The first thing Nadia did when she stood in Andrae's chamber was look for Euan. She barely pain any mind to the fact that her bags were placed in the armoire as she looked under the bed.
"Euan's probably out getting answers."
Nadia huffed as she stood up and looked about the room. It was strange standing in the room with him, especially after what happened at her apartment. But she wasn't going to stay; she would be in another safe house before the end of the night. "Who else is here?"
"Liam and Caleb might be back." Andraemalek walked forward and took hold of her hand. She tried to pull away, but he held her fast. "Let's check downstairs." He led her out of the room and through the long hall that led to the main staircase. As he glanced at her, he felt the corners of his mouth pull up in a smile at the look of awe on her face. Euan had taken her out the back, meaning she'd only seen the old servants' quarters. "We have this house built about two hundred years ago."
House? The place was a friggin' castle! The long hall was lit to resemble candlelight and beautifully illuminated the rich crème walls that were adorned with tapestries and gorgeous oil paintings. On the marble floor was a rich Asian rug that was quite obviously custom made to fit the parameters of the hall. Beautiful bronze chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling, both adding height and a sense of history to the walkway. There were no plants or suits of armor to add flair to the hallway, but there were many small tables covered with various pieces of art from all over the world. "How do you afford all of this?" It was plain to see that The Brethren did not work regular nine-to-five jobs, so there had to be another explanation for their vast wealth.
"Ever heard of Wood Creek?"
"The huge conglomerate that specializes in manufacturing wood furniture?"
Andraemalek nodded his head as he continued to walk her down the hall. He was quite sure she thought that his was the only room along the walkway but in actuality, she shared the floor with two of his brothers, only they chose to have their doors look like the walls of the hall. "Yes, we also restore antique furniture and help customers purchase international pieces."
"We?" Nadia looked up at him as they walked, amazed by what she was hearing. Wood Creek had been in business for over a century.
"Yes. It's owned by The Brethren. Keeps up legitimate."
"Legitimate?"
"We have to put the money somewhere."
Nadia said nothing to that statement. It led to questions she wasn't sure she wanted the answers to. She continued to gape at the beautiful art in the house as the walked down a flight of stairs that led to a modern kitchen that had to be bigger than her apartment. Again, there were marble floors that shone from the bright fluorescent ceiling lights. The large appliances were all stainless steel and did nothing but accent the rich chestnut cabinets that were covered with black marble. A large island covered with baskets of fruits, bread and peanuts stood in the center of the kitchen. Two men she'd never seen before sat on opposite ends of the island, both staring at the plasma television mounted high on the wall behind her. She stared at the men in shock as both were extremely gorgeous. The blonde with short, almost spiked hair was looking at her. His gaze was intense, almost as if he was studying her. Uncomfortable with his unwavering stare, she looked at the other man and immediately regretted the choice. The redhead's blue eyes were angry looking but curious and his face seemed to be in a permanent scowl. She wondered what had him angry and decided that Andraemalek was the one to upset him. It seemed to be what the demon did best, after upsetting her, anyway, she thought as she glared up at him. Stupid Andrae with his stupid mission and stupid face-
The sudden laugh from the blonde man pulled Nadia from her thoughts. She looked back at the television and frowned at the commercial for a children's hospital. Did this man find the thoughts of sick and dying children funny?
"So you're D.'s human."
Nadia looked at the redhead and blinked back her surprise at the velvet tone of his voice. He didn't sound angry when he addressed her, but that didn't stop him from glaring at his brother. "No, I'm no one's anything."
"You should tell him that."
She looked at the blonde haired man and tilted her head at the strange lilt of his voice. While the tone of his voice wasn't as deep as Andrae's or smooth like the redhead's, there was a calming quality about it, one that made her feel warm and safe. "I have, several times. But he won't listen."
Andraemalek pulled Nadia further into the room as he said, "And she won't accept that. Nadia, these are my brothers, Liam and Caleb."
Nadia nodded to them as she tried to pull her hand away from Andrae's. He still refused to let go, and she glared at him for the domineering behavior. His grin did nothing to better her mood, so she stepped on his foot to prove her point.
Andraemalek held in a laugh at her action and focused his attention on Caleb. It was obvious that his brother was busy reading Nadia's thoughts and he quickly bent to the task of seeing to her privacy.
Caleb winced at the harsh thought that penetrated through his focus on reading Nadia. He looked at his brother with a raised brow and grinned at the warning look he was given. The Brethren would laugh about this for years.
"Any news?" Andraemalek asked.
"The Order has it out for all of us," Liam said.
"Tell me something I don't know."
Liam angrily stood from his seat and leaned across the island. "Had you done what you were sent to-"
"You want me dead?" Nadia asked incredulously. He didn't even know her and he wanted her dead? What was that about?
"Of course I don't want you dead," Liam muttered. "But since D. won't kill you, we have a shit load of trouble coming."
"Don't mind Liam," said Caleb as he stood up from his seat. After motioning her to sit down, he continued, "What he means to say is that there is a lot of chaos going on in the underworld after hearing about the possibility of being discovered."
"Was there anything useful to us?" Andraemalek asked as he watched Nadia settle herself. She seemed more at ease in the kitchen, no doubt because they weren't alone. He almost laughed at the thought.
"The good news; we only have to deal with The Order," Liam said. He glanced at Nadia and noticed the curious stare she gave him. The look reminded him of Caleb when he decided to invade his thoughts. "What are you staring at?"
Naida didn't hide her surprise at his bold question. He seriously didn't like her.
"Don't worry about Liam," Caleb said again, "He's always in a bad mood."
