Page 25 of One Rule
“It’s the truth, Liliana.” An exasperated huff tinged with bitterness follows. “Joaquin Armas had the audacity to get upset because I reminded him of that. Of the fact you’re graduating soon and don’t have time to run his political image.”
“I am good at it, though.”
“Do you really want to—”
“Heck no,” I say, then snort. “Dad’s the biggest micro-manager I’ve ever met.”
“Then? Why are you defending him?”
“Because someone has to,” I say, voice neutral. I’m not looking to argue with her. Something she tries to do a second later. Her lips part and I can almost see the retort coming, but I hold a hand up while slightly merging onto the highway. “He has flaws, Mom. I know that, but so do you. No one in our family isn’t without some kind of idiosyncrasy that makes the rest of us want to pull our hair out.”
* * *
“Lookwho finally decided to grace us with her presence.”
“Why are we here again? You never come here during the week.” A bit snide. Huffy.
Dad merely shrugs, lips quirking up in a smirk. “Because this isourhome.”
“Shut it, Joaquin.” Mom steps fully into the family room and heads straight for the man she’s scowling at. They watch each other for a second before hugging, his arms wrapping around her while whispering something in her ear. Her annoyance with him lasts as long as mine with Micah—you can’t help who you love.
That’s also about the time I walk out of the room, giving them a few moments to talk while heading toward the kitchen. There’s a lot of noise coming from in there, what sound like pots and pans and then a squeal, the latter coming from Bernice who’s pulling her soaked shirt away from her body.
Lionel is on the opposite side of the island, smirking at her while holding the detachable faucet in his hand. “Take it back.”
“You are such a child!”
“Says the one yelling like one?”
“Is this what you two do when I’m not around?” I say and give one solid clap, causing their heads to simultaneously snap in my direction, each with a different expression. One is smug while the other goes timid, and it'sherI focus on. Bernice isn’t our cousin by blood, but because I adopted her into our clan.
Not literally, but of the heart.
I met her in school a year after we met Micah, and we just clicked. Our group in school was tiny; I can count on one hand the girlfriends I trusted over the years—those who stuck around—but she’s always been the closest to me. The one who got in trouble with me.
The one who came up with the crazy plans that got us in trouble in the first place.
Everyone’s accepted her because of me, but there’s always been a teasing edge between my brother and her. Right now, she’s blushing and clenching the hand not pulling the fabric away from her body. There’s also the subtle way they keep sneaking glances, or more like glaring at each other.
Will they ever give in?
“Well?” Arching a brow, I cock my hip to the side. “Who’s going to explain this mess?”
“I will.” My body stiffens, goosebumps rising across my skin ashiswarm breath skims the back of my neck a second before a tint trickle of cold water runs down the back of my shirt…
Chapter9
Micah
EARLIER THAT DAY…
“Iwant answers, Alfred.” We’re standing beneath Esmeralda, the crane to the left of us done for the day, but I’d ordered the driver to leave the long chain and anchor attached dangling a few feet above Alfred’s head. It’s not going to fall, but I do get a kick out of watching him squirm.
Looking up every few minutes. Sweating. Trying to shift, but a single arch of my brow makes him stop.
Pussy.
“Sir, I—”