Page 12 of A Corruption Dark & Deadly

Annie pressed her lips together. Another statement that probably meant three other things than what it sounded like.

Since she didn't know how to answer; she decided not to.

"You can come in the kitchen, you know," he said slowly, glancing up at her as he proceeded to crack eggs into the mixing bowl. "I'm not going to bite you. And you never answered my question."

"I'm just confused as to what's happening here," she replied. "Do you live here now? Are you evicting me? Because let me tell you right now that I have no intention of leaving so easily."

Jericho's eyes sparkled with amusement. They were nearly as green as grass. "I didn't think you would," he told her. "To answer your questions, though, no, I am not evicting you. You've lived here your whole life and it wouldn't be fair to expect you to pack up now simply because your parents decided that the oldest sibling was the more responsible one and put his name on the deed of the house. I want you to stay. As for me living here, I would actually prefer it. I like the quiet and the solitude. My business is in the city but that's no place to raise a family."

"You want to raise a family," Annie said slowly, not quite believing him.

"Of course," he said, dropping his eyes down to the bowl. He grabbed a mixer with his right hand and proceeded to mix the eggs together. "Don't you?" He gestured at the table. "Sit and I'll explain." He cocked his head to the side. "Please?"

Annie rubbed her lips together. She tried to look away but was unable to. Instead, she slowly made her way into the kitchen and slid into a seat where she could keep an eye on him at all times. She didn't trust him here. She wanted to call the police and report him for trespassing but since her idiot brother decided to give him their house, she really couldn't do anything about it.

"I would like to leave a child my legacy," he continued, his eyes dropping to his bowl as he resumed his mixing. "Perhaps two, if I'm lucky. But first, I want to find the right type of woman to have children with."

Annie all but rolled her eyes. "Take your pick," she told him, staring at the newspaper and not him. Even so, she could feel his stare on her. "I'm sure if you mentioned your desire to settle down and start a family, the women would line up at your clubs just for the opportunity."

He smiled. "Perhaps," he said. "But the desire to procreate doesn't automatically translate into being a good parent or a good wife."

"Let me guess," Annie said. "You want to pop out as many kids as possible and have your wife stay home with them while you go out and make the money."

"Actually, I would want my wife to do whatever she wanted," he told her without a hint of irony in his tone. "I want her to put our family first, of course, just like I would. But it's important to me to show my children that you can do whatever you want. You can stay home as a boy and go to work as a girl and vice versa. To be honest, I would love to retire once I had kids and stay home. I have investments that would garner me more money so I would still have that but my main focus would be my family."

Annie looked at him like he wasn't quite real. And maybe he wasn't. He was currently pouring egg batter into a buttered pan, wearing a t-shirt and dark jeans. This was not the Jericho the public knew. Hell, she barely even knew him and yet he was in a rather vulnerable position. He was cooking in casual attire, his hair spiked and messy. He wasn't completely put together and it made him look... younger.

"Is that a problem for you?" he asked, throwing a look over his shoulder at her before resuming his cooking.

"You can do whatever you want," she told him. "It makes no difference to me."

The two fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence. As the eggs fried, he poured them both two glasses of orange juice and set them down on the table. Annie reached for hers, murmuring a gentle thanks before taking a long sip. She didn't have to leave for work for another hour and she liked the solitudes her mornings used to give her.

When he finished cooking, he placed a plate in front of her. The eggs and sausage looked cooked to perfection and even though she wanted to refuse it, her stomach rumbled in response, giving her away.

Traitor, she thought to herself.

She picked up the silverware and started eating. She didn't care. Her hunger had gotten the better of her and she had no choice but to give into the temptation. How could she not, when he sprinkled cheddar on the eggs? Cheese was probably her favorite thing and he used it to win her over. She didn't like that it was working. She didn't like that something like cheese could make her weak.

It was fucking delicious. She didn't like to swear that much; she didn't see the point, really, but goddamn, the food was amazing and the addition of juice just added to it perfectly.

They ate in silence and when she finished, she placed her fork on the plate and downed the rest of her juice.

"Thank you," she said in a quiet voice.

"You're welcome," he told her.

She shouldn't want to make conversation. She shouldn't care about him at all but there was something inside of her that wanted to know.

"Did your mom teach you how to cook?" she murmured. She slowly picked her eyes up the surface of the table in order to lock eyes with him. His eyes were already looking at her, which was no surprise. He seemed surprised she asked about him and that made her feel only slightly guilty. What did he expect, honestly? He was living in her home. Her entire world was turned upside down because of him.

Well, him and Bruce.

"Would it be snobby of me if I told you my maid taught me?" Jericho asked with a smile. "Helena was a Polish woman who knew how to cook everything and who put up with my parents and their ridiculous demands. She was the closest thing I had to a mother-figure since my mom buried herself so deeply in her work and my father ran his business. She told me I might not always be so blessed and it’s skill, rather than money, that will guarantee my success. She was right." He paused to take a bite of his food. Once he swallowed it, he continued. "Helena taught me how to cook. She taught me that cleanliness was next to godliness but that everything had its proper place, as in organization mattered. She said that it was important to be kind to others, especially those less fortunate. And the secret to being a good boss was having respect for my employees." He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. "When people ask me how I came to be so successful, I tell them it wasn't my father or my upbringing and it definitely wasn't my wealth. Helena shaped my business mentality. I would have no idea where I'd be without her guidance."

"You're an only child?" Annie asked, perking her brow.

Jericho nodded once. "There wasn't a lot of love between my parents," he said. "They produced their male heir, so to speak, and after that, there was no need to force physical contact if they didn't have to. My father got that from a string of mistresses, my mother got that from a bottle of pills and the pool boy. The minute I could get away from them, I did. I went to college and then got my Masters at Cambridge because I couldn't stomach the thought of going home. I only returned after I found out my father was sick. And my mother died a short time after he did. I was never really close to them and they were never really close to me. For the longest time, Helena was my only friend." His voice sounded far away, his eyes not staring at Annie, but off into the distance. "How sad is that?"