Page 207 of Poison Aches
“I should’ve grown up in Westbrook Blues. Those are some mean streets,” he mutters for my ears only when I glance at him.
“I’m her sister!” Melissa blurts out at long last. “I was just wondering how she knows you…”
I look at Melissa.
“From the resentment and suspicion in your eyes, I bet you think I spread my legs for all three of them, isn’t it?” I say, to which Vaughn and George start laughing.
“Have you ever had a foursome,Mel?” I taunt, exaggerating her name. “I doubt you even know what being fucked is, let alone a foursome with three incredibly sexy, well-hung men that meet your every need and even more. How could you, what with that ball and chain shackled around you from yourlovingparents.”
“I didn’t know you found me incredibly sexy, baby girl,” George says with a chuckle.
“I’d pleasure you any day, any time, any place,” Vaughn says, making me laugh.
“Oh, don’t say that. We wouldn’t want to shock the precious first daughter-to-be now, would we?” I say sarcastically while looking directly at the Hughes family.
Vaughn throws his head back and laughs, drawing attention to the table, while George chuckles. Emmett remains silent, acting as if he isn’t even here, but I know better. Everyone is aware of him.
“Young lady…” Governor Hughes starts but falls silent when all three guys glance at him, as if waiting for him to finish. “That is no way to speak to your sister, and especially in front of our company. We’ll talk about this later.”
At that, I snap my mouth shut and swallow my retort.
Grammy and Samuel can never be hurt again because of me and my stupidity.
But I still need to get myself out of this…but how do I do that?
“Governor Hughes,” Emmett suddenly speaks. The mood around the table immediately shifts to an unpredictable level.
“Yes,” Governor Hughes responds with a tight smile.
The awkward tension around the table is so palpable, I’m pretty sure other people can feel it.
“I have a question. Do you mind my asking it?” he says it like a command, not like someone who’s asking for permission. It’s as if Governor Hughes’s response is irrelevant to him.
“No, of course,” Governor Hughes says. “Go ahead.”
Just then, servers appear and place the starter course on the table, some sort of soup or something.
Not having eaten for over twenty-four hours, I grab the spoon and devour the soup.
“Whoa, are you on a diet again?” George suddenly asks.
“Didn’t eat today.”
“Why?”
I glance up at Beverly. “I was detained.”
Beside me, I feel Emmett tense up.
“Governor, how long have you known about your daughter’s existence prior to meeting her last night?” Emmett questions sharply.
I clutch my spoon in my hand and stop eating.
“Uh,” Governor Hughes starts and then he laughs. “Well, I don’t think?—”
“Did you ever make an effort of finding her, to maybe raise her yourself?” Vaughn suddenly chimes in from my right side.
Governor Hughes’s smile freezes on his face.
