Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(9)

“How are your studies going today?” she asked.

He huffed an impatient sigh, his face contorted to show his exasperation. “We were learning to read this morning. I don’t like reading.”

“That’s not true. You like it when I read to you.”

“I have to go back to Ms. Denton. We’re on math now. Are you going to nap? You look tired.”

Again her son was caring for his mother. It wasn’t fair at all that this was his life. “I am. We’ll play a little when I wake up.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later. Have a nice sleep.”

She watched him head down the hall to his classroom. She missed Bonnie, the nanny and companion they’d had before her divorce. Addy wasn’t particularly fond of the tutor her brother had brought in, but she was giving the woman a chance. She was very stern and didn’t seem to enjoy children very much. But Troy was making progress with his studies.

Addy wondered if there was any way she could keep Troy and Owen separate while he was staying here. That was probably a waste of energy. It wasn’t as if Owen didn’t know about her son. He knew everything.



Owen lost track of how long he stood in the middle of Addy’s blue salon. Long enough, he supposed, for his room to be made up, as he learned from the butler, who introduced himself as Spencer Hudson.

“I’ll escort you there now, if you like, sir.”

Owen looked at him, wondering if he was a new hire or if he went back to the days of Omni employment. “Thank you.” They crossed the foyer and went to the east wing. “This is an unusual home to find in a location like this. Do you know its history?”

“Oh, indeed. Mr. Winstead made his fortune in the 1849 gold rush in California. He became quite the industrialist and decided to build a monument to himself, an elegant place where he could entertain the nation’s elite. Being the businessman that he was, he decided to open the castle to wealthy travelers who came to take the waters and gentlemen who wished to hunt. Sadly, he only lived here a decade after it was completed. His heirs formalized this estate into a business, which continued until the Great Depression, when many of its clientele went belly up. Prohibition just about finished it off. It managed to limp along for another couple of decades until the Omnis bought it in the fifties. It was painstakingly restored to its original grandeur in the eighties.”

“Have you worked here long?”

“No. I started only a couple of years ago, after Ms. Jacobs’ divorce. Mr. Jacobs said you would like to look around. May I give you a tour? Or would you prefer to do a self-guided tour?”

“I’d love a tour.” It would be a great chance to dig for some info on what was happening here…and what kind of security Jax had in place. Owen wished he had his own phone so he could test for wireless devices, which he had a strong suspicion were everywhere. Jax was no idiot. He said he had his own team. They had to be watching everything, like Owen’s crew did at Blade’s.

“Very good, sir.” They went into one of the bedrooms. “I’ve taken the liberty of putting your things in your room. If you find you require anything that you forgot to bring, do let me know. Mr. Jacobs has offered you the use of anything in his closet. He’s also instructed me to tell you that you are free to explore the house and grounds as you like.”

“I appreciate that. What time does Ms. Jacobs have supper?”

“She eats early, sir. At six. She’s asked me to serve your meal in your room.”

Owen smiled. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll join her in the dining room.”

“As you wish. Shall we meet in the foyer in ten minutes?”

“Sounds good.”



The mansion, as Owen had observed from the air, was comprised of two wings terminating in round towers and joined at the center by a massive one where the main stairs were. Between the wings, facing south, was a conservatory that spanned two floors. It was original to the house and was still in working condition, with both ornamental and edible plants and a large center fountain.

The restoration had returned the castle to its Victorian elegance—too ostentatious for his tastes, but much more luxurious than other mountain resorts built in the same era. This was no oversized log lodge. This mansion would have been at home anywhere along most of the eastern seaboard.

After a lengthy tour of the first floor, the basement—where the staff housing was—and the attic, which had amazing views of the surrounding terrain, they walked through the upper east wing. Most of the house was closed up, with sheets covering the furniture. It was a big place for just Addy and Jax.

All along the tour, Spencer pointed out art by famous potters, sculptors, and painters. The collection was probably worth more than the mansion and grounds together were. Owen wondered if it was left over from the time of the Omnis. He was surprised they’d agreed to transfer ownership of it in whatever settlement Jax had negotiated for Addy…which made Owen wonder how fully this property was disconnected from the Omnis. Maybe not at all. Maybe it was only on loan. Maybe they were waiting for something before taking it from Addy…or taking Addy back into their custody. The Omnis never let go of what was theirs.

And that made him wonder again which side of the fight Jax was on.

They stopped at the closed doors to the west wing. “Sir, I feel we should conclude our tour here. The upper west wing contains Ms. Jacobs’ private quarters. She usually rests for a while in the afternoon. I would not like to disturb her.”