“I have arranged a special sitting of the Board of Luminaries for Christmas Eve.” That’s only five days away. “You will get married at city hall on Thursday. Arrange the essentials in the next few days. I’ll send a car to pick you up that morning.” He eyeballs me. “We can arrange a proper wedding with a reception in the new year. My wife and I will host it at our home. She’ll make all the arrangements, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Over my dead fucking body will I let that sick bitch plan or host my wedding. We’ll pick the venue, and I’ll organize it with Bree.”
“Your insolence is wearing thin on my nerves.” He stands.
“Your presence is wearing thin on mine.”
Jase puts his hand on my thigh, squeezing me in warning. I quickly count to ten in my head, remembering the endgame. “I apologize.” I almost choke on the words. “That was unfair and unnecessary, but this is hard for me.” I lower my tone and fix him with sad eyes. “Everything that’s happened is a lot to take in, and I’m grieving.”
He walks to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder. “I know, honey. But I’m not your enemy. I’m your father, and I’m only trying to help.”
I want to retort that kidnapping my ex and using him and my mother to blackmail me is the exact opposite, but I bite my tongue. We agreed we would placate him, not rile him up any chance we get. It’s clear it’s going to be easier said than done.
“What about our wedding and Ares’s initiation?” Bree asks, getting me out of replying. I shoot her a grateful smile.
“Ares must be initiated before you can marry. Unfortunately, I can’t organize that until after the holidays. As soon as a date is set, for both events, I will let you know.”
Footsteps approach, and his guy, Ransom, appears in the doorway. “The cameras check out,” he says. “They weren’t involved.”
“Good, good.” He squeezes my shoulder, and I want to tell him to get his dirty, scheming paws off me. “I know school is out until January, but it’s important you all go about your routine as normal so no one suspects anything out of the ordinary.” He points at Ares. “That means work for you.” He swings his gaze at the Stewart siblings. “Attending to your responsibilities for you.” A sour taste fills my mouth at his words, and if we weren’t putting on a show, I would be pushing Jase away at the reminder. His features soften a little when he looks at me. “Your medical condition gives you an excuse to rest up for a couple of days, but go do normal stuff after that, and don’t neglect your responsibilities either. The last thing we need is Manford sniffing around here.”
“Understood,” I say, speaking for everyone.
“Okay. See you Thursday,” he says before walking off.
No one speaks for ages. Not even when we hear their cars departing. We wait for Ares to check the security system and the camera feed for interference.
“We’re good,” he confirms a few seconds later. “They didn’t mess with it.”
“I don’t know about anyone else,” Bree says. “But my appetite vanished the second that prick walked through the door like he owns us.”
“I’ll eat yours.” Swiping the shrimp noodle cartoon from in front of her, I instantly dive in. “I’ll take any little rebellion where I can.”
“He’s such a dick,” Jase says.
“I’ll end up killing him accidentally if this shit continues,” Ares says, finishing his meal. “I’m heading out to the gym,” he adds, grabbing his wallet, phone, and keys and leaving the kitchen. Ares never uses the home gym, preferring the equipment at the local gym he’s a member of.
“Baz has sent details of an event he wants us to attend,” Bree says as she clears the plates away.
“You go.” Jase dips his fork into my fried rice. “Ash and I need to talk.”
“I can’t keep covering for you.” Bree dumps the dirty dishes in the sink. “Dad and Baz are going to figure it out soon.”
Jase shrugs. “It won’t matter for much longer. I’m going to be the Sloth Luminary soon, and my responsibilities to our family will cease.”
“They will?” Hope blooms in my chest. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking about the hideous duties Jase has to perform for his family. There is no way I’m permitting my husband to fuck around with other women, no matter how they frame it.
He tweaks my nose. “Yes. Yours will too.”
“You mean no more partying and spying?”
He nods. “We’ll have advisers to help us transition to our new positions. I imagine the focus for you will be on training and learning everything there is to know about The Luminaries.”
“What about school? I’m not dropping out.”
“You can probably continue,” Bree says, “but I doubt Jase will be able to. Running a Luminary family is a full-time job.”
“What’ll happen to Manford Media?” I ask.
