Chapter 27
Gifts
Chapter 27 — An Invitation—1
I'm wolfing my breakfast down as fast as I can the next day, already wearing my
riding boots and the tight fawn—colored jodhpurs I found not-so—mysteriously in
my room this morning. I look towards the galley, but Kent isn’t cooking today.
Where is he? I can’t wait to get to the stable — to see Heathcliff again — to get
started —
I drink my orange juice in one big gulp and Daniel laughs at me. “Seriously,” he
says, his plate still full. “You're not going to get my dad to appear any faster if you
choke on your food.”
I smile at him and he grins back, tilting his head to the side. “It's so good to see
you happy, Fay,” he says. Then his expression falls a little. “I'm just sorry I didn’t
think of it first — I had no idea you wanted a horse — I could have easily —
LL
“It's okay, Daniel,” I say, putting a hand on his and giving him another bright
smile. “I didn’t know it either. Or, well, I've always wanted one — but I had no idea
it was a real possibility.”
He laughs lightly at me. “Anything money can buy, Fay,” he says warmly. “If you
can dream it, we'll get it for you.”
“Hmmm,” I say, winking at him. “You do know that I have a very active
imagination. You might regret that, Danny-boy.”
He laughs at me again as I stand up, stretching. Kent comes through the door
then, pausing a moment to look at me. I drop my hands and give him a big smile
as he comes over.
“What,” Daniel asks, looking at his father. I turn my attention to him as well,
wondering what Daniel is seeing. Kent's face is
grave.
“I don’t know,” Kent says, shaking his head and rubbing his chin. “I don't like the
looks of this.”
“Why?” I ask, frowning.
“My guys looked into it,” he says, gesturing towards the invitation. “Alden is using
this opportunity to introduce your entire extended family — cousins, aunts, uncles,
everyone.”
I go pale at this, a little scared. If just meeting my step—mom went so poorly...
“And in exchange,” Kent continues, “he’s invited all of our people as well. It was
different, when I had Alden come here — there was just a small guest list, only
those who needed to be here —"
No one you introduced me to, I think, twisting my mouth a little, but okay.
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Gifts
Chapter 27 — An Invitation—2
“But tonight,” Kent says, not noticing the face I'm making, “he wants all of his
people, and all of my people, in a room together. And not on either of our turf — in
an outside location.”
I glance at the invitation again and see, indeed, that he’s invited us all to meet at
a local country club.
Kent continues to shake his head and Daniel joins him. “I just don’t like it,” Kent
says pensively.
Daniel nods but I look between them again. “Wait,” I say, “catch me up. What's so
bad about that?”
Kent says nothing, staring at me — challenging me, I think, to figure it out myself.
But Daniel shakes his head and explains. “Fay,” he says, “when big families get
together like this,
sometimes other gangs see it as an...opportunity. Two birds with one stone, as it
were.”
“Or,” Kent says, picking up the thread. “Because Alden has greater numbers than
us, he could see it as an...opportunity. To pressure us into deals we're not happy
making. It's... non—preferred.”
“Oh,” I say, raising my eyebrows. “Maybe we should...not go.”
Kent shakes his head again. “No, he’s got us cornered there. He's already sent
out the invitations to all of his people all of mine.
Daniel and I nod, understanding.
“Well,” I say, hesitating, “I could just go...alone...”
Kent freezes then, looking at me with humor and disbelief in his eyes. Then, he
bursts out laughing.
“Not a chance in hell, Fay,” he says, walking by me and giving me a little swat on
my jodhpur—clad butt. “Go get ready!” he calls. “We're leaving at 4:30, sharp! I
want you two looking good!”
Both Daniel and I stare at him as he walks
away.
“Did he..." I say, shocked.
“Just...” Daniel continues, his voice low and unbelieving.
I turn to look him, my eyes as wide as saucers. “Did your dad just smack my
ass?”
A few hours later, Fiona is putting the finishing touches on my hair. I groan a little
as she pins the last piece into place, finishing it off with some hairspray. My entire
scalp hurts, each strand of hair having been combed and tugged and curled and
pinned and sprayed.
The hairdo is a triumph, of course. It's so elaborately curled and swept up
delicately off my shoulders that I look like I could be getting married.
“You're gorg,” she says, leaning down so that I can see both of our faces in the
mirror. She laughs, then, giving me a kiss on the cheek and then whipping her
lipstick off my skin with her
“Absolutely gorgeous!”
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I stand up and let Fiona help me into
: . ,
the little black cocktail dress she's
chosen for the occasion, the fabric
shimmering subtly in the low light of
my room. It skims off my shoulders
and cuts high on my thighs —
as o 3 ’
definitely racier than anything she's
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in before.
“Are you sure this isn’t a little...risqué?” I ask, considering myself in the mirror.
“For like, a meeting the family sort of thing?”
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“A : .
When it was your dad, it was one
thing to look like a pretty pretty
. wi 5
princess,” Fiona says confidently,
: : u
zipping me up. “But trust me, I know
5 ,
women like those you're meeting
tonight. If you come in looking like a
: : ) . ”
little girl, they'll eat you alive.” The
content is on Novelxo.org! Read
the latest chapter there!
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We both look at me in the mirror and
, :
I'm surprised by what I see. If last
time I was the Mafia princess, tonight
I am dressed as the Femme Fatale.
The woman who can wreck it all if
she wants, and walk away laughing.
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“You look as if you could breathe fire,” Fiona says approvingly, passion in her
words.
“Do you really think so?” I ask, turning to look at her.
“Baby Fay,” she says, shaking her head at me with a little pity in her eyes. “Our
innocent little baby. You really have no idea what you've got going on, do you?”
I frown at her, not understanding.
“You could have them all in the palm of your hand ” she
I snap my head back to the mirror, wondering if it’s true. Thinking, suddenly —
perversely, I know — of Kent on his knees before me. And what I'd make him do if
I had him there.
B
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