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“Because he had a right to know.” His expression got that too-arrogant, too-damned-sure-of-himself look on his face that she absolutely hated. That look that assured her she was screwed.
The whole damned family would know at this point.
It had been four days since her collapse, and knowing Duke as she did, she knew he would have called them that first night. Sweet baby Jesus, it was a wonder the entire damned family hadn’t arrived yesterday. She could actually expect them at any time now.
“J.T. and Mara will show up with him and Chance.” She came to her feet, suddenly uncertain, wary.
Brushing at the front of her hair nervously, she had an overwhelming urge to bite her nails. Mara and Chaya in the same area? Chaya had already stated her opinion of Mara, and it hadn’t been kind.
“They will just show up, unannounced,” she groaned. The thought of it scared her spitless.
Who are your “parents” to have allowed you to live this life?
You didn’t have parents, you had commanders . . .
Your parents should be shot . . . were some of the nicer comments.
She did not need her mother and the woman that had tried to mother her coming together.
“Angel, it’s not that bad.” He actually had the nerve to laugh. Complete with real, genuine amusement, he laughed right in her face.
“You are a damned menace.” She forced the words past clenched teeth as she pointed a finger back at him. “You can deal with them when J.T. and Mara show up. I’ll leave.”
That would solve it right there. Just wouldn’t hang out for that little get-together. She was smarter than that.
“You can’t just leave.” He shook his head, grinning up at her as though there was nothing at all to worry about.
Well, there was plenty to worry about.
“You make me crazy!” She felt like pulling her own hair out, that was how insane he was, how impossible to deal with. “I’m going to go fix breakfast. You better pray they don’t show up before I’m finished.”
She might have to shoot someone.
Jeez, she couldn’t believe he’d done this to her. She knew he was smarter than that.
At least she’d thought he was—that was what she got for thinking, wasn’t it?
Stalking from the suite she was all set to expend her anger on breakfast when she entered the kitchen and came to a hard, horrified stop.
It wasn’t anything so merciful as J.T. and Mara.
Bliss stood at the kitchen table, one hand covering her mouth, silent tears rolling down her devastated face to drip onto the pictures spread out before her.
Confusion filled Angel. Bliss hadn’t actually seen the men that had died, and those weren’t corpse pictures. Why was she crying as though her world had just shattered?
Angel stepped around the table, but she doubted her sister saw her, or even knew she was there.
“Bliss . . . sweetie?” Gripping the girl’s shoulders she turned her to face her, the fear hardening to ice inside her at the realization that something was horribly wrong. “Bliss.” She firmed her voice, terrified that her sister had yet to acknowledge her.
“Angel?” Duke stepped in the doorway, Ethan behind him, their gazes concerned.
“Find Mom and Natches. Now,” she demanded, barely glancing at them.
Bliss’s face lifted, her green eyes still overflowing with tears.
“You called . . . her . . . Mom.” Her voice hiccupped with strangled sobs, the sound of it so hoarse and filled with pain that Angel wondered how long her sister had been standing there alone.
“Yeah? I’m sure she’ll forgive one lapse, right?” she asked gently. “Are you hurt, honey?” She ran her hands down Bliss’s arms and let her gaze go over the girl quickly for any obvious injuries.
