“Bury this. There’s nothing to see here. Tell the others and go find something else to do that has nothing to do with this.”
“Yes, sir. Oh, hi, Dina.”
With my face obscured by my hair, my body turned toward Hanna, blocking her face as well, I roll my eyes.
“Hi,” Dina answers.
“Love your hair today.”
Ass kisser. Now I’m hating on this woman for absolutely no reason. Maybe Connor likes me enough to hate on Pete too, and look at what happened with him. Jealousy makes people do stupid things. It also means Connor and I like each other.
Chapter 17
Connor
Artina Artmond, the local channel’s reporter, to whom Declan promised an interview, followed us to the designer’s house. Of course she did. Any self-respecting journalist would’ve followed her strongest lead. She ran after the car with her heels.
In a beautiful, luxury-salon-style space with dresses everywhere, Dina and Ekatia are behind the curtains with people fitting them into undergarments. I lounge by the window with Hanna, who’s slobbering over her little fists, eating a soft cinnamon cookie.
The reporter sits across from us, her cameraman already set up on my right.
“You’re welcome to take off your shoes,” I tell the reporter as she sets up for the quick interview. I don’t intend to take Artina out on Friday night. I just wanted to see if Ekatia would react. She needs to be tested, pushed, before she’s cornered. And I will corner her. I want answers only she can provide.
The reporter slides off her shoes and sighs audibly. “Thanks,” she says.
“What for?”
“Letting me take my shoes off.”
I smile. “I didn’t realize you needed my permission.” From across the room, I see the curtains behind which Ekatia is getting dressed part slightly. She’s peeking out at us.
Artina blushes. If I let her, she’d suck my dick. I wouldn’t let her. I don’t like her mouth.
“She looks just like you,” Artina says, changing the subject back to me.
On my lap, Hanna smiles, showing her cute dimples. “It’s the dimples,” I say and smile, showing Artina mine.
The reporter flushes more, and patches of red appear on her chest. She’s wearing a V-neck T-shirt, and since I’m a competitive man, I can’t help but notice that Ekatia’s tits would look better in the same shirt.
“When did you meet the mom?” she asks, fishing for information about the baby. For all she knows, Hanna is Declan and Dina’s baby. It could be my uncle’s baby. Mine, even. But Artina articulates her questions well. I respect that.
“A few months ago.”
“Are you guys together?”
“The mom is dead.” I give her my dad’s deranged grin. Hanna smiles at me because she is the only innocent in the room and can’t tell the difference between my smile and my dad’s crazy grin. Artina can and freezes like a deer in headlights.
“I’m joking,” I tell her.
“Oh my God,” she chokes out. “Thank God, for a moment there you looked so much like Massio Crossbow.”
“I am my father’s son.”
“Of course, I didn’t meant it?—”
“No need to apologize. I’m glad he’s dead. Back to Hanna. Her mom is camera shy.” I look at the parted curtain behind which Ekatia hides, even though her baby is sitting on my lapduring an interview that will air as soon as it’s edited. They won’t edit out Hanna unless I tell them to.
“Is the mom here?”
