Later that night
Brandon stepped inside the house and quietly closed the door behind him.
He reached over and switched off the remaining lights on the ground floor, letting the lower part of the mansion settle into darkness. Only the faint glow from upstairs remained.
He climbed the stairs without hurry as the wood creaked faintly under his steps.
Most people had either gone to sleep or withdrawn into their own rooms.
At the top of the stairs he turned down the familiar hallway and pushed open the door to the bedroom.
Ravene and Elize were already inside, waiting for him.
Both women looked up as he entered. The soft light from the bedside lamp cast a warm glow across the room, outlining their figures against the sheets.
Ravene was sitting up against the headboard with one knee drawn loosely toward her chest, while Elize sat nearer the edge of the bed.
Ravene's lips curved slightly, and she shifted on the bed, making a small space between them.
"Come here, dear."
