"Is she really that bad?"
"Worst, she's a holy terror, don't tell her I said that either."
“I’ll try not to, but I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t think your daughter likes me very much. We probably wouldn’t have much cause to have a conversation where it would ever come up.”
“Oh I wouldn’t say all that now. It takes a lot to get my imp to actually hate a person.
Not to worry, she’ll come around sooner or later, but in the meantime, I’d see about investing in some protective gear if I were you. The girl does seem to have an inordinate amount of hostility where you’re concerned.
He walked away whistling with his hands shoved into his pockets.
What a strange family. I didn't take his words to heart though, since he'd been smiling when he said them.
***
I spent the morning with Janet and Mike, going over their wedding plans. I was trying to find a way to pump her for information on her sister, without seeming too obvious.
In the end, for some reason, I decided I would rather get my answers from the source.
Granted I might come out of that encounter looking like I'd taken on a rabid raccoon without protective gear, but what the heck.
One thing was puzzling. I had been under the impression that she resented my wealth, but although her worth wasn't even on the same scale as mine, her millions were nothing to scoff at.
I was also going to have a talk with my investigative department; they hadn't come up with anything on her.
They'd only listed her as a sister that was all. I think since they were still so young and didn't have criminal records, (which I found to be a minor miracle for the fire breather) the team had overlooked them.
But how could they have overlooked an international star? And what was with all the secrecy surrounding her name?
I’d had a thorough search done from the minute Mike had told me of his choice for a wife. It’s not like I’d done it behind his back, he knew that I would and had even joked about my over protectiveness.
My men hadn’t found anything that would throw up any red flags for a cynic like me; in fact, they were all pretty normal.
Janet was the eldest at twenty-five, Miranda was next at Twenty-three, then came Maxie, who was almost twenty-one, well she will be in five months time; and last there was Jennifer, who was going to be nineteen soon as well.
My men had focused on Janet and the parents, especially the father's business dealings.
The other thing bothering me, was her crack about Sophia Ambrose. I wasn't that close to Sophia, so had no idea what it was Maxie thinks I might've done.
I guess there was only one way to find out, but now I’d have to wait until she came back from her ride. I shook my head as I walked away from the window.
This weekend was not turning out to be anything like I’d expected. I wonder what kind of mood she’d be in when she returned? And I found that I couldn’t wait to find out.
The damn infuriating girl was making herself very unforgettable indeed. If her plan was to stay under the radar for whatever reason and not bring herself to my attention, she’d failed miserably on that score.
Since I’d landed on her parents’ doorstep she’s all I have been thinking about. Even as I was listening to Janet go on and on with excitement about her big day, my thoughts were on Maxie and what she was going to look like in her dress.
Chapter 11
MAXIE
"What has you in such a snit little dove?"
"Nothing, I'm very fine, thank you."
"Yep, that's why you're trying to kill us both with these daredevil stunts; is it the witches again?"
"Nope, I'm just fine." I’d be much better if I could punch somebody in the face, but today wasn’t shaping up to be in my favor.
"How's Mike's friend?" Why can’t I escape him, even here where I am sure of a warm welcome and a shoulder to lean on?
"Ugh, must we talk about him?"
"Huh, you ever think that maybe you’re being a bit unfair to him? I mean, how do you know that that chick was telling the truth anyway?"
"Why would she lie?" don’t out thoughts in my head, especially since I’ve been harboring doubts myself. Why must life be so damn complicated? Why can’t everything be black and white?
"Who knows, maybe she was jealous because he asked you to perform for his mother's party and not her, I don't know. Did he do anything last night to make you believe he was the type of guy she said he was?"
"Well, he was rather chummy with the witless wonders."
"Was he chummy with them or were they chummy with him?"
"What difference does it make?" I gave him the stink eye because he was trying to confuse me again. He might be the closest thing to a brother that I’ve got, but he can be a royal pain in my ass when he puts his mind to it.
"It makes all the difference in the world squirt."
"I don't know; I'll have to think about it. You know you're not bad for a pseudo big brother."
He ruffled my hair where it laid on his shoulder as he listened to me whine like a two- year old brat.
I could still feel the sting of embarrassment in my cheeks from that idiot brining attention to my ass. I should’ve drowned them all when I had the chance.
Now I was going to have to go back there at some point and face him again or mom would make my life a living hell.
"I know it; now let's go see what you've been up to on the scooter."
"Oooh, are you gonna rig the motor for me please Jonas, please, please, please."
"If I give you a racing bike motor Conrad would skin me alive."
"How would he know? Come on Jonas." I gave him the pouty mouth.
"You do know I'm a badass bike builder and the best racer here and in Europe; that shit shouldn't work on me."
"But it does right, you know you can't deny me anything."
"We'll see, but I'm not hopping it up too much."
"Thanks Jonas, you're the best." I was starting to feel better already.
He studied me for longer than was comfortable before speaking.
"You know if those two are giving you a hard time, I'd be more than happy to put green dye in their shampoo again."
"I don't think that'll work twice, we got way with it once, have to come up with something else."
***
Jonas and I headed to my house, where my mother was busy being the perfect hostess. Since it was going to be a long weekend, that Collins person was going to be here one more day.
Of course the slag of Babylon and her sidekick were in rare form. They'd even broken out the crotch shot dresses.
Since I'd decided to never speak to anyone in my family again, except for Janet, it was easy to ignore them. Jonas on the other hand was a shit stirrer.
"Jenny, you're having a shoot today?"
She preened under his attention, although she never had a kind word for him, suddenly she was all smiles what a ninny.
"No Jonas, why, do I look like I'm ready for the runway?"
When Jonas double-checked to make sure mom was preoccupied, I knew he was up to no good.
"No, it's just that I've never seen that much naked flesh outside a swimsuit photo shoot."
"Very funny, why don't you and my delightful sister go build an engine or something? We're having company and mother could do with a little rest from the embarrassment."
"Oh no you don't."
Before I could chuck yet another family heirloom at her head, I felt someone take my arm and wrestle the Dresden vase from my hand.
JACKSON
"Give that back you cretin." She looked at me with murder in here eyes as I said the one thing that seemed to rub her the wrong way.
"No."
I swear if she could, she would've ended me right then and there, the fire breather was back in full force.
I was surprised to find that I had missed her while she was gone. The place felt empty without her, and her sisters’
prattle was even more annoying than usual without her wit there to combat it.
"Settle down, you're giving them exactly what they want, don't you see that?" I whispered the warming in her ear, not that it did me any good.
She looked at me as though trying to figure out my angle, there wasn't one.
I just hated the way these two got after her. Though she hadn't been kind to me in the least, I still didn't like the way they treated her. I could deal with her barbs; I couldn't deal with her being mistreated; or the look in her eyes, when she ran away this morning.
"Actually no, I don't think they want to be brained on a regular basis, but it's been my only form of entertainment around here since I was five or six. Now get the hell out of my way before I knee you in the nut sac."
"Give her to me Collins, I'll see that she behaves." Her father came up behind us and took her arm.
She gave me the stink eye as they call it, and I saw all manner of retribution promised in those eyes of hers.
I left her to him since he seemed to be the only one who could control her, for now. I kept my eye on her to make sure that she was okay, that her father wasn’t about to upset her the way his wife seemed to all the time, and wondered at my interest.
Chapter 12
MAXIE
Dad finally released me after lecturing me to shame and my mother decided that Jonas and I should join the festivities, instead of working on my bike.
She stopped short of telling me to change clothes when she saw the storm brewing in my eyes. Sometimes I think she thought I really was a witch.
I’m not sure that it’s normal for a mother to be afraid of her own kid, but except for those rare moments when she forgot herself, I always sensed some kind of reticence in her, as if she was expecting me to detonate any second.
Whatever, I grabbed Jonas’ arm and was about to tell him let’s eat and run but got waylaid by the sight in front of me.
"I should've known." In walked Petra Pierson, and her mother, of course. If mother wanted to show off and have the latest gossip spread from here to New York, she'd picked the right duo.
The only thing I liked about Petra Pierson, was that she was yet another target, a person could never have too many of those for practice.
She made a beeline for lord stuffy, all fake smiles and twitching ass...I could just scratch her eyes out. I growled low in my throat and clenched my fists as if ready for battle.
"Oh shit little dove, I think I know what's wrong with you."
"What in the world are you talking about? And why are you looking at me like that, have you gone soft in the head?"
"I shoulda guessed it when you started ranting and raving about this guy."
He shook his head as though stunned that it had taken him this long to figure out something that was glaringly obvious.
"What Jonas, you're starting to scare me." The way he looked at me was starting to make my stomach hurt. Like somehow I knew that what he was about to say was going to be bad for me.
"Oh my poor little sister, I've been very negligent in teaching you the facts of life." He put his arm around my shoulder and shook his head as he looked down at me with a grave look on his face.
"Jonas, did you hit your head in that last crash in Paris?"
He just grinned at me like a simpleton before switching his focus to Jackson.
"Well, are you going to tell me what you're talking about or not?" I brought his attention back to me.
He studied me for a good minute before shaking his head no.
"No, I think I'll let you figure this one out for yourself. I don't fancy having your claws dug into me physically or verbally. No need to scowl at me, at the rate you're going I'm your only ally."
I knew there was no point in forcing the issue because he’d only talk when he was good and ready. So I turned my attention back to the goings on in the room.
"Would you look at her, as if these two aren't enough, mom had to go and invite that dimwitted troll."
"Maxie, Maxie, Maxie, sheath your claws. Didn't I always teach you that you can catch more flies with honey?"
"Why the hell would I want to? Unless I'm feeding them to the twits and their ringer."
***
JONAS
Oh man this is going to be fun. I wonder if I should warn Collins? Nah, let him figure it out, it'll be like watching two bobcats fighting to get out of a sack.
I only hope my girl didn’t get too banged up in the process. Poor thing, she wears her heart on her sleeve for the world to see, even though she’s fooled herself into thinking that she’s tough.
Thank heavens her dad and I have been there to watch her back or these vipers would’ve destroyed her long ago.
If what I was thinking was right, I could only hope that things turned out alright. She deserved some happiness in her life.
I’m gonna have to pay close attention to this Collins guy now though, make sure that he was worthy. And then, merciful heavens, I can pass the baton and let him keep up with her shenanigans, I’m tired.
***
MAXIE
"Hello Maxie, I see no one has taught you how to dress for company still." She walked across the room to sneer down her nose at me.
I’m surprised she’d left Jackson the jackass’s side so soon, but a quick look showed her mother was the one with his ear. That ought to put him to sleep in a hurry.
"And I see no one has taught you how to not be an annoying ass troll." Oops, did I say that out loud?
"Well I never." She huffed through her bird beak nose.
"You never what idiot? You're not Scarlett O’Hara, quit trying to speak like you're some lady of the manor, when we all know you're nothing but a gold digging tramp."
"Humph, I wonder what all those admiring fans of yours would think if they knew what you were really like."
"Petra, are you stupid?"
"I'd thank you not to speak to me like that Jonas Denton, mind your manners."
"And I'd thank you not to spoil my evening. The last time you got tangled up with this one, I'm the one who had to stop her from killing your dumb ass with the scissors she'd used to remove every strand of hair from your head.
How you haven't learned your lesson in all these years is beyond me, you never win."
"There's only one thing I want to win here this evening, and he's standing right over there."
She tossed her blonde locks our way as she smiled across the room at her intended target, poor sod.
"I think she's got you beat there too."
I have no idea what Jonas meant by that, but it sure made him laugh his fool head off.
Chapter 13
After the twat was gone I let myself relax again. Jonas was being an ass and had sought dad out to share some idiotic idea or the other, leaving me here by myself.
"Good evening imp." He who shall remain nameless slithered into my atmosphere. I wasn’t too thrilled about the way my skin seemed to tingle at his nearness, which made the glare I gave him harder than my usual death glare.
"Don't you dare, only dad can get away with calling me that. How did you escape the coven anyway, to talk to lil ole me?"
Why does he keep studying me like he’d like to dissect me, or...my own thoughts were making me twitchy. Maybe Jonas was right, maybe there was something wrong with me after all.
"Are you ever pleasant?"
"Yep, but only to human beings I like, I tend to steer clear of sub human species who work my nerves like a sore tooth."
I did not appreciate him throwing his head back and laughing like I'd said something funny, which only drew the attention of the bubble headed trio; who all scowled in my direction, before making a beeline towards us.
"It's like Mr. Collins' menagerie, look at them, not a working brain cell among them." I had to shake my head at the puppets as they approached. Geez, you’d think he’d left a trail of crumbs or something.
He didn’t seem too worried about my glower, so I decided to save all my en
ergy for whatever these three had coming my way.
***
JACKSON
"You're nothing like I would expect of someone with your talent."
"What did you expect, a seventeenth century vestal virgin?"
"No, just someone a little more, what's the word...refined." That stung, but I’d be damned if I’ll ever let him know.
"Would you like me to show you how refined I am Count fuck-you-la? What the hell is that you're wearing anyway, an ascot? What a complete ass."
She took a step closer like she was ready for battle. All that fire, I wonder what hell she’d bring down on my head if I kissed her? Better save that for later, I had the feeling that if and when I got my mouth on her, it was going to take way more than that to satisfy me.
"Oh I see, it's considered bad for me to dress like a gentleman while it's completely acceptable for you to dress like a chimney sweep."
"Chimney...why you...I ought to kick your preppy ass; and do something with that damn hair, you look like an electrocuted rodent."
I had to work hard not to laugh, she was back to breathing fire again, and just before the others reached us, I was beginning to realize just how much I was enjoying sparring with her.
MAXIE
"Well Jackson, we're waiting for you, we so enjoy listening to that wonderful Texan accent of yours."
"He's from Chicago you ass, he doesn't have a Texan accent, what a flea bag." Jenny was a real twit in every sense of the word.
"Maxie, why don't you go find Jonas and disappear for hours like you usually do?" Petra smirked at me, was she implying....
"These two I have to go easy on, they're the rotted fruit of my mother's womb, but you I would have no problem cutting."
"Mama, Maxie is being obnoxious again." Miranda yelled all ladylike, just as my impartial mother entered the room; note the sarcasm.
"Maxie, whatever are you doing, can't you ever keep a civil tongue in your head?"
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