And at first, Alex seemed startled, then her lips quirked.
“Not really,” she responded.
“Dad?” Blake asked.
“Not at all,” Ned replied, sitting back down at the desk and relaxing in the chair.
Blake hefted an arse cheek on it and returned to Jeff, who was suddenly not looking so certain of himself.
Dair nearly barked with laughter.
“So, I suppose, be our guest to whatever you can get out of some gossip magazine to print the story about you servicing an older woman,” she invited. “Actually, in this current atmosphere…you know, the whole resurgence of the feminist movement, I think there will be many who applaud Mum taking care of her needs in that manner. I mean, why not, if some guy is willing? It’s hardly scandalous. Men do it all the time. And you did well on your end. Arrangements like yours have been going on for years, though the majority of the time with a gender swap, but still.”
Blake seemed to be pondering something before she went on.
“Though, you might have trouble getting laid again. I don’t mean finding another client. I’m sure they’ll be lining up. But, say, you were attracted to someone like”—her eyes changed, they turned poisonous, and Dair hoped like fuck he never earned that from her, it not even being aimed his way gave him a wee shiver—“Dru or Cadence, you know, someone your age, you’ll be fucked. And not literally.”
This time, Jeff didn’t move or speak.
“Rethinking that, if you tell your tales, you might find clients hard to come by too,” Blake carried on. “No one likes their filthy little secrets shared.”
Jeff’s face flushed.
“Now, I think I made myself clear,” Blake continued. “But just to reiterate, I want you out of my home. You have two hours to vacate the premises, or I’ll be phoning the police.”
“Okay, I’ll keep quiet for half a million,” Jeff scrambled to negotiate.
“It seems you’ve not been following,” Blake retorted coolly. “To make myself perfectly clear, you are not getting another fucking pound out of the Norton estate.”
“A hundred thousand,” Jeff said desperately.
Blake drew in breath and crossed her arms on her chest. “I get it. You have nowhere to go, and let me guess, you blew all the money she gave you.”
Jeff didn’t reply, but his face said it all.
Stupid eejit.
“I hope you understand that is not my problem,” Blake went on.
Jeff opened his mouth.
And Dair was done.
Because Lady Norton had spoken.
“It’s over, mate. Get up.” He jabbed a finger toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“Helena would never do this to me,” Jeff groused as he pushed out of the chair.
“I keep telling you, my mother is gone,” Blake retorted. Then she huffed, “Kids these days. Never planning for the future.”
“Let’s go, bud,” Rix urged.
Jeff didn’t move.
“Right, I’ll tell you the easy,” Rix said. “You go pack your shit and get the fuck out. That’s the easy. The hard, Dair and I put you out right now, we pack your shit and throw it by the road when we’re done. Which way is this gonna go?”
“Fuck you,” Jeff spat at Rix.
