“No, no!” Amelia says, skittering across the driveway. “That box goes on top of the packages,” she says, a big smile pasted on her face as she redirects a Beta. “Very delicate things in that one.” The driveway is chaos, I think, as I stand with my arms folded across my chest. My two boys and I are
When we arrive over an hour later, the boys are thrilled, but everyone else is, I think, feeling the strain. The boys spent the rest of the ride continuing to needle Amelia about little things, despite Victor and my equal attempts at intervention. I may not like the girl, but it’s her wedding – she
I smile my gratitude at him, but pull the boys down nonetheless. I think I’m going to like this butler. “If there’s anything else, madame?...” the butler asks, bowing again. “No, thank you,” I say, crossing the room again the collect our luggage. He nods his head and starts for the door, but I sto
A few hours later, when the boys have been neatly dressed in their first suits of the weekend, there comes a knock at the door. I smooth my hands over my own black cocktail dress and go to answer it. I let out a whoosh of breath when I see that it’s Victor. “Come in,” I say, opening the door wide f
“Rafe,” Victor says, putting out a hand to shake his brothers. “I’d like you to meet Evelyn Ortega, and, of course, my boys, Alvin and Ian Ortega.” Ian boldy steps forward and holds out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.” Rafe takes Ian’s hand and laughs, charmed. “Well, very nice to meet you too,
“Oh, you poor baby!” I croon, taking a step forward and taking Rafe’s face in my hands, angling it to study his cheek. “I’m so sorry, I was so eager to get that horse fly off your face that I must have swung too hard.” I speak loudly enough that the people nearest us can hear, my face a mask of mot
“As the surrogate to your children,” Henry interrupts and corrects. “Get rid of her, boy. She has no place at this event. She performed a service for you, yes,” his eyes flick over me again, “and perhaps she still does. But that’s no reason to keep her around.” He sneers, and then continues. “A man
“Ridiculous,” Victor growls, pacing his room. He slams a fist against the wall. He saw his brother accost Evelyn on her way out of the room, saw her slam that plate of food into Rafe’s chest. Victor had been standing with his father, still giving him a piece of his mind, when it happened. He had s