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“Is that what I’ll be?” She lifted her brow with mocking innocence before turning to the other woman. “I bet you have fun with him.” She flicked Chaya a tight smile.
“More than you know,” she breathed out, resignation filling her tone as her husband shot her a wicked grin.
Angel gave Duke a warning look. The kid gloves were about to be ripped from her hands. And he just gave her that damned blank look.
“Now that we have that settled . . .” Natches stated as silence filled the hall.
“You deal with him.” She glared back at Duke. “Because we both know exactly what I’m going to do. Right?”
She could feel the burn of sheer offended pride as Natches stared at her as though she were Bliss’s age and unable to protect herself.
Twenty years of fighting, surviving, living in hell sometimes since she was three, and this was the respect it gained her with this man?
“And I bet you have fun with her,” Natches growled back at Duke. “While you’re having fun, convince her.”
She laughed at him; she simply couldn’t help it as Chaya slammed her fist into her husband’s shoulder with a muttered, “Enough.”
“Think he’d say that to Bliss’s lover in a few more years?” From the corner of her eyes, she saw Chaya’s look of horror and quick shake of her head.
“Thirty more years,” Natches suddenly snarled with all apparent seriousness. “Bliss will not take a lover until she’s forty-five.”
She laughed again, a sincerely amused laugh, something only Duke had managed to draw free of her. This man was fucking insane, it was just that simple. He’d hit Duke for what he’d seen in the suite the day before. Duke’s eye was still bruised, not that he’d actually admitted Natches had hit him.
“He’s serious,” she told Duke. “He means that, doesn’t he? Forty-five? Have you forgotten she’s your daughter as well? And haven’t we all heard about the infamous Nauti Boys?” She wagged her brows and couldn’t help the laughter bubbling from inside her.
Duke’s expression was strained but mirth gleamed in his eyes.
“We’ll discuss this later.” Chaya’s warning look only dared her to push.
“She’s a girl,” he snapped as though it made all the difference.
“So?” As though that made a difference. She propped her hand on the hilt of her knife and arched her brow. “So, she’ll be forty-five before she takes a lover, huh?”
She grinned back at the scowl he shot her.
“Forty-five,” he snapped.
“Your doctor needs to change your meds,” she assured him, barely holding back more laughter. “They’re obviously making you delusional. And your daughter is a Mackay. I wouldn’t forget that, if I were you. You have about as much of a chance that she’ll be a virgin at forty-five as you do of getting me in that safe room.”
Did he just pale? Duke definitely winced. Chaya was shaking her head desperately, worry filling her eyes.
“You’re hilarious.” She shook her head, nearly laughing again.
Turning, she headed back to the suite, shooting him another laughing look. She couldn’t help but giggle at the bafflement in his expression and Chaya’s resigned concern as she watched him. Duke just shook his head at her, but his lips were quirked with amusement.
Entering the suite, she closed the door behind her, another laugh escaping her.
“That man’s insane,” she said, shaking her head. “Absolutely insane.”
• • •
As the door closed, Natches shot his wife a glare. “You owe me a hundred bucks. Pay up.”
Her lips twitched and he glared at her harder.
Now dammit, she wasn’t supposed to laugh at him, too.
“Don’t you do it, Chay. . . . Don’t even—” He tried to warn her.
