Dangerous Desires

Nineteen

-ANNABETH-

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Tavin asked for a final time when we were at the front door.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Tavin, I'm sure. Go have fun."

He gave me a little smile and slipped an arm around my waist to pull my body into his giving me a gentle kiss. "I doubt I'll stay there very long, can't tolerate all that privilege for extended amount of time."

Another deep kiss was pressed to my lips before he released me and headed for his car. I watched him pull out of the driveway before shutting the front door and drug my fingers through my hair as I turned to the house and its emptiness. My fingers drummed against my thighs  as I stood there for a moment just listening then decided to wander through the halls. I came to the closed door of my sister's craft room and slowly opened the door; aside from the smell you encounter when you walk into a house that hasn't been inhabited for sometime everything was the same- work table covered with the pieces of whatever project she'd been working on at the time, pegboard and cabinets that held her supplies.

With a heavy breath I stepped inside, a chill running down my spine as I approached the table. Fingertips brushed along all the things that were there, a little smile tugging at the corners of my lips as so many memories of the years I'd spent with my twin. I came across a line in the surface that created a square outline. My brow creased as something told me to press down on it and when I did it lifted slightly like the gas tank covers on cars. I lifted it to find a small wooden box that I hesitantly picked up; there was nothing special about the box but its contents had me slumping into the rolling chair- a silver chair from which hung a charm that was the symbol of the Order of Aclima and Aradia and it was lying on a photo. In the photo my mother had her arm around Elizabeth who held Estella, they were dressed in nice and both wore the same silver necklace. I flipped it over to see my mother's handwriting- the Christening of Estella Brooke Kennsington.

"My mother and sister were part of the order," I muttered to myself then jumped when a knock on the front door echoed through the house. I put the necklace and photograph back into the box then closed the lid before leaving the room to answer the door.

The box was set on a hallway table and I stood on my toes to look through the peephole; Galveston was standing on the front stoop with his hands shoved into the pockets of ripped jeans as he was looking around. "Gal?" I asked when I opened the door.

"Hey Mon Cher," he greeted with a smile and leaned in to place a kiss on my forehead.

"I didn't know you were back from Paris."

"I haven't been back long and I wanted to see you. Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I looked at him for a moment then ran my fingers through my hair. "Come in," I muttered and stepped aside so he could enter the house. For a moment he watched me before entering and closed the door behind him. "C'mon," I muttered after locking the door and grabbing the box from the table where I'd left it then led him to my room.

"Anna, what's going on?" he asked and I set the box on the dresser before turning to him.

"I went into my sister's craft room and found something." I nodded to the bod and his brow furrowed as he stepped to the dresser lifting the lid. I chewed on my nail as I watched him lift the photo and necklace to examine them.

"You said you found this stuff in your sister's craft room?" he asked glancing at me and I nodded.

"There was a compartment built into her worktable."

He returned the objects to the box then turned to me crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I'm taking it you didn't know your mother and sister were part of the order.'

I sort of glared at him as I leaned my back against the wall. "If I knew my mother and twin were part of some secret society would I have called you for information about said society?" I raked my fingers through my hair. "Can't say I'm surprised I didn't know. There are so many things I was kept in the dark about. Is it possible the order is like a sorority and have legacies?"

"It's incredibly possible, would explain why their numbers are so few and there are so few mentions of them."

My head fell back against the wall and I ran my hands down my face. "What is my mother getting Stella involved in?"

Gal uncrossed his arms stepping over to me, rubbing my shoulders. "It could be something other than what we think."

I let out a breath looking at him. "You're right but I know what kind of woman my mother is and am afraid she may get Estella involved in something shady."

"Baby," he muttered and gently cupped my face. "Don't worry that pretty little head of yours, we will keep an eye on everything to make sure nothing happens to her. After all she had you in her corner now."

I gave him a little smile and placed my hands over his. "Thank you Gal."

He returned my smile and leaned in to kiss me slowly. His hands dropped to my hips and mind went to the back of his neck as I returned the kiss. Thick fingers pressed into my flesh as he pulled my body hard against his and I let out a little noise when he sucked on my bottom lip. He pulled away and I almost melted into him as he looked down at me with those depthless eyes. "Sorry, I know we were having a serious conversation," he muttered, and I shook my head.

"It's okay, I need something to keep my mind busy. If not I'll overthink everything."

"Well in that case."

He lifted me up and my arms and legs wrapped around him as my back was pressed to the wall and our mouths found one another again.