Page 182 of Vexatious Queen

“Make it eleven,” I ordered as I went up on my toes and nipped his bottom lip.

“Eleven it is,” Nash said, making me laugh.

The doors opened again, and Vicky came out. She looked at us, but instead of one of her usual sarcastic comments, she just turned away and walked over to where we were meeting the limo.

“I’m not sure what is worse. Vicky loud and annoying, or the silent treatment version where I don’t know what she’s thinking,” Nash said, and I nodded.

“Agreed.”

I turned my attention back to Nash and ran my hand up the front of his chest, loving how he always left his jackets open so I could steal his warmth.

“Remember, eleven. If you’re late, for no good reason, then I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight.”

His eyes flared with a hint of jealousy and challenge. This was us. We pushed and poked at one another, but it made us better. It made us grow and learn to live outside of our comfort zone. I wasn’t an innately bossy person, but I was with him, and oddly, Nash liked it.

“That is just pure evil, Princess, but I’ll be there.”

He gave me a quick kiss and then walked off to his truck.

With a sigh, I readied myself for the Vicky teardown. Walking over to where she was standing, I pulled out my phone and spotted the text from Dad, saying he was two minutes away.

Vicky remained quiet. Too quiet. She was staring off into the distance and not even noticing me.

“You…okay,” I asked.

“Perfect.”

She didn’t say anything else, and God help me, I really did prefer the spitting mad, saying whatever she wanted, Vicky. In its own weird way, it was refreshing knowing where you stood with her. Now…she hadn’t spoken a single word to me since the locker room incident, and I hardly saw her. Unless we had class together, she was a ghost.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” I tried as the limo pulled through the gates.

She finally looked at me.

“I’m fine, Ren,” she said, and turned away.

I believed that less now than before she opened her mouth. She was the hardest nut to crack. Hell, even Liam and Nash combined had been easier than Vicky.

The limo slowed to a stop, and the back door opened before the driver could get out. Dad stepped out with a warm smile on his face. His ability to make you feel like everything was okay was infectious. Vicky even smiled, the cold mask cracking as Eddie held open his arms.

“My beautiful daughters. Look at you. You cannot know what it means to me to do this with both of you,” Dad said, drawing Vicky into a hug and then me.

“It’s just shopping, Papa,” Vicky said.

“No, it is spending the day with the two most beautiful women in the world and the lights of my life. Thank you both for setting aside whatever quarrels you have to do this.”

“Anything for you, Papa,” Vicky said, and I expected a dirty look, but she shocked me again as she slid into the limo.

“Same, I’m excited. My last shopping trip was…odd to say the least.”

He chuckled.

Getting into the car, I realized that Marcus was already inside and Vicky was sitting beside him at the far end. She was staring out the window, face passive, purse on her lap.

“No armored trucks,” I asked.

“They are waiting outside the gate. I told Dean Henry that I wouldn’t bring my armed men onto the property to help keep the peace with the Curators,” he said. I nodded. “So do either of you know what you’d like to buy?”

“I’m terrible with this sort of thing. Vicky is the better one to ask,” I said, but she didn’t even look our way.