Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
I swallow down a lump of stress as I survey the table unhappy that Grace has distracted Naomi who is no longer focused on me and my wellbeing.
Asher and Jonah are whispering something to one another and I’m wondering if it’s about Derek. About rescuing me.
I see Ash snicker before he covers his mouth to say something to Eli, who scoffs. Okay, not likely they’re trying to figure out how to help me. And whatever they’re talking about, the way they’re doing it is awfully rude.
This certainly doesn’t feel like a happy family occasion.
A few moments later, Derek’s father returns with an apology and five seconds after that, my untouched salad is whisked away and replaced with salmon benedict on beautiful red plates with gold rims. And it’s presented just as prettily as the last course.
Derek immediately digs in, as does Jonah. Grace looks at the plate, curls her lip, and then sips her mimosa. Naomi sips her Caesar. Their mother is sipping from her glass, too.
Elijah is drumming his fingers. Jonah’s now tapping away on his phone. If I’m not mistaken, Ash has been waiting for my eyes to hit him so he can try eye-fucking me.
Seeing the expression on his face, I look away, but my eyes catch Derek’s jaw flexing. It seems Derek noticed the same moment as I did because he rips his sunglasses off, leans forward, and growls, “Get your own,” before he grabs the leg of my chair and pulls, making a terrible noise as it’s dragged a few inches, so I’m plastered to his side.
His arm wraps around me.
“Holy cow,” I mutter, aghast.
Asher throws his head back and laughs. “Afraid I’ll steal her?”
“I’ve already stolen her. Get your own, Ash.”
“Maybe I’ll steal yours.” He shrugs. “She doesn’t look too happy to be here with you.”
Derek throws his head back and laughs before he says, “Try it. I dare you.”
“He laughs now, too?” Naomi asks.
“Right?” Grace pipes up.
“Enough,” Mr. Steele snaps.
Derek leans forward aggressively. “Don’t want to ruin your brunch, Mom, by smashing your youngest son’s face off the table and breaking his nose, but he’s on notice.”
“Please, son,” Mr. Steele orders. “I have something to tell everyone.”
Derek leans back in his seat, but his jaw keeps flexing. Asher’s expression reads like he thinks it’s hilarious.
The server who brought my last drink comes again with a tray of drinks.
“You ready to switch to mimosas?” Grace whispers to me.
Mr. Steele says, “Let’s get drinks and then I’ll tell you all what I have to share.”
“Don’t look so worried, Chloe,” Grace advises, “Ash’s favorite pastime is to wind people up. He likes to make Mom and Dad have booze for breakfast.”
Ash snorts.
Mr. Steele puts in, “All seven of my children drive me to drink.”
“Six now,” Mrs. Steele says simply, then downs the rest of her beverage.
Ouch.
The server hesitates. “Miss Turner, mimosa? Something else?”
“I’m fine. I don’t need anything.” I gesture to my still half-full orange juice glass. “Thank you very much.”
I don’t need my mind muddled more than it already is.
“So, while we wait for everyone to be served their beverages, why don’t you tell us about you, Chloe? What do you do for a living?” Derek’s father asks as the server moves around the table, delivering new drinks to some while clearing empty glasses away.
“I’m in marketing,” I say.
“Which company do you work for?”
“Interplay Growth Solutions.”
“Never heard of it,” he states, and slices into his poached egg.
“It’s a boutique firm,” Derek pipes up. “Small but profitable. I’m in the midst of buying it for her.”
“I’ll quit if you do,” I warn, not even trying to hide how I feel about that.
His father looks thoughtful. But he looks at me instead of Derek. “Couldn’t we use her in one of our firms? We can always use marketing talent.”
“She’s not working for you,” Derek states, eyes pointing at his plate as he forks up another bite of his sauced salmon, then looks at me. “It’s already happening, baby. Eat some food. Don’t you like salmon?”
I’m completely out of my element here. I don’t want to ruin a family celebration, but I can’t wrap my mind around the dysfunction here.
Derek and his father haven’t made eye contact. His mother is beautiful, but looks surly and tipsy.
Naomi seems pretty normal. I don’t know what to make of Jonah. Grace so far has always seemed super bubbly. But I don’t know what to make of her, truly, because she knows what Derek’s doing with me and isn’t doing anything about it.
Elijah seems cold and calculating, but that might be that I think that because of the things I’ve read about him being rather shady in his business pursuits and in the revenge department. He really hasn’t said or done much, but he’s got a dark and almost villainy presence.
Asher is a shit stirrer and clearly by the fact that he’s in jeans coupled with what Grace said about his youth, a rebellious guy.