Chapter 109
[ 506 words ]
Chapter 109:
Caroline sucked in a sharp breath. She forced her tactical training to override her panic, locked her jaw, and gave a single, stiff nod.
Jarrod let go of her hands and stepped out of the SUV first, then turned and offered his arm. Caroline placed her hand on his bicep, stepped out in her four-inch stilettos, and landed solidly on the cold flagstone path.
They walked through the West Side Gate.
The interior corridor was suffocatingly dark. Thick, heavy Persian rugs absorbed the sound of their footsteps. The walls were lined with massive, gloomy oil paintings of dead Romero ancestors staring down at them with judgmental eyes.
Every step Caroline took in the stilettos sent a dull ache up her calves, but she kept her spine perfectly straight.
As they reached the end of the long corridor, the faint, elegant sound of the string quartet and the low hum of hundreds of voices drifted from the main hall.
Jarrod suddenly stopped walking.
𝗡𝘦𝘸 с𝘩а𝘱𝘁𝗲𝘳𝗌 𝗲𝘃е𝗋𝘆 wе𝖾𝗸 oո gа𝗹n𝗼𝘷e𝗹s.со𝗆
He looked toward the bright light spilling from the main hall. His jaw clenched. A dark, calculating light flashed in his eyes.
He turned sharply to his left, grabbed the brass handle of a heavy, carved wooden door, and pushed it open, pulling Caroline into a small, dimly lit side parlor.
The room was completely empty. A single antique crystal lamp cast a warm glow over a leather sofa and a long mahogany table covered in catered appetizers and crystal decanters.
Jarrod reached up and shrugged off his heavy black wool overcoat. He stepped behind Caroline and draped the massive coat over her bare shoulders.
The heavy fabric instantly engulfed her. The intense, intoxicating scent of his cedarwood cologne and pure male heat wrapped around her skin, chasing away the chill of the estate.
Caroline turned around, her brow furrowed in deep confusion.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked, clutching the lapels of his coat. “Are you planning to hide me in a closet for the entire night?”
Jarrod stepped into her personal space, lifted his hands, and cupped her face, his rough thumbs gently stroking the high arches of her cheekbones.
“The main hall is currently packed with venomous politicians and media vultures,” Jarrod explained, his voice a low, dangerous rasp. “If I walk you in there right now, they will tear you apart with questions. You will be a walking target.”
His eyes darkened with absolute resolve.
“I have to go upstairs to the study,” Jarrod said. “I have to face my grandfather. General Augustus.”
Caroline’s breath hitched. She knew the name. The absolute dictator of the Romero empire.
“I need to neutralize the heaviest artillery first,” Jarrod stated coldly. “Once I force the old man to acknowledge you, you get a bulletproof shield. Then, we walk into the light.”
Caroline’s tactical brain instantly processed the logic. It was a flawless military strategy. Eliminate the highest-ranking threat before engaging the infantry.
She nodded her head. “Understood.”
Jarrod leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against her forehead. It was a heavy, branding kiss of protection.
“Do not leave this room,” Jarrod ordered. “I will be back in twenty minutes.”
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