about?”
“Sex.”
I roll my eyes. “Typical.” Though I don’t mention how my sisters and I talk about sex often. It’s not just a guy thing.
As Sullivan stirs again, Daisy rocks her a little more. “Will you watch her this Saturday? Just for a couple hours?”
My heart swells. “I’d love to. I’ll save you from all the evil cries.”
Daisy mock gasps. “Did you just call my baby evil?”
“Her cries ,” I refute. “That only makes her part-evil.”
Daisy breaks into a wider smile. Whatever my sisters need, I will be there faster than a fucking roadrunner.
I flinch as the door finally bursts open.
About time. Loren crests the doorway with Lily by his side. I frown deeply. Why is she shielding half her face with her hand?
Loren whispers in her ear, and they break apart to sit at the now vacant heads of the table.
“What’s going on?” My voice spikes an octave. I rise in my four-inch black heels.
“Looks like Lily and I dethroned you and your husband.” He swings his head to Connor. “Thanks for keeping this warm for me, love.” He even takes a sip of Connor’s coffee.
My husband’s features are unreadable and mostly trained on Lily. He even takes out his cellphone. Ryke is seconds from pushing himself to a stance.
“This isn’t about seating assignments,” I retort. “But let’s be clear, Connor and I always sit at the heads of the table.” I snap at him to move.
Loren gives me a dry look . “Be careful, Queen Rose, you might break a talon.”
I growl and then collect my thoughts. He’s distracting you, Rose. From the real problem. My sister. Something’s wrong with my sister.
“Lily?” I say. “What’s wrong…?” I trail off as a male intern enters the conference room with a bag of ice. He sets it on the desk by Lily and then hurries out without a word.
I gasp as Lily drops her hand to clutch the ice.
“What the fuck?!” Ryke yells before I can.
She fumbles with the ice before pressing it to her red, swollen eye, a greenish bruise beginning to form. “I’m alright! No one freak out.”
“Too fucking late,” Ryke curses, already standing. Connor is on his feet too, typing quickly on his phone. Baby still in her arms, Daisy rolls on her chair over to Lily, both exchanging a few quiet words.
I whip my head to Lo. “Someone attacked her?” That’s it. I march around the table, find my Chanel purse on a chair, and rummage for my cellphone.
“Whoa—everyone stop for a second.” Lo has to shout louder because I’m not stopping. “Jesus Christ, stop , everyone!”
We all go still.
Lo isn’t joking anymore, his daggered eyes flashing hot. “Did you ever think that maybe we already took care of it?”
Now I am.
“How?” Connor asks. “Did you call lawyers?”
“ Yes .”
“Did you contact police?”
“ Yes ,” he forces. “And you don’t even know what happened yet.”
“I got punched,” Lily tells us, and I have to force myself to stay put and not walk heatedly out the door and decapitate this motherfucker. “By a…thing.”
I frown, feeling Connor casually sliding closer to me. I grip the top of the chair so hard that my nails leave imprints in the leather.
“A thing ?” I question. “What thing?” My blood simmers, picturing vile humans punching her—someone so grotesque she can’t even utter his name. “I’m going to strangle him,” I sneer. “Then remove his eyeballs, roast them over a fire, and shove them back in his mouth.”
Loren cringes. “And I thought my mind was a hellhole.”
Ryke pushes past the table towards the door.
I walk swiftly after him, securing my purse on my arm like a weapon. Let’s get this motherfucking asshole —Connor blocks us at the glass door.
He’s the most infuriating human.
“ Move, Richard,” I say forcefully.
“Listen to Lo. He said he took care of it.”
I cross my arms. “Not to my satisfaction.”
“What you find satisfying, darling, is called illegal and a