Page 74 of The Art of Deception
I glance at Xander as he watches them fill my wine glass. He knows as well as I do that I won’t be drinking that tonight. My dinner plate is placed in front of me, and I have absolutely no idea what it is. It’s so fucking fancy, I can’t even tell what kind of meat this is, or even if itismeat. All I know is there are some of the tiniest carrots to the side.At least I can pick out one vegetable on this plate.
“This looks delicious,” I lie.
Xander smirks at me knowingly as his father picks up his wine glass. “A toast,” he offers.
I tense as I pick up my glass along with everyone else.
“To family, true family, and knowing when to stick to a goodthing,” he digs.
Xander and I are a good thing, but Aldwin means it in an entirely different way. However, I’ll cheer to that and take it how I will. Xander agrees as we raise our glasses and smile.
“Cheers,” I announce as Xander watches me lift the glass to my mouth, but I don’t take an actual sip.
I place the glass on the table as his mother clears her throat, picks up her fork and knife, and begins to eat. I do the same as I try to figure out what I’m about to ingest.
“How long have you been working in the tattoo industry, Tomi?” Ophelia asks, making small talk.
“Since I left school. I went straight into an apprenticeship, and then my parents helped me set up my own shop.” My chest tightens.
“Oh, that’s lovely. You have quite the artwork yourself,” Ophelia adds, and I glance down at my left arm which was mainly done by Hogtie. The bright colors are in stark contrast to Xander’s black and gray. Levi loves the colors, so every image is something he adores.
Aldwin turns to Xander, a hard glint in his eyes. “She has a full sleeve of tattoos, Alex. How’s she supposed to dress in gowns when we have galas?”
My brows scrunch at the fact he’s talking about me like I’m not even here.
What a jerk.
Xander unzips his leather jacket, showing his tank top, which reveals his chest tattoos as he pulls it wider. “She’s not the only one with tattoos, Dad. It’s just you don’t know me well enough to know I have them.”
His father slams his drink hard onto the table, making me jump a little while he glares at Xander. “Didshedo this to you?”
I scoff as Xander goes to rebut, but I interfere. “I didn’t do anything to him,sir.” I accentuate the last word for emphasis.“Xander came to me wanting to start his tattoostwoyears ago. So I didmyjob. A jobyoutook away fromme!”
He snaps back to me. “I was doingmyjob, sweetheart. Your precious little tattoo studio was merely a speck of dust in the scheme of things.”
My stomach swirls in anger. “A speck of dust?You have no fucking right and no goddamn idea what that place meant to my family and me. You threw my life, my brother’s—”
“Oh, that’s right, your idiot brother.”
I stand from the table, my seat falling backward onto the tiles so hard it sends a loud crash through the room. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me! Your brother’s an idiot, isn’t he?”
I’m on fire.
I clench my fists as I start to heave in breaths.
Xander stands from the table, his hands coming out as if to placate us both, but I’m far too angry to stop right now.
“Howdareyou! You donotknow what you’re talking about. Obviously, you don’t have a sensitive bone in your body. It’s no wonder you came in and ruined my career by taking theone place away from us that meant everything.”I chuckle. “You don’t care about things you don’t understand, and I don’t have to sit here and listen to this bullshit from anasshole like you.”
“Tomi,” Xander calls.
I glare at him.
He hasn’t stepped in once while his father’s belittling Levi and me.
“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you, sweetheart? Well, I can tell you now, Alex, this recovering alcoholic isnotwelcome in our family. She stays, then you need to think long and hard about what you want in your career at Scott Enterprises, boy, and whether you can be a part of this family. Because. She. Can’t.”
