What the hell?
“I need my phone,” Daisy pleads while engaging in a tug-of-war over a purse with Piper. The purse goes flying and crashes into the front window with the horrible stunted sound of glass cracking.
“Shit.” Deep down, I’ve known girls were trouble—too much “handle with care” bullshit that required endless apologies and copious amounts of chocolate, but this? The screaming, the crying, the broken fucking window? Why the hell did I voluntarily crawl into this shithole again?
“Don’t worry, dude,” Rex whispers as if they could hear over their yelling. “I got this.”
“I’vegot this,” I correct. I don’t need Rex or his money to fix anything for me. I could have said no and put the ax to this very bad idea from the get-go, but something deep inside of me wanted to help Daisy out. She’s tough, fiercely independent, and feisty as hell, but, at this moment, life has gotten her by the balls and she just needs a minute. I get it. I’ve needed a minute or two myself before.
More pounding ensues over the front door.
We all need a minute right about now.
Rex heads over and steps outside. Hopefully, he’ll quell the shitstorm. I know for a fact if I head out there, bodies are going to fly. Rex has always been able to settle with words what I’ve done far more effectively with my fists going as far back to when we were kids.
Daisy raises her tiny hand to the ceiling while clutching her phone before pulling it in and glancing down at it. “Oh God!” she whimpers, scrolling through it. “Oh God, no!” Her voice hits the roof in a series of moans and guttural cries, sounding more like an injured animal than anything human. “Mymotherknows! Mybrothersknow! Oh, for shit’s sake, I’m fucking dead.”
I haven’t heard a woman curse that much in this living room since—last night.
Her knees curl to her chest, and she rocks over the sofa in a catatonic state. “I’m a dead woman who will never graduate law school!”
Rex steps back in just as the girls start in a tizzy of shouts and cries of manufactured encouragement.
“Sounds like a beehive.” He winces. “You should be good with the press. I reminded them of a few stalking laws. Then, the cops showed up and made them all get on the sidewalk. That might be as good as it gets for now. You need me to run and get food or anything?”
“I’m good. The fridge is full, and I’ll call takeout or something for dinner. Why don’t you help me get the rest of the girls out of here, and I’ll get the poor thing to bed?”
Rex glares at me a moment, and I smack him over the arm.
“Get your head out of the gutter, dude.”
“I would, but I happen to beinthe gutter.” His lips expand into a greasy grin. Rex Toberman has been busting my balls for as long as I can remember, and he’s one of the few people on the planet with a free pass to do so. “Go easy on her. She’s in for a shit ride.”
“Yes, well, like every good shit, this too will be flushed away in no time. The public has about a fifteen-minute attention span. Everyone will forget her name and whatever supposedly happened by Tuesday at the latest—with the exception of her mother and brothers, but then again, those are her worries, not mine. The only girl I need to worry about is Lucky and getting her through the next four years of Sexed Up U. I’ve seen the debauchery that goes on at that place. There’s no way I’m letting my little sister fall prey to any of it.” And now, with Daisy, I can see firsthand where a little wayward fucking can land you. She didn’t really sleep with the old coot, did she? Just the thought makes my stomach turn.
“Dude, you’re the debauchery that goes on at that place.” His brows knit high in his forehead, and I scowl because I hate it when he’s right.
“Don’t look at me like that. And, believe me, once Trixy gets to college, you’ll feel the same way.” Rex just needs his little sister to put him in his self-righteous place.
That smug look on his face eases. “You’re right. But any boy that wants to get near my little sister will have to get through both Fort Knox and me.”Knoxis Trixy’s twin. All three of them look alike if you ask me.
“Well, I’m Fort Fucking Madden.” My chest expands in a show of force. “And, if any dude even blinks in Lucky’s direction, he’ll be missing an eye before he notices it’s gone. I’m not messing around.”
Daisy bursts into tears, and the girls rile themselves up in a tizzy. It’s a ranting, screaming match with wailing and fist thrashing taking place, and, for the love of God, can’t they see they’re not solving a damn thing?
Rex gathers up the girls like baby chicks, and one by one they all hug Daisy goodbye and follow him out the door in single file. Before I know it, a strangled silence fills the space between us, and it’s just Daisy and me, staring one another down from across the room.
“Go ahead and say it,” she spits the words out with venom, catching me off guard.
“Say what?” Why does it suddenly feel as if I just got caught with my dick in my hand—not that I don’t usually let the girls catch me like that.
“Say what you’re thinking. I’m a dumb bimbo who got what she deserved!” Her voice warbles as she shouts the words out.
“Would you keep it down?” I shut the window in the kitchen before heading back. “Geez. You’ve got a dedicated audience in the event you haven’t noticed. No need to fuel the fire. This will all die down—you’ll see.” I wondered if the words were a lie as they flew from my lips. Daisy Pembrooke has never given me more than the time of day. Deep down, I’ve always suspected she thinks she’s better than me. Deep down, I’ve always known she was right, but that’s not the point. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll be back swinging off the pole in no time.” I give a little wink as her fury grows.
“Ugh!” She jumps to her feet, her nose landing inches from mine as she hikes up on her tiptoes. “Listen, you Philistine, I don’tswingfrom the pole. I’m background. I make darn good money, and I don’t feel the need to etch every meaningful moment over my skin like some cartoon monument to the past.”
I inch back. “Are you making fun of my tats?”
