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"Live with you?” I let out a hard laugh. “Don't even try that. You wanted me to come back and pretend to be your perfect daughter, marry Brad, and have babies you could brag about to all the neighbors." I took two steps toward the island, clacking my cup down on the top but, unlike my dad, not spilling a drop. "You only care about me when I can do something for you. You can see why living in my car was a better alternative."
"Oh, so dramatic you are," my mom groaned and rubbed the side of her head as if she were getting a migraine. "Can you blame me for wanting grandchildren? For wanting to see you taken care of?"
"I don't need to be taken care of," I hissed without a care about whether I was being loud or not. Let the whole house hear them, then maybe Antoine would throw her parents out on their asses like they belonged. "I certainly don't need taken care of by that snobby, ‘have you seen my boat,’ date rapist Brad Mulberry!"
My mom gasped, and my dad cried out, but I was already done with the conversation. I shook my head, snatching up my mug before I turned to the sink. I dumped my precious coffee out and offered Darren an apologetic smile before stomping out of the room.
I marched through the dining room and into the foyer where I flopped down on the bottom two stairs. It wasn't the best hiding place, but I could always make a run for it if I needed to. Thankfully, my parents didn't come after me. Probably too busy griping about what an ungrateful brat I was and making excuses to Darren.
I huffed a laugh. "So, stupid," I muttered to myself. Why should I have believed this time would be any different than before? They didn't care about me, only how I could make them look better, even if that meant sucking it up and marrying an asshole like Brad. I'd rather marry all five of the vampires here than that. At least then I'd get to live forever.
"Would you like me to get rid of them?"
My head jerked up from where I'd been fighting back my tears to see Marcus walking down the stairs behind me. It was surprising to see him, let alone hear him talk. I'd been getting the feeling that he didn't like me very much.
"I don't know. Yes. No.” I gave him a helpless shrug and shook my head. “They'll just keep coming back until they tell me what they want, as always."
"Some parents should not have been," Marcus stated when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs to look at down at me.
I glanced up at him with a watery grin and laughed. "I feel that. Sometimes I wish I'd been born to different parents. Better ones. Ones that wouldn't try to make me into something I'm not."
"No." His sharp words made me frown. "Different parents mean a different you, and you are is quite remarkable."
I was speechless. Marcus was right, of course. If I had been born into a different family, there was no telling if I would have turned out differently. I could have been just as bad as Brad, full of myself and thinking the world owed me something. Still, it was funny to hear a compliment of any kind coming from the stoic vampire before me.
I angled my head back to meet his gaze. "Thanks, I think." I giggled nervously and wet my lips. "I thought you didn't like me? That I was a complication?" I mimicked his deep voice with a lopsided grin.
Marcus crossed those large biceps over his chest and peered down at me. "You are, but no one should be treated that way by their family."
"You're right." I nodded briskly. "They shouldn't. Family doesn't treat each other like that."
"Good, then they are no longer your family," Marcus replied curtly. I stared up at him in confusion. "Now, you are our family. We can throw them out."
He turned on his heels and started for the kitchen. I jumped to my feet and darted in front of him. With my hands up in front of me, I stopped him from moving forward.
"Hold on a second, big guy. As much as I would love to get rid of them, they're still my parents." I sighed and gave a small shrug. "I still love them."
Marcus watched me for a long minute before giving me a small nod. "Very well. Hear them out, then get rid of them."
I chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."
Marcus moved to leave, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm. He was so warm, like a big teddy bear. Shaking the inappropriate thoughts from my head, I grinned shyly up at him.
"Thanks, Marcus. Again. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome." He inclined his head and then paused before adding. "Don't fuck my brothers over."
I gaped before barking a laugh so hard that I had to clutch my stomach in pain. I gasped and snorted as I giggled, falling against the wall as I tried to catch my breath. I heard a rush of footsteps, and then Darren asked, "What's wrong?"
Still laughing my ass off, I barely made out Marcus's reply. "I broke her."
That only made me laugh even harder. Now, I really had tears in my eyes as they poured down my cheeks. I let myself slide down the wall and sit on the cold floor, not caring that the two men were staring at me like I'd grown a second head.
What finally killed my laughing spree was my mom kneeling in front of me to cup my face in her hands. "Piper, are you alright? Stop laughing. It's not becoming. You sound like a braying donkey."
I shook my head and pushed her hands away. After catching my breath, I asked through a chuckle, "What do you want, Mom?"
My mom's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," I grunted as I stood back up, "why are you here? You had to have come all this way for a reason. So... out with it." I waved a hand at her to prompt her to tell me what she came to say.
Mom bristled for a moment, and I could see the lie formulating in her eyes. Then she remembered Darren and Marcus's presences. "I believe that is a private matter."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Of course, it is." I pushed past her and walked toward the foyer. "Come on, let's get this over with."
She went and got my dad before hurrying after me and into the foyer. Darren stopped me before I closed the sliding doors.
"You know that won't keep them from hearing you right?"
"I'm counting on it," I said with a wink before closing the doors to face my parents head-on.
