"Only until you have your own," Rory said.
She took a deep breath. "Sometimes that plan doesn't work out, you know. I think I was born to be the maiden aunt. Good night."
She stepped out into the hallway.
"Perhaps it's time we did something about Claire." Callum stared at the door.
Oliver raised a curious brow. "And what would that entail, Master Callum? Do you have a Dom you want to gift her to?"
Callum shuddered. "Again, let's not talk about our sister having sex. She has had sex, right? I mean she's not … she went to university and everything."
"So did Tori, but she managed to come out of it a virgin," Rory pointed out. "I don't know, but something or someone definitely hurt Claire. She never dates. I'm not sure how to fix that. Perhaps Oliver's right and we should find her a husband. I've got a couple of good candidates."
Did his brothers think at all? "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to find herself back in the medieval period where it's acceptable for her brothers to sell her off like chattel."
"I'm not trying to do that." Rory's fingers drummed along the table. "I just don't like the idea of her being alone. Now that we're with Tori, who will she take care of?"
"Rory's right. Claire's a born caregiver. I can't imagine her without a family of her own." Callum looked back at the door. "Maybe we should look into what happened to her those years she was away at university."
Oliver had zero problems with intruding into his sister's life. She'd taken care of him for years. It was time to do the same for her. "I'll get someone on it. But for now, I think we've made Tori wait long enough. She's naked by now. I, for one, am ready to celebrate the fact that we're getting married."
He was getting married. He'd never believed he would do it again. He'd been absolutely certain he would never try to love another woman, but Tori had gotten under his skin. She'd been the catalyst for everything. She'd been the reason he'd gone back to Bezakistan and faced his past, the reason he'd learned that it wasn't everything he'd believed. She was the reason he was strong again and it was far past time to devote his life to her.
The door rounded open and slammed against the wall. Claire rushed in. "I was on my way to the kitchen when I found him."
A sharp jolt of dread flashed through Oliver. Claire's eyes were wild with terror. Her hands were shaking. He reached out and grabbed them, hoping to steady her. "What are you talking about? Who did you find?"
"The solicitor. That man she brought with her," Claire stammered.
Callum was on his feet and Rory pulled out his phone.
"I need a security check," Rory said immediately. "I want to know when Thea and her solicitor left and I need confirmation they are no longer on the grounds. I'll wait."
"You saw the solicitor leaving?" Oliver asked, though he was fairly certain it wasn't true.
Claire shook her head. "I think he's dead. He was just inside the foyer. He's not moving. I-I don't think the guard has patrolled that way yet."
Rory shook his head. "He has now. He's called an ambulance. The solicitor was struck on the back of the head with one of our mother's antique fireplace pokers. Thea must have picked it up as they walked through the parlor. He's still breathing, but he's definitely injured."
Oliver's heart started to race. "Please tell me she stole his car and left."
Callum looked out the window. "It's still in the drive. Thea is here and she's going to look for Tori."
"Or you." There was no question she wanted Callum more than anything. But she may have descended into madness and convinced herself that if she got rid of Tori, Callum would be hers.
"She's in my bedroom." Callum started out the door. "I bet Thea looked in my bedroom, and that's where I just sent Tori."
If Oliver let him, Callum would rush in and possibly startle the crazy bitch into shooting. Instead, he caught his brother by the arm, slowing him. "How does she know where the bedrooms are?"
"It isn't hard to figure out they're upstairs," Callum shot back.
Rory followed. "I'm getting a hunting rifle. I'll coordinate with the security team."
Callum struggled to get his arm loose. "You have to let me go. I've got to save Tori."
Oliver needed his brother to think clearly. "Think for a second. We can't run in. Chaos is the enemy. She'll shoot first. You need to be calm. Let's head to the bedroom. She might have overheard us telling Tori to wait for us there. I'm sure she's read the articles about this place. If she's as obsessed as she seems to be, it would have been easy for her to find all the information about this house. Mother used to talk about the architecture and how she decorated all the time. One of the magazines even included blueprints. She knows where the bedrooms are. We have to go in as if we don't know anything is wrong."