I’ve never been a light sleeper. But why here? Surely, Julian and Marina weren’t going at it all night.
Ugh. Could’ve done without that mental image.
“Where is he?” I ask, attempting to rid my mind of Marina’s illicit activities.
“In meetings. He’ll be preoccupied most of the day,” she says, opening the curtains and fussing with throw pillows on a loveseat next to the windows.
When she knocks the two pillows together, a flurry of dust escapes and she sputters, having inhaled the lint. “Good God. This room is disgraceful. I’ll need to get someone up here soon.”
“Doesn’t Law sleep in here?” I question, since the dusty pillows don’t scream slept in.
“No. He prefers to stay in the staff quarters.”
I hate that her words bother me. He’ll bring me here because it’s not where he stays.
She must notice my mood has shifted and hurries on with a semi-explanation.
“This part of the house brings him too many memories.” She looks to me with a sad expression, and for a second, I think she’s going to elaborate. She doesn’t.
“Well, hurry up and eat. We have things to do.”
My eyebrows rise. “Things?”
She nods. “Aside from the fact you can’t sleep all day and this room needs to be cleaned, I’d like to introduce you to two of my friends.”
“You would?”
I just met Katina and although I like her, I didn’t realize I’d made enough of an impression on her for her to want to allow me to tag along with her and her friends. I’d only ever had Marina, Shannon, Jill, and Andrea. What must a friend of Katina’s be like?
That thought has me springing from bed. Whoever these people are, they’re sure to be as peculiar as her, and I must meet them.
“Ten minutes and I’ll be back to get you,” she says, closing the door to Law’s room behind her.
When I’m alone again, surrounded by Law’s things, the need to snoop takes over any curiosity I had a moment ago about Katina’s friends. He brought me here, opening himself up to my prying. All’s fair in love and blood bindings.
I take a muffin out from under the silver-lidded platter and stuff it into my mouth, making quick work of rifling through drawers, all of which are empty. Even the space under the bed lacks anything but dust and lint.
What the hell?
Surely, he used this room at some point. So why is it empty?
I slump down onto the bed, feeling like a rejected puppy, starving for affection. No matter how many times I internally scold myself, I can’t shake the disappointment that he brought me here instead of the room he uses.