Free Joseph Fallen (The Estate Series) by M.S. Willis Page A

abrasive against skin heated in rage.
    “Call a meeting in the ballroom for this evening.   I want the top men in each of the units
in attendance.   After tonight, there
will be no doubt what will occur to any man who dares attack The Estate –
from outside or from within.”
    “Is Connor to attend?”
    “Yes.”
    “And who will guard your wife?”
    Joseph thought silently for a moment before finally turning
to Emory.   A wicked smile stretching
lazily across his face, he answered, “Have Connor bring her as well.”
    . . .
    Muscles stretched taut across her back and neck, Arianna
stopped rocking when her body finally quivered in revolt against the continued
movement.   Her tears had long ago
dried up, her burning eyes only daring to peek up at the man standing across
the room every once in a while.    Hours had passed, but she hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, hadn’t wanted to
accept the company of a man she knew killed easily and without hesitation or
regret.   Noticing that he never
looked at her directly, she eventually found herself watching him, losing her
fight against her curiosity of the identity of the man and how he’d come to
work for her husband.   It was a
small, and most likely, unimportant question, that danced amongst the countless
others she   had regarding Joseph.
    Standing sentinel, Connor was motionless in front of
Arianna, absolutely silent in his observation, while he leaned against a wall
near the door to the music room.   He
was dressed in head to toe black, his shoulders and chest straining against the
stretched material of his shirt, his pants hanging off slender hips before
bulging out from the muscles in his thighs.   He wore his hair short, but even still
glints of light appeared to be swallowed by the ebony black strands that
covered his head.    He appeared
younger than Joseph, but only by a few years.   His face was chiseled, his strong jaw
twitching every once in a while, giving away the fact that he was not, in fact,
the unmoving statue that he appeared to be.
    She didn’t want to move, didn’t know what to think of the
unknown man who’d watched over her since her husband had left her crumpled on
the music room floor.   But she knew
she could not remain there waiting for Joseph’s return; knew that it would not
be until the late evening hours that he’d travel back to her wing – to
her.
    Uncurling from her balled position on the floor, she
stretched her legs out in front of her and allowed her head to fall heavily
against the wall at her back.    After gaining an upright position, she watched him for a few more
minutes, impressed in his ability to remain as still, as terrifyingly silent as
he was.
    Suddenly annoyed, she cautiously pushed herself up into a
standing position, not sure if she was allowed to leave the room, or if she was
trapped there until Joseph decided to return. Hesitantly, she took several
steps towards the door, noticing how the man her husband had left behind
finally turned when she’d approached.   His eyes met hers; she stopped moving and was thoroughly entranced by
the deep, multi-hued green.   Perfectly contrasted by the deep tan of his skin and the silk black of
his hair, the man’s eyes glittered like priceless jewels, the color beaming
outwards, making them appear alien and unreal.   How someone of such beauty could also be
a stone-cold killer was beyond her, but she knew she stared into the face of a
demon,   one who lurked beneath the
cloak of an angel.
    Stepping into the hall, she walked toward her suite,
distinctly aware of the soft thud of boots behind her.   For each step she took, one was matched,
and she stopped suddenly to discover that those quiet thuds stopped as
well.   Taking another step, she
heard one that followed, and she stopped again.   Turning slightly, she peeked out from
behind a golden curtain of hair to see that the man stood   silently in wait of her next move.
    “Oh!   This is
just ridiculous.”