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We draw our guns simultaneously, the barrels pressing up against one another’s temples with little regard for who may happen upon us.
“Talk about my sister one more time, motherfucker.”
“I’d behave myself if I were you, Conners. A man with something so precious to lose should really be more mindful of who he pisses off.”
Our standoff stretches on, the intensity of my scowl a direct correlation to his ever growing smirk, until eventually we both concede. Lowering our weapons, I back away as he flips me off before the car speeds away into the darkness.
I stand on the sidewalk a moment longer, with Andrei’s words echoing in my head.
A man with something so precious to lose…
Unfortunately, the only way around that is to not have nice things.
CHAPTER 26
NOW
DAPHNE
My dreams are interrupted by the ringing of my cell cutting out, only to restart again a second later. Digging through the covers, I’m somehow able to locate my phone in my sleep-ridden haze and swipe up to answer without even checking to see who it is.
“Hello?” I yawn, my face half muffled by my pillow.
“Daphne?!” My mother’s voice pierces my ear drum, the sound instantly jolting me awake.
“Mom?”
“Daphne, for God’s sake, turn on the light. I can’t see anything.”
I pull the phone from my ear, groaning when I realize the call I answered is actually a FaceTime. Well, too late to ignore her now. Reaching over, I flick on the bedside light and scoot up to sit against the headboard before positioning the phone in front of me. My mother’s face fills the main screen while my own takes up space in the bottom corner. I catch a glimpse of myself, wincing when I’m reminded of my current appearance.
Shit. The events of the day come rushing back to me, further confirmed when I glance around and am reminded I’m in Nicky’s room.
“So,” my mother snaps, calling my attention to her thoroughly annoyed expression, “that explains it. Why am I not surprised you are the cause of this mess?”
“Excuse me?”
“Lucian’s in the hospital. Did you know that, Daphne?”
My fingers tighten around the phone, heart seizing in my chest as I look to the empty spot in the bed beside me. Jesus, Nicky. Please tell me you didn’t.
“What happened?”
My mother’s face softens a smidge, clearly mistaking the concern in my voice for Luc. “He was beaten. Broken nose, fractured eye socket, concussion. He’s lucky to be alive.”
I swallow against the lump in my throat, hesitant to ask my next question in fear of what the answer will be. “Do they know who did it to him?”
My mother scoffs, her face sweeping back and forth with a disappointing shake of her head. “He’s claiming it was a mugging, but we both know that isn’t true. Don’t we?”
A wave of relief washes over me, though it’s a momentary comfort. My mother’s earlier accusations finally take root, allowing me to process the full weight of her words.
“What did you mean I caused this?”
“Please.” She snorts. “Whose room are you in right now, Daphne?” Her brow arches to emphasize her pointed stare. “What did you think was going to happen when you ran to him looking like that? This is on your hands, darling daughter.”
“Do you see my face? He hit me, Mom! What did you expect me to do?”
“Maybe if you acted in an acceptable manner, you wouldn’t get hit.”
