I blinked up at her.
“The man’s running for state senate next term,” my father spat, and I looked to him. “Way he looks. Money he’s got. Brain in his head. His pedigree. His education. His ambition. He’ll be in Washington in four years, if he doesn’t run for governor. He could even fuckin’ make a play for the White House. That kinda future ahead of him, you get him addicted to your snatch, leadin’ him around by his dick, what’s that do for the Shades?”
I wasn’t certain I was hearing what I thought I was hearing.
“You wanted me…” I shook my head. “What?”
“Boy got your stepfather out of some shit, because your stepfather is more of a stupid fuck than you are,” Dad bit out. “Payback, Culver saw you out to dinner with your mother, he wanted a fixup. Your mother saw the benefits of such a union. She chatted with your sister, your sister chatted with me. We all agreed. You see him. You fuck him. You get him wrapped around your finger, you own him,” he jerked his thumb at himself, “then I own him.”
I felt something coming off of Georgia, it was not nice, and since I didn’t need more not nice in the present situation, my gaze darted quickly to her only to see her aiming a sour look at our father.
She rearranged her face when she noticed my attention and looked down at me.
“Babe, getting you out of this warehouse? Getting you clean? Next young, handsome, hotshot Colorado senator sent to Washington is not gonna put a ring on your finger, you’re managing a crew of drug dealers.”
Me moving offices hardly made me clean.
“I’m still a Shade,” I pointed out hesitantly.
“No Shade has direct ties to anything…” she hesitated before her lips quirked and she finished, “shady. Not anymore.”
Her sister on the floor at her feet having been on the receiving end of four vicious blows from the father we shared, I had no idea how she could find anything amusing.
Then again, as it sunk in that they were whoring me out to Dustin Culver, something she was clearly in on, maybe I did have an idea.
I scooted back several inches, and with as much grace as I could muster, cradling my tender wrist in my other hand, doing my best to ignore the pain burning in my face, I gained my feet. I then shifted away farther, my eyes glancing from my father to my sister to Tommy, doing this also noting Gill was across the room, shoulder leaned against the wall, face blank, watching.
They were all in on it.
My face stinging and I could feel it swelling, I avoided my father’s eyes and looked at my sister.
“So I don’t manage a crew of dealers. Now I’m a whore?”
Georgia caught herself mid-eye roll at what she clearly considered my dramatics and threw out a low hand. “He’s not ugly or fat or stupid. How tough would it be?”
I straightened my shoulders and held her gaze. “Maybe not tough but did it occur to you to explain your plans to me rather than telling me what I was to do without me really understanding why you wanted me to do it?”
“I’ve been kinda busy, Liv,” Georgie replied. “I said date the guy. You dated the guy, okay. Then you broke up with him without clearing that with me. Not okay.”
So now my sister thought she owned me.
I didn’t acknowledge her ludicrous reply.
I asked, “And did it occur to you to maybe ask if I wanted to get involved with Dustin Culver for a night or two or, say, the rest of my life?”
“You might wanna watch your mouth, girl,” my father warned.
I looked to my father, taking another step back, which was chicken, but doing it saying, “No, Dad. I wouldn’t,” which scared the shit out of me saying it but it was very much not chicken.
Dad’s face screwed up, his body tightened, and mine did too because I knew he was about to lose it.
But I wanted him to.
I wanted him to beat the living daylights out of me.
And when I crawled to the police and pressed charges then went home to Nick with the umbrella of protection he could offer me, I wanted to watch them squirm.
Because I heard things. I did things.
I knew things.
I knew better than to turn rat. I had Shade blood running through my veins. That was never going to happen.
But I’d never been one of them. I’d never fit. They knew that.
So they didn’t know I’d never turn rat.
I was done.
Utterly finished.
Nick could keep me safe. He’d promised. And even Dad had said he and his brother were untouchable.
He’d make me the same way.
I believed.
I fucking believed.
So fuck them.
“Tom,” Georgia muttered, turning slightly toward Tommy, who was now on the move, coming my way.
“I’d really rather it was Dad who finished the job, Tommy,” I told him.
“Quiet, Liv,” he murmured, getting close.
Taking my elbow in a firm grip, he turned me to the door.
“Good. You get him to get her outta my fuckin’ sight and then you get her shit sorted, Georgie.” I heard Dad order as Tommy escorted me to and out the door. “You get me?”