He barely moves as he replies, “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay, well I can’t just let you in. I’ll have to go raise the alarm.” I swipe my fingers through my hair. Nerves, like a thousand needles, prickle my skin. “I’ll try to look out for you but remember we’ve never met. I’m not even supposed to know you exist. If Ragnor knew my mother had told me about you—”
“I won’t say anything that would get you in trouble, Nico.” Sam’s voice is surprisingly warm. Kind. As if he truly wouldn’t want something bad to happen to me.
Before returning to the house, I pause. “I hope this isn’t the last time we get to speak to one another,” I tell him.
Sam meets my eyes as I look back over my shoulder and says, “I hope so too.”
* * *
Inside,I stop in the entrance hall. It’s large with a gray flagstone floor and a sweeping staircase that leads to the upstairs of the house. I approach the door to the lounge. My palms are sweating. My father has always made me nervous, but now—as ashamed as I am to admit it—I’m terrified of him.
I’ve always seen disappointment in his eyes but, since I failed and ran away from my undercover mission at The Hollow, I now see something else too. Disgust.
I knock hesitantly. When there’s no answer, I draw in a deep breath and knock louder. Still no answer, I push the door open to find my father standing completely naked in front of the fire. His hands are braced on the mantle, bulky shoulders rippling. Eve is kneeling in front of him.
Shoving her away from him, he whirls around, eyes flashing with anger as he yanks his pants back up.
Eve wipes her mouth and stands. Her eyes are completely black. Pools of liquid ink. She smiles at me and saunters over.
“What the fuck do you want, Nico?” Ragnor spits.
“I think he wants to join us,” Eve coos, running her thin fingers up my chest.
“Eve,” Ragnor growls.
“There’s something you need to see.” I speak up before either of them can say anything else. “Outside. Someone who says he’s your son.” I fix my eyes on Ragnor’s. I study his face.
His expression doesn’t change. Is he so utterly devoid of feeling that he doesn’t give a damn the son he abandoned twenty years ago is now on his doorstep? Heck, even curious about how he found us here?
Wordlessly, Ragnor pushes past me. He doesn’t bother putting on a shirt, just strides through the house with me at his heels. “Where?” he snaps.
“Outside.”
Once we get outside, he stops in front of the fountain, glaring at me. “Show me.”
Eve is skipping behind us, her dress caught in her panties, exposing a flash of her milky white thigh. “Another son? Ragnor, how lucky. Now I’ll have three boys to play with.”
Again, my father ignores her.
I lead him down toward the barrier. While half of me is desperate to see Sam again, the other half prays he’ll have changed his mind and run back to Nova. But no. He’s right where I left him.
Taking in Ragnor’s form, Sam draws himself up to his full height and simply glowers at him. Fuck, I wish I could be that brave in our father’s presence.
“Sam?” Ragnor’s eyes twitch. He trails his gaze up and down Sam’s body. “You’ve grown.”
“That happens over the course of twenty years,” Sam replies in a steady tone.
“How did you find me?” Ragnor folds his arms.
“Contacts,” Sam replies.
My chest tightens. Don’t be too cocky, Sam. Please, don’t be too cocky.
Ragnor’s jaw twitches. “What do you want?”
“I want to talk.”