The DeBurghs followed Sondrio’s departure and then Darby was turning to her husband.
“I know you’re gonna provide details? That was harder to follow than a conversation between two three year olds. Jeez, how many men are in that family anyway?” She marveled.
Kraven focused on flexing his hands until the need to fist them had quelled.
Darby set aside her half-filled plate. “At least explain what ‘that time of year’ meant?” She added a phony air of foreboding to her tone.
Kraven’s amusement was slow to rise, but he gave into his wife’s request for details. “Every year the Tesanos hold a meeting similar to the annual stockholders meetings most companies have. Only this meeting focuses on businesses the Tesanos might have a hard time explaining to their more… upstanding associates.”
“Demanding business?” Darby referenced Kraven’s earlier words.
Kraven gave the vaguest hint of a smile. “Business that Roman Tesano started Vestige to wipe out.”
“And what was all that about Hill?”
Kraven moved to the buffet and began to fill his own plate. “There aren’t many heirs to that throne.”
“Impossible.” Darby sounded incredulous. Silently, she noted that the women had to be lining up for an opportunity to join a family with that much to offer in the good looks department alone.
Kraven grinned as though somewhat reading his wife’s mind. “It’s not what you’re thinking. It’s not a question of having viable stock to claim the throne. There’re plenty, ready, willing and able to step in and take the load from the Fat Cats.”
“The...fat cats?” Darby laughed.
“It’s how Fernando and his cousins call the generation before them the Elders. The Fat Cats’ label isn’t as endearing but they’re among Liam Tesano’s most trusted business advisors. They help run...that part of the Tesano business until the appropriate heir is ready to step in.”
“Hill.” Darby’s guess earned a wink from her husband. “Is that a problem?” She grabbed her plate and fell in step with Kraven as they left the buffet.
“Not in the grand scheme of things,” Kraven explained, “but Liam Tesano was adamant about having only Tesanos from his direct bloodline leading what he built. Apparently, there was little support from his family back in the early days. He and his wife raised their boys impoverished for years before Liam found his niche. There’s a lot of bitter blood lingering because of that.”
“So that’s why Gabriel and Vale Tesano head it all?” Darby queried.
“One of the reasons.” Kraven held his wife’s chair when they returned to their table. “Liam was also adamant that-when he was of age- his first grandson was to assume control of the business to run anyway he saw fit. His word was to be absolute.”
Darby whistled. She took a bite of the strawberry tart and silently approved Sondrio Tesano’s suggestion. “So Hill returning to the foal, means…?”
Kraven cut into one of the thick steak strips he’d selected from the buffet. “It could mean anything as far as the Fat Cats are concerned. Hill does a good job of keeping his less than upstanding reputation intact. That could make this grand reappearance of his a cause for celebration.”
Darby tilted her head, fork poised to spear a shrimp puff then. “Only?” she prompted.
“Only, it’s well known that Hill doesn’t want to wear the crown because of his love and loyalty to his father.”
“And his guilt over Ms. Imani.” Darby sent a thoughtful glance toward the buffet where they’d parted ways with Sondrio Tesano. “Hill’s cousin sounded hopeful when you said you hadn’t seen him.”
“That’s because Son doesn’t want Hill coming back. Pike, Smoak and Cai aren’t interested. Brogue’s dead, so he’s next in line after Hill.”
“And Sondrio’s claim to the throne comes by way of…?”
“His father. Stone
Tesano.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Her day had been a rare one that was for sure. Going almost a full 24 hours without the girls calling her for one emergency or another, needing her to be ‘it’ in one of their endless games of tag or just wanting her in the same room with them, had become her norm.
There were no complaints. Persephone adored her girls and they knew it which often made the disciplinary responsibilities associated with parenthood rather difficult. At any rate, so much mommy time was quite unusual and Persephone admitted she was at somewhat of a loss as to what to do with herself.
Regardless, she wouldn’t dare change a thing. Besides, the girls had a new toy and they weren’t in any rush to set it aside.
She couldn’t blame them. Hill Tesano’s charm was a thing no female could deny regardless of her age. Persephone smiled, shutting off the shower and indulging in a long, appreciative stretch of her loose muscles.
Following a late meal of surprisingly delicious warmed-over waffles, she indulged in a shower that ran long as she tried to come up with another activity to occupy her time. She was sure the girls wouldn’t mind her horning in on their time with Hill, but she would. It was time the girls needed with their father. Time that; because of her, was long overdue.
She was leaving the bathroom using one towel to dry her hair and another to soak in the water beaded on her skin. She was contemplating using her unexpected free time to review some client files in her office, when she found Hill there in her room. For the second time that day, she witnessed him totally at ease. His long legs were propped on a hunter green ottoman that matched the arm chair he sat in to enjoy the view from the terrace.
“Sorry about that,” he smiled as though suddenly taking note of her standing there.
Liar, she accused silently, reading the suggestion in that cat’s purr of his. She held both towels to her chest and cast a quick look across her shoulder. “Everything okay?”
The sly, dangerous smile of his made the immediate transformation to soft and heartstopping. “They’re watching the Princess DVD that came with the book.”
“So what are you doing here?” She posed the question as a blatant tease. “You’re missing out on the full treatment. The book’s only part of the fun.” His resulting laughter was a sound she totally enjoyed.
“I love those two more than the air I breathe,” his voice was still colored with amusement, “but I feel I’ve honestly earned a break,” he chuckled then. “It’s weird how that happened.”
Persephone was making, what she hoped, was an inconspicuous attempt at tucking in the towel flaps at her breasts when she heard him. “Weird? Needing a break?”
“Love.” His brows met then as if pronouncing the word affected him in a way he hadn’t expected.
“Just like that and without question.” He leaned over in the chair to brace his elbows to his knees. “I believe I’d let someone put a gun to my head and pull the trigger if I knew it’d keep them safe.”
