Page 87 of Master of Secrets
“I think we can all agree to bond over our anger issues,” Freya said, in the slightly-too-long silence that followed. “We’ve been so excited to meet you.”
“We heard lots of stories!” Holly offered. “They said you kicked a bunch of guys’ butts in an elevator with Uncle Ethan!”
“Ah…well, that’s not exactly how it—”
“Can confirm,” Ethan said. “I was there. And I’m still here…thanks to her.”
“Oh, would you please stop?”’ I complained. “You’re putting me on the spot on purpose, right in front of your family, and I haven’t even had my coffee yet.”
I stiffened as Holly grabbed me in turn, and squeezed my waist—just like Gabri used to do. The memory blindsided me. I suddenly felt so close to Gabri, with this little girl’s skinny body strangling my waist in a desperate hug, her back quivering with emotion. Gabri had been intense and over-the-top like that, too.
My arms closed around Holly and I hugged her back, my eyes prickling.
“Thanks for saving him.” Her voice was choked.
“Any time, sweetheart,” I told her. “But he saved me right back, you know. And he did it again, yesterday. So technically, I’m behind, pointwise.”
Holly let out a soggy giggle. “Will you sit next to me?”
“How about you let her get her food first?” That was Angela chiming in, beaming all over her face and shooting meaningful glances at Freya as she marched toward the buffet with a fresh platter of bacon and sausage. “Let the poor woman get a cup of coffee and a plate, for God’s sake. Grill her after she’s had some sustenance!”
Soon afterward, I found myself seated next to Holly as I ate my breakfast. That put me at constant risk for another massive Gabri-nostalgia moment, but I had to barrel onward and hope for the best. No way could I armor myself against a sweet little girl who reminded me so much of my younger sister.
Holly beamed at me as I bit into a piece of sourdough toast. “Uncle Ethan never brought any of his girlfriends here before,” she said. “You must be special.”
I coughed on my buttery toast crumbs. “Oh, I think that was more about a last-minute security strategy than anything else.”
“At first,” Ethan interjected from across the table. “At first.”
“Holly’s right,” Freya confirmed. “And we’re not just talking about this house. I don’t think I’ve ever run into his previous lady friends in any Masters’ residence.”
“Do you have to talk about this in front of her?” Ethan said, frowning.
Freya snorted, ignoring him. “I’ve run into a few of them out in the wild, maybe, but never in his private space. He’s a penthouse luxury hotel suite kinda guy.”
“Frey,” Ethan snapped. “Don’t. Holly’s listening.”
“Holly’s the one who brought it up,” Freya said. “And who invited you into this conversation, anyway?” Freya turned back to me. “Imagine our shock when word came to us about a mysterious blonde bombshell saving his ass. And then being sequestered at the Mountain House.”
I rolled my eyes. “Bombshell? Oh please. Give me a break.”
“True thing,” Freya said solemnly. “We’ve been dying to check you out. And I can honestly say you have exceeded all expectations.”
I felt a warm glow inside. “Well, I can’t imagine why,” I said, abashed. “But I appreciate the thought.”
“Your blouse is pretty,” Holly piped up. “I like the green. Like pine trees.”
I was intensely grateful for the timely change of subject. “Thanks. I like it, too. Angela picked it out for me. I ended up coming here in such a rush, I had no time to pack my own stuff.” I looked at Freya. “I had to borrow some of your things the first couple of days. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Good God, no. For you, anything, anytime,” she said swiftly. “That elevator stunt alone earned you full access to my wardrobe for the next ten lifetimes.”
“Holly, Jenn tracked down those books we were talking about,” Ethan said. “They’re in the library. I’ll go get them for you.”
Holly’s eyes lit up. “The Blackthorne Key series? You got them? Oh goodie!”
“Yes, and I found a good one about the history of codes, too, like we talked about. From now on, I’ll encrypt all my messages to you, and you’ll have to figure out which key to use.”
“Cool!” Holly crowed, clapping.