Chapter 29
My stained tongue
Endo
Scarlett didn’t just come on my tongue. She fucking stained it. No amount of mouthwash or toothpaste or even the tea I drink with breakfast this beautiful Saturday morning can remove the stains on my tongue.
Last night, she tasted perfect, like an edible flower. Ever had one of those? They’re sweet but also tart. You want to eat more, but if you do, you might stain your mouth with the color of the flower’s petals. Purple or green. It depends on the flower. We grow them in the garden.
I stab the egg in its sunny side, lift the whole thing, and go to eat it, but pause when I realize eight pairs of eyes stare at me.
After the rainy day, the sun is up, and Philip put Marquis in the wheelchair so Marquis quits trying to walk more than he should. My twin cousins stayed the night at the Keep, and since the chef is in for the weekend, he made us the brunch we’re eating now in the front gardens by the river.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Marquis answers.
“Then stop staring at me while I eat.”
“Is that what you told the doc last night? Or did you blindfold her while you ate her out so she couldn’t look at you?”
The men snicker.
Slowly, I place the fork on the plate so it doesn’t accidentally end up in anyone’s eye.
It still might, but like this, I at least have to pick it up.
It’s not ready and in my hand. “What I do with your doctor is none of your business.” I glare at Declan, who ratted me out.
My expression might look as serious as I mean it, because he frowns.
“We’re just messing with you, Endo,” Declan says. “Relax.”
I close my eyes and count backward to five.
“I was relaxed and about to take a bite of my egg when you two started messing with me about a pussy I ate last night. Shut your mouths and let me relax, or suffer the consequences of what you’re saying.
I don’t have to shut up when you’re poking me.
Don’t fuck with me, then tell me to chill.
How about you all stop talking about pussy while I eat? How about that, huh?”
I fist the fork and stab the egg, then eat it whole, in one bite. “Anyone want to talk about the stagnant Cass situation?” If I didn’t think Daniel knew where Cass was, I would have sent Declan after him, and Scarlett would wear a nice little black dress to her daddy’s funeral.
“Our assets are still in place for a quick rescue,” Marquis says.
“Are we still calling Daniel today?” Connor asks while poking his phone.
“Why wouldn’t we?”
Marquis shrugs. “Just checking. Things might’ve changed since last night.”
“For fuck’s sake. She’s pretty. I indulged myself. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not like he never ate pussy before,” Connor voices his support.
“Not this kind of pussy,” Marquis says.
“What kind is that?” I ask.
“The collateral kind. The irresistible kind. The kind men bleed for,” Marquis says.
I lean back and scrub my face. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“Speak of the devil,” Connor says.
Scarlett walks down the steps. She’s wearing a white suit and riding boots. Is she going somewhere? When she spots us, she waves.
“Hi, Doc,” Marquis shouts.
“Hi, Doc,” I mock his pleasant voice. “A second ago, you criticized me for showing her a good time. Hypocrite.”
“Join us,” Philip says, and the twins snicker.
“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” I wipe my mouth and toss the napkin onto the plate.
“Good morning,” she says when she reaches the table. Her hair is wet and pulled up into a bun, her cheeks are rosy, and she blushes when she looks at me.
Marquis tilts his head toward her, and Scarlett kisses him on the cheek. She grabs his wrist and checks her watch, probably taking his pulse. “How is my very naughty patient this morning?”
“Not as naughty as the doctor, I hear.”
Scarlett drops his wrist, her face burning now. Mouth agape, she looks at me accusingly.
I lift my hands in surrender. “I don’t eat and tell.”
“It’s kiss and tell,” she corrects me.
“Yeah, but that’s not all I did.” Fuck. Those blushing cheeks make it easy to mess with her. “You walked right into that one.”
The chair next to mine is vacant. I pat it. “Sit.”
Scarlett barks.
I laugh. “If you haven’t earned a seat at the table yet, you certainly have now.”
Scarlett barks again.
Connor claps, then picks up her empty plate. “What can I get you to eat, Doc?”
“Whatever Endo ate.”
Silence.
Marquis laughs first.
I join him. Who knew a preppy princess could joke at her own expense?
Scarlett winks. “Eggs and some cheese, please. Thank you, Connor.”
Conner serves her the food.
“Drink?” I ask.
“A mimosa?”
Connor frowns. “Don’t know what that is.”
“Orange juice and champagne.”
He pours orange juice into one glass and champagne in another and passes them to her.
Scarlett combines the two and sips. “Mmmm. Nice.”
“Ew,” Connor says.
“I’ll have one,” Philip says.
“All around,” I say. Half an hour later, we’re drinking mimosas and making shopping plans because, as it turns out, back at her house, Scarlett threw her clothes into the suitcase, not caring about packing well. She was preoccupied with planning her escape via horseback.
This explains the white business suit and riding boots on a Saturday morning when she’s not going to work. She’s out of clothes.
“I can take you shopping,” Declan says.
“Is that so?” I ask him.
“I meant drive.”
“Say what you mean, then.”
I look around the table at my men. “What?” I say. “Which of you will wash her clothes? Walk her dog, maybe?”
“The dog doesn’t like the leash,” she says.
“Depends on the dog,” Marquis pitches. “The one with two legs or four.”
Connor barks. Twice.
Declan howls.
I throw up my hands. “I’m running a zoo.”
My phone pings with a reminder. Scarlett reads the notification.
“You have a meeting with my dad now?”
“Whenever you’re finished.”
“Ten minutes.” Scarlett tosses back her mimosa, and Connor pours her one more.
She’ll need it if her father doesn’t provide valuable information.
I’m no longer feeling charitable, sweet pussy on my tongue or not.
In fact, now that I’ve tasted her, I’m less tolerant than before.
Not sure why that is, but I’m sure I don’t care about the reason either.
All I know is that I woke up ready to conquer the world, and Daniel better help or get out of my way.
Scarlett twirls her champagne glass. “Did he call the conference or did you?”
“I did.”
She looks up from the glass. “Because if he hasn’t called, that means he has nothing new.”
“Likely.”
“The plan is then to tell him about the wedding?” She looks like she’ll throw up the meal. Am I that repulsive to her? She didn’t seem to mind last night. It was dark. She couldn’t see my face. Maybe that’s why.
“That was the plan. Now I’ve changed my mind.”
Her face brightens with what appears to be hope. She is repulsed by me. If that’s the case, I’ll double down, give her something more repulsive.
“I can’t wait till I get him on the phone.”
Scarlett’s face pales. “Why?”
“Endo?” Marquis says, worry infused in the way he says my name. “I know that look.”
“Mmhm.” I dial her dad, but he doesn’t pick up. It goes to voicemail.
I stare at the phone, then look right at her. “He’s letting my call go to voicemail. You know what I’m thinking? Maybe I took the wrong sister.”
“Oh no. You took the right sister.” Scarlett nods, trying to convince me to stay away from the other Pembroke sister.
“Charlotte could join you here.”
“Endo,” Marquis says. “Let’s pause and reassess. Let’s not act on impulse.”
I cut him a look. “Impulse is exactly what I should act on, because it’s unpredictable and keeps my enemies on their toes.
They can’t plan what to do because they don’t know what’s coming at them.
Impulse is deemed a flaw for that reason.
People don’t like what they can’t predict.
They love predictions and being right about them even more.
” I turn to Scarlett. “Your father is gambling with your life.”
She swallows. “It looks that way, but it’s not. I’m sure he’s working to get your brother’s location as fast as possible.”
I lift my phone to make my point. “He’s not picking up my call even though, for all he knows, I’m holding a gun to your head. Do I need to do that? Do you think that’ll work?”
Scarlett shakes her head. “No.”
“What will work?”
“I don’t know.”
“We have to know. We should be less impulsive and more predictable. Right, Marquis?” At the top of the hour, my phone rings, and I open the line.
“Good morning, Dani.”
“Endo.”
“What do you have for me?”
A pause, then: “Wilfred’s contact was murdered last night after he relayed the location of your brother. The person who has the location is on the run as we speak. As soon as he’s safe, he’ll make contact.”
Connor types into his laptop.
“Where was the contact last located?” I ask.
“Is Scarlett there?” Daniel counters. “I want to speak with her.”
“You’re on the speaker.”
“Hi, Daddy,” she says. When tears well up in her eyes, my chest contracts. This better be a damn heart attack. I need my brother back.
“How are they treating you?” he asks.
“Well enough.”
“Has he hurt you?”
“No, but he’s agitated. He doesn’t want to wait anymore. Please, if you have anything, tell him so I can go home.”
I nod. Good. This is good. “Back to the informant. Which country?”
“We think he’s already fled.”
Keep calm. “Since you and yours betrayed a contact already, the person he told about the location will not contact you. In their minds, you can’t be trusted. I need a name and whatever you have on whoever is on the run. I’ll take over from here.”
“When Scarlett is returned, I’ll give you everything,” another voice says. Is that Wilfred?
Ah shit, I ran out of calm. I take out my weapon and point at my chin, tilting my head back.
“Endo,” Marquis says. “What are you doing?”
“Oh God,” Scarlett says. “Please put the gun away.”
“Is that you, Wilfred?”
“Don’t you dare touch her,” he snaps. “She’s to be returned in the same condition that you took her. Whole and unharmed.”
“You know what happens when people tell me I can’t touch something?”
“Endo, do not touch my daughter,” Daniel says.
The sky is pretty. Birds fly and sing, spreading cheer all over my lawn.
“No,” Scarlett says. “No, you’re crazy. Stop that.”
I smile, then pull the trigger.