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Since a frown is my usual expression around this man, it’s easy to deliver another as I shake my head. “I’mnot paying for your wrongful ejaculate’s happy childhood. That’s your responsibility.”
“Yeah,” he says lazily, as he leans back in a stretch. “But you’re my righthand bitch, so I’m making it yours. And I never said you had to pay for it. I said you’d provide it. I know you have the skills, and you always did want to go into construction, as I recall. Idiot boy. A waste of your real talents. You’ve a mind for business, and that’s where I made sure you found success.”
“There’s more to success than money, Jack. A functional family, for one,” I say with a smirk. “You should be building the treehouse with your son. Make a fucking effort to bond with him, before it’s too late and he hates you, like the rest of us.”
My father scoffs quietly. “You don’t hate me. You respect me. There’s a difference.”
“There is,” I agree. “And I’m not sure you realize what it is.”
His expression remains amused and serene. He’s obviously enjoying the vicious banter. “I don’t know why you’re arguing with me when I am granting you a little freedom, tofollow your dreams,” he say with twinkle-fingers. “You should be thanking me.”
I want to slap the grin right off his face. “Freedom to follow my dreams?” I repeat with a snort. “Building a playhouse for the kid my father forcefully bred on my first love, while the poor woman watches from at least ten feet away, hating me for ever promising her the world when all I brought was pain?”
“Exactly,” he says, his eyes dancing. “You have one week. Seven days. If you honestly thought I’d give you a month of vacation, you’re insane and should spend some of your time off working on that. I need you back on the Tripp-Fund project by the end of the month.”
I glare at him and speak through my teeth. “Building a treehouse for Twelve isnota fucking holiday.”
“Agreed. It’s recompense for this childish outburst of yours. Pleasing the boy and hanging around Kira while maintaining your ten-foot distance requirement should be desperately awkward and fun for you all. Take Lucius with you. He’s starting to get twitchy and could use the mandated company. That way, he’ll be on hand to deliver a swift slap on your wrists if you feel the urge to test my leniency and do something sneaky or stupid. And byslap on the wrist, I meanfuck you up in whatever terrible way I tell him to.” Jack says the last part with a smug expression. “I’m only giving you permission to be there if he’s with you.”
Fuck. I hadn’t factored that complication into play. I’ll be glad to have Loosh around, for the most part, butawkwardwill be an understatement if he has to stand next to me while I’m staring in Kira’s window, fucking my hand.
I smear an over-enthusiastic smile across my face and clap my hands together. “Great. Throw your most fucked-up son into the mix, as well. What could be more pleasant than a mandated, child-focused summer building project alongside a trained killer? That’s your idea of therapy, to stop histwitching?” I drag both hands down my face. “Fine. I’ll babysit Son Number Three for you, too. With any luck, it’ll give him a chance to recreate some notion of the childhood you robbed him of when you fucked his mom and left her to rot.”
Jack gives me a leveling stare. “She fucked him up; I didn’t. I’m his fucking savior, and I’m not sending him on a jolly trip down kiddy-sprinkle lane. He’ll be there to break your spine if you step out of line — you can work for me in a wheelchair if you have to. I’ll make you pose for the company’s PR campaigns, to make it look like I’m one of those altruistic equal-opportunity employers.” He laughs at his own joke. “Enjoy your time with him and the kid I fucked into your bitch. I’m sure Kira’s going to love the email you’re about to write her. Buh-bye.” He wriggles his fingers, and I leave, dismissed.
Dismissed and fuckingeuphoric.
I just secured a whole week off work, to build a treehouse with my son. There’ll be late summer nights, lingering near Kira, watching her move, and planning exactly how I’m going to fuck her, once my brothers and I have neutralized our father and all the chain reactions he’s set up to protect himself and keep us compliant.
I’m coming for you, baby.
16
KIRA
Islide a Lego construction guide out from under Curty’s face before he drools on it so badly the damp pages rip or stick together permanently. He chose to sleep upside down in his bed tonight, and I carefully remove the pillow from under his feet, so he doesn’t lose blood flow to them in the night.
“Sweet dreams, bud.” I sweep back the hair he refuses to let me trim out of his eyes and press a kiss to his forehead. “Mom and Dad love you.”
I gently trace the shape of his face with my fingertips. He looks so much like Quin when he sleeps, which is a strange thing to think, when I’ve never seen Quin sleeping. Passed out and strapped to a chair with his face all busted up doesn’t count.
With a soft sigh, I head for bed myself.
When I get to my room and pick up my phone, there’s an email from Jack waiting for me.
To my sweet,angry, Wife Number Something-or-Other,
I have some wonderfully inconvenient news, which I hope you will enjoy.
Quintus has been sentenced to a period of seven days, to assist our son to build a tree house.
He will be supervised by Lucius.
All materials and labor will be provided.
You may propose a suitable time for the work to be carried out, but the task must be completed before the last week of summer.
Enjoy the discomfort of navigating ten feet of distance for the time you will be thrust together.
