“Here. This is good stuff, not like that rotgut sour mash Dys likes to drink.”
“Wait. You’ve been hanging out with Jersey?”
“I’ve spent a little time with all the boys. Just to check up on them.”
“I asked him to, Jacy,” said my father.
“You,” I said flailing my finger at my father indignant at his interference. I couldn’t get words out. What do you say to a man who is a master string-puller who manipulated my life? And then I whirled at Tobias, who was even worse, using the situation to leverage his position.
“You!” I snapped.
He smiled and leaned toward me and whispered.
“You are beautiful when you are angry.”
What got into me? I don’t know. Maybe it was too many nights of sexual frustration or the fact that I was attracted to four men, Tobias being one, and couldn’t pick among them, or the ridiculous competition they had going, or the fact that I, Ms. Take-Charge-And-In-Control didn’t command a single aspect of my life. But I slapped Tobias Marshall across the face with such force my hand stung.
Marshall stepped back as the amusement died from his eyes.
“Daughter,” my father said with maddening calm. “You should get going. I’m counting on you to seeing this through to the end.”
I keened again and stalked toward the front door.
“You deserved that, Tobias,” I heard my father say. “You aren’t as arcane as you think you are.”
