Chapter 3. Allies and Enemies (2)

2021, February 14th. Imperium, Warlanda

“We’ve had a sighting,” Nathan reported, coming to stand next to Keira, who was seated at the head of the table, watching last-minute preparations being made for The Table’s Assembly.

They were already well into the new year and Madz’s death was still a hot topic of discussion. Keira and Nathan had been preparing for this since the moment she took charge. It was time to bring Kate in. Whether she had a hand in Madz’s murder or not, she was a problem that needed to be handled.

“Where?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

Keira turned her head towards Nathan, her dark eyes boring into his.

“Where is Kray Kray Katie, Nate?”

“Maine, Terres Somnia. Guess who just so happens to live there now?”

Keira’s blood ran cold. Kate knew that Keira was the one who killed Dean, her creepy decade-long crush. Her being so close to Aaron was no coincidence. It could mean nothing good. So much for him being safe away from her.

Nathan knew that look. She was going after him.

“You’re not just Keira anymore. You’re Archduchess Dormer, Queen of Assassins. You can’t just do whatever the fuck you want to. The Table’s Assembly is today, as per your request. Madz’s killer is either in our house right now or on their way to it. What about all these people who already think—”

“I don’t give a shit what they think! He’s not dying today, not while I’m alive. Stall them.”

“Kei, think about—”

“You’d do well to remember what you just said. I’m not just Keira or Killshot anymore, little brother. I’m not asking, Nate.”

***

Maine, Terres Somnia

What kind of message was he sending by coming tonight? What was he telling her? Was it crazy that he was losing his mind about having dinner with a woman he’d had dinner with a million times before? For goodness sake, he was living in the same house as her and had been for months now. They worked together on a daily basis. So what if it was Valentine’s Day? It’s just dinner. Right. Just dinner.

When Aaron came back from Warlanda, Emily reached out to him, just like she had when he thought Aria died. The similarity made him angry at first, but it was true that living in Caines was hard for him right now. He loved his family like nothing else, but Emily was right. All this was too much too soon after Keira.

What the hell was he thinking? Their dislike of Emily had nothing on their fears about The House of Dormer.

His family would lose their shit if they knew the truth about how he’d spent his six months away from home.

Emily told him that it didn’t matter to her. She only cared that he was home. She said and did all the right things, was exactly who he needed her to be when he needed her to be it, just like she said she would be a year ago. Emily even took Aaron away from Caines when she saw how he was struggling to be around his happy family. He shouldn’t have let her, but she was doing such an amazing job of being there for him instead of him being there for her. It was a refreshing change in the dynamic of their relationship.

No matter how hard he pushed, she just kept coming back, until he wanted to be close to her again. Three failed relationships later, Aaron Condor sat across from Emily Maine having a not-a-date (totally a date) dinner. He probably needed to stop letting women play with him, but this one was a special kind of dangerous because it was always her. No matter who came before or after her, he always ended up right back here, with her.

This time was worse than ever. Emily was actively pursuing him and he could say what he wanted, his family could disapprove of all they wanted, because it didn’t matter. He liked it. Aaron had spent the last six months slowly but surely letting go of all the shit between them and going back to a simpler time with her. She was becoming something she hadn’t been in a long time. His Emmy, the woman he couldn’t quite see past and it scared the shit out of him. Aaron was spiraling. There had been too many women too fast. He just wasn’t ready for her. This wasn’t happening quite the way he’d pictured it, but it seemed to be now or never.

The way he was squirming in his chair almost put her at ease. Emily didn’t want the past to drive her mad anymore. She was here and so was he and they were sharing this moment, had been sharing many everyday moments just like they used to and that was all that mattered.

“More wine?” she asked, throwing him a dazzling smile. “I know you don’t get drunk like the rest of us, but it may at least slow that brain of yours. You know, stop it from exploding.”

He gave her a sheepish grin.

“I’m that obvious, huh? It’s just been—”

She reached over and put her hand over his.

“A really long time coming,” she said impulsively.

Emily didn’t quite know where they were in their relationship either. She hadn’t realized just how many lines she crossed with Aaron when they weren’t dating, how familiar she always was with him. How was it not obvious that she was in love with this man?

“Sorry,” she said, pulling her hand away.

He’d let her pull away every time she touched him even in the slightest since he came back, but not tonight. He took her hand in his.

“Don’t be. I don’t want to be with some put-on version of you. You never used to shy away from touching me. Don’t start now, not when we’re finally about to give it a go.”

“We are?” she asked softly, hopefully.

That vulnerability, the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at him. It didn’t matter if he was ready because his heart wouldn’t stop reacting to her. He went right back to being 16, completely captivated by her.

“You didn’t know it but when I was 16, all you ever had to do was ask and I would have given you anything, done anything for you.”

She looked down and gave a little sigh. Emily did know though. She knew and the truth was had he somehow looked past her fascination with James and asked for her like he bloody well should have, she would have given him anything too.

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m not going to tell you that I’m still that kid, I’m not. I expect things now, Em. I expect you to show up, to want me like I want you.”

“I have been! I do!” she yelled desperately, jumping out of her chair.

He got up too and pulled her into his arms just like he used to. How was she in these arms for so many years telling herself it was about someone else? Her father always told her how smart she was growing up, but Emily was a moron when it came to the Condors. Crying never felt as good as it did when he held her, nothing did. All she ever wanted back then and now was for him to want her, to be nearby, to hold her.

“I wish I could change it somehow, realize sooner—”

Aaron laughed. He didn’t mean to, it just came out. She was in tears, completely at her wit’s end. Her crying used to be life or death for him. He would have given her anything to make it stop. Aaron pulled away from her and looked down into her tear-filled eyes. He gave her a cocky smirk as his thumbs wiped at her cheeks. These tears didn’t hurt. They weren’t for someone else or because he was hurting her without knowing it, without knowing that all she really wanted was for him to kiss her, ask for her, beg for her.

“Are you listening to me, Em? Did you hear everything I said?”

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face into his chest.

“I don’t know what else to say to make you believe me,” she sobbed.

Aaron smiled as he stroked her hair comfortingly. Gone was the grown-up Lady Emily Maine who had just offered him more wine, the majority shareholder of Maine Industries. In his arms, she was just attention seeking, greedy, bitchy Emily. She was still just the girl he fell in love with all those years ago.

“Clearly that’s a no. You’re not listening. I’m saying I expect things, Em. I’m saying I want you. I’m saying some part of me will probably always want to give you what you want, will always want to do anything for you.”

She let herself look again, the complete and utter mess that she knew she was, but nothing could have made her leave his arms. Emily recognized the way he was looking at her. His eyes were on her lips. He was about to kiss her.

“I want this to be the one that works, Ron. Don’t go digging in dangerous places if you don’t—”

“Tell yourself that,” he said, cutting her off, slipping his fingers into her hair, and kissing her like he used to.

It was thoughtless, careless, downright foolhardy, but their time was now. It was finally them. He wanted her, she wanted him and that was that. Or at least it would have been if it wasn’t for her. Aaron felt the gun be pressed up against his skull. He held his hands up and turned around slowly to face his assailant. His eyes widened. What was this feeling? Happiness? Anger? Pain? All of the above? Whatever it was, it wasn’t fear. How could six long months suddenly seem like nothing? What kind of nightmare was he living now?

“Hello, Prince of Assassins.”

“Keira?”

Keira watched him for a moment and saw the agony on his face. There were other things to see though, other things to hear. Like how he had just been kissing another woman, telling her that he wanted her. She was glad for the dim lighting and lack of mirrors because she didn’t want to see what she looked like, how their little love scene had hurt her.

“Try again, Romeo,” said Keira, stepping out of the shadows and coming up behind her sister, a gun aimed at her head.