The Agreement (Darkest Lies Trilogy Book 1) by Bethany-Kris (motivational books for men .TXT) 📕

favorite game. And even if Maria did say she was too old for it, her nanny never refused to play whenever Katee asked.

It was why she cared for the woman as much as she did. In fact, Katee couldn’t remember a time when she was without Maria. A mother was a concept that she didn’t understand, and couldn’t remember having one of her own, but Maria was the closest thing to it for her.

She didn’t quite know what having a family meant, either.

The closest thing to it was the bratva. The men who came and went from her home whom she watched from afar but never approached. Even the housekeeping staff, the people who maintained the grounds—people she saw everyday, the ones she was familiar with, but didn’t engage.

Maria warned her not to.

They don’t want to talk to a child, Katee. They have better things to do than indulge a girl’s fantasies.

But nobody felt much like family to her, really.

Maria came close.

She knew her nanny liked to keep a close eye on her. Always watching—constantly attentive. It was yet another reason why the woman liked to try to convince Katee not to play hide and go seek. Maria worried Katee would hide herself too well, and for good reason.

But when she was hiding, it was the most fun she ever had. Heart racing, she wanted to feel that giddy excitement that accompanied possibly getting found. She’d hide somewhere, and listen for Maria’s footsteps, waiting to be caught.

Today was no different.

Maria insisted that Katee should stay close—in case she needed to find her quick. Something about an important day for the family ... she shouldn’t do anything to get herself in trouble.

Well ...

She didn’t want trouble.

Katee wanted to hide.

She slipped out of the kitchen when Maria had her back turned while she prepared lunch of freshly cut fruit and sandwiches made with soft, white bread. She could still hear her nanny’s voice in the background, chattering on about things Katee didn’t deem important, as she skipped down the hallway, out through the glass doors to the side ... and just like that, she was outside.

Free to hide.

Katee only had a few minutes before Maria would come looking for her. She needed to find a hiding place before time ran out.

The stone wall that ran along the edges of the driveway continued all the way around the property, keeping everyone else out, and Katee in. Shaded with hedges and shrubs, the wall was covered with creeping ivy. All those plants and trees created a camouflage Katee could use to hide between without needing to worry about being too tall.

It would take Maria at least ten minutes to find her if she managed to hide really well—longer if Katee could manage to keep herself quiet. That was always the hardest part.

Proud of her find, she ran over to crouch near the hedges, a giggle bubbling in her throat already. The minutes ticked by, calming her nervous laughter so she could be as quiet as she was still between the hedges and the stone wall. Since she hadn’t heard Maria calling for her, and had yet to run out of the house, Katee figured she might get longer than ten minutes, after all.

It was only the sound of cars roaring down the driveway that drew in Katee’s attention, taking it away from her intent to stay out of sight. The vehicles headed to the front entrance of the mansion—a part of the house she was strictly forbidden from visiting. Katee’s curiosity rooted her in place where she watched the guests arrive from one of the few breaks in the stone wall that acted as a pathway between the driveway and front grounds.

The cars came to park side by side, men pouring out from all four corners almost to the second the engines stopped running. Duffle bags followed, being pulled from the rear seats and popped-open trunks. They carried the bags into the house, each of them, and she wondered what was inside.

It had to be something important.

Another car joined the rank at the very end, close enough to her that she could hear the lyrics being belted by a singer through the speakers. That was, until the driver killed the engine and the music cut off abruptly.

The man who jumped out of the driver’s seat was ... different. Katee could tell straight away that he wasn’t the same as the other men he seemed to be following behind. It took her a moment to figure out why.

He had a kind face.

It was hard to look away.

One she didn’t recognize.

Even if it felt like she did.

His dark hair slicked back under a large palm, and piercing blue eyes roamed around the driveway. He examined his surroundings as though he needed to take it all in again. Because he hadn’t seen it before—or maybe he just didn’t know it well enough to be comfortable.

Katee leaned further to the side, beyond the hedges and the safety of the stone. She wanted to be able to see him more clearly, and what he was doing. He, too, pulled out matching duffle bags from the rear of his car. He threw them both over his left shoulder, the handles gripped tightly in one fist, and slammed the trunk shut.

It was then when Katee creeped along the wall a few inches more with her eyes wide and lips parted in silent question, that the handsome young man looked over his shoulder.

His eyes met hers instantly. She hadn’t expected him to see her considering the rest of the men barely hesitated outside of their vehicles before heading for the house. They hadn’t been concerned with their surroundings, or who might be watching.

This man wasn’t the same.

She expected anger or surprise from the stranger about her spying—anyone else who was heading to the mansion’s front entrance—would have reacted with exactly that. As they usually did whenever she got in their way.

From this man, she got a smile.

A big one.

Warm, and bright.

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