No, that would be assuming that she didn’t have nefarious purposes of her own here. That she actually needed shelter instead of her sob story being a gambit.
“That makes sense,” I said, because it was always good to pay a compliment before you said any kind of criticism. “But what if she’s digging up information aboutus? That whole story about Ezra could be fake. We know he’s had it in for us. And it’s not like she’s any stranger to sneaking around under false pretenses.”
Dad’s hard-edged face darkened with a frown. “I knew you boys all got a little attached to her, but I didn’t think you expected so much from her that you’d see her getting married to someone else as a betrayal. You never even talked about her after her last visit.”
Why would he think I meant that kind of betrayal?
“No,” I said. “I mean her last visit. The whole thing—Holly must have told you about it.”
Dad only looked more puzzled. “Holly told me that Anthea left early because she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to be at home,” he said. “Do you think she was pretending about that? Did the three of you have some kind of falling out with her? You really need to put those kinds of silly teenage squabbles behind you after all this time, Felix.”
Frustration bubbled up inside me alongside my shock. He didn’t have to be so fuckingpatronizingabout it.
And did he really not know? Holly hadn’t told him? Had she thought he’d blame her for not noticing Anthea’s treachery sooner or something? Or maybe she’d been worried he’d get angry with the messenger in general and assumed one of us would broach the subject with him, saving her the hassle.
Shit.
I groped for the words to convincingly explain that the woman whose plea for help he’d apparently bought into had actually been a sixteen-year-old lying, conniving cunt all that time ago, but before I could get out more than a, “Well…” Dad’s new favorite lackey burst into the room.
The guy didn’t even knock, for fuck’s sake. He pushed past the door with his bulky shoulders and marched over to Dad’s desk like he belonged there, his beady eyes skimming over me likeIdidn’t.
Griffin, that was his name, like a fucking mythological beast. He looked like some kind of creature, all right.
“I need to touch base about something, Marcel,” he said in a low urgent voice, switching to ignoring me completely.
I cleared my throat, but Dad made a dismissive gesture at me. “I think you’ve said enough. If you see anything that’s a real cause for concern, bring it to me then.”
I opened my mouth to protest and realized Ihadn’tactually seen anything. That was, other than Anthea dishing back what we threw at her as fast as she could, but I didn’t think Dad wanted to hear about that.
He’d care if I caught her in some kind of scheme. I’d just have to keep my eyes peeled. Hell, maybe if I was the one who nailed her—for a crime, not the other way, although I wouldn’t mind breaking her like that too—he wouldn’t look at me like a total putz.
I nodded and stalked out of the room. I was just starting down the hall when one of the regular minions from the household ducked out of Dad’s lounge room a couple doors farther along.
His head was ducked, his curly brown hair spilling over his forehead, his stout frame a little hunched. What washisname? Something with a B… Brandon? Brent?
Lucan would have known. Lucan had a hard-on about picking up every underling’s name no matter how inconsequential they were. He said it was good leadership or some bullshit like that.
Br-whatever had a hardcover book tucked under his arm. He glanced both ways down the hall and spotted me. From his stance, I expected him to startle, but he just headed my way as if he wasn’t bothered at all.
“Your dad asked me to grab this for him,” he said, indicating the book.
Great, so Dad was counting on even doofuses like this more than me. I wouldn’t take that as an insult.
“You might need to give him a few minutes,” I said tartly. “He’s in a meeting.”
Then I strode off as if I had somewhere much more important to be. Which I supposed I did. I needed to be wherever I could spark the fuse that’d lead to Anthea Noble’s destruction.