Teddi threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, darling," she chuckled as her laughter quieted, "if you think these people aren't just as manipulative as me, you're more simple than youlook."
I gaped at her. Was she right? I had no clue. I didn't know these people. But...Grayson and Marv would. Maybe even Knix. But would he have even come if he knewthat?
"Fine then," I managed to grit out. "We'll see if you can make me crack. Grayson is his own person and I doubt very much anything you do to me could convince him to come crawling back to you." I just wouldn't tell him. If he didn't know, he wouldn't feel guilty. If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t have any reason to go back. No matter what she did, seeing her lose would be worth it. This woman needed to be knocked off her throne. I didn’t mind being the girl to doit.
Once again that smirk appeared on her lips. "Oh, sweetheart. You have no idea what I can do, do you?" She reached up, but when she attempted to pat my cheek, I slapped her handaway.
No way would I let her touch me. I could feel my anger boiling forth. My fingers itched to scratch out her eyes. I held the desire at bay, but just barely. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, the smirk remained in place as she dropped herhand.
"I know all your weaknesses," she said matter of factly. Then she moved in close, her mouth a mere hair’s breadth away from me as she spoke. "Every. Single. Weakness. I'm sure you can think of at least four aside from my son. As I've demonstrated tonight, I can and will do what I want to get what Iwant."
With that, she turned and sashayed away while I gaped after her in sheer disbelief. Had she just...threatened the guys? There was no denying it, she had. I clenched my shaking hands intofists.
When a voice behind me called out, I turned towards it. "Excuse me, ma'am," one of the valets said as he approached. "Your ride is ready and Mr. Goode has requested that you joinhim."
I nodded, and then with one last look back at the way Teddi had gone, I left the beautiful plantation home feeling anger but also feeling sick to my stomach. The feeling didn't go away as I got into the front passenger seat of the SUV. Thankfully, though, Knix's mother had fallen fast asleep in thebackseat.
Neither of us spoke as he drove away. He didn't say a word as he pulled up to his mother's home, a small and quaint middle-class home about twenty minutes out from our own house. I offered to help him take her inside, but he shook his head and disappeared into the house with her in his arms, leaving me sitting outside feeling like the whole world had placed a bunch of rocks on me, and I was made ofglass.