“All good, I’m sure,” Teddi replied with asmile.
Knix grimaced and had the restraint not to reply. “I'm afraid Harlow and I were just leaving," hesaid.
"Oh no." Teddi pulled back her hand and pouted. "So soon? Can't I entice you to stay for a little longer? I'm sure I could introduce you to a few wonderful connections for your business—it was your late father's, wasn'tit?"
I narrowed my gaze on her as Knix's back straightened. "It was," he replied tersely, his hand reaching out. His fingers closed around my elbow, steering me closer as if he could sense the piranha this woman was. How had she known about Knix’s dad? I mean, it wasn’t exactly a secret, but I had the sneaking suspicion I wasn’t the only one this woman had done her research on. First, she showed up at my mother’s Care Center and now this. Teddi Vandersen-Caruso wasdangerous.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said. It wasn't lost on me that she didn't look particularly sorry at all—not if the small smile gracing her lips was anything to go by.I wondered if she could,I thought Grayson had mentioned once or twice that she had undergone plastic surgery a fewtimes.
"Thank you," Knix said stiffly. "Now, I'm sure you have other guests to attendto—"
"Oh, yes, I do. In fact, I don't know if you knew, but your mother is here tonight. I should see if she's available. The last I saw her, shewas—"
"That's alright," Knix said quickly. I jerked my eyes up to the firm line of his lips as he suddenly propelled me forward. "I wouldn't want to botherher."
"Oh, no, I insist. I'm sure she wouldn't mind seeing her son," Teddi replied, her smilewidening.
"We really do have to go," Knix said as he pushed me further up the corridor. I didn't fight him at all. In fact, I locked my fingers around his wrist and pulled him after me. His voice was panicked, and I didn’t quite understand why, but I trusted hisinstincts.
"She—" Teddi started as another woman stumbled down the stairs of the main hallway, her heels clicking awkwardly and loudly on the beautiful wood floors. All eyes turnedupward.
"Knixon?" Knix stopped at the doorway at the sound of the woman's voice. "Iss thaat you?" Her slur became more pronounced the more she spoke and with each word, the more granite Knix's face became until I was worried the slightest twitch would shatterhim.
Knix turned to look back over his shoulder as a woman almost a full foot shorter than him finally made it into the foyer. Her light blonde hair was pinned back, but wispy curls escaped her coiffed bun at the back of her head and dangled around her rounded face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes unfocused as she stumbled across the floor, obviouslyintoxicated.
She didn't look anything like Knix except for her hair and her eyes. But when I looked into her murky depths as she weaved back and forth in place, staring at Knix, I couldn't really picture how this woman could have given birth to Knix. She was too different. Too unhinged as she stopped bobbing and weaving and practically threw herself into Knix'sarms.
"Oh, I've missed you!" she half slurred, half shrieked. "Hoooooow come you neeeever call your mother?" She thudded one closed fist against his chest as he reached out to catch her, to keep her from fallingover.
Guilt ate at me, but in the same instance, I knew that it wasn't my fault. It washers. I turned and tipped my chin up and finally let myself glare at the woman across the hallway. Teddi smirked at me as she watched the scene unfold. Knix's mother began to cry, huge hacking, drunken sobs as she slapped his chest and screamed at him. People began to wander out from the lounge, curious onlookers. I saw Mr. Decourcy and the redhead from earlierwatching.
"Mother," Knix said sharply, resigned to getting this her out and away from prying eyes, "let'sgo."
"Why don't you ever talk to me?" she sobbed. “Do you really hate me that much?” I shook my head and touched Knix on the arm. He looked down at me, his crystalline blue eyes a mixture of anger andsadness.
"Just pick her up, we'll take her with us," Isaid.
He didn't wait to be told twice. Knix swung his mother's much smaller, frail looking body into his arms and stormed outside. I sucked in a calming breath and turned back to Teddi. Sensing that the drama was leaving, the rest of the crowd quickly went back to their previous places. The smirk still hadn't left her beautifullips.
"You knew we were coming tonight, didn't you?" Iaccused.
She shrugged, a quick and sharp lift and fall of her delicate paleshoulders.
"You made sure his mother would behere."
Her smirk turned into a cold, calculating smile. "Knix has a lot of business contacts here," she said quietly, succinctly. "It would be a shame if more things like this kept happening. If his drunken mother were to keep showingup."
"So, you're blackmailing me now?" Iasked.
"Money didn't work on you," she said, but then a sly grin spread over her face. “Or did it? I noticed I didn’t receive a phone call from the Care Center. You took the check, didn’t you? Naughty, naughty littlegirl.”
I stiffened, anger flushing across my cheeks in a wave of heat. “Stay. Away. From. Knix,” I groundout.
Teddi rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. One way or another, Miss Hampton, I will get my way." She narrowed her gaze on me. “It would behoove you to make sure I get it sooner rather thanlater.”
I don't know what it was that made me reply back the way I did. There was no hesitation in my steps, however, as I found myself walking forward until I stood right in front of her. "We'll see about that," I spat. "I'm sure everyone here would like to know how much of a manipulative bitch youare."
Even I shocked myself as the insult came flying out. It was like a well of rage had overflowed and erupted inside me, spilling forth venom. I didn't care. Whatever it took to protect what wasmine.