salon appointment, and until then, you’ll have to hide it under a scarf. I can’t believe you did this to your father and I. You are such an embarrassment.”
What the fuck is she going on about? Lael growled through their link.
God only knows.
“There is nothing wrong with my clothes, or my hair, and I’m not going anywhere with you guys. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’ve wasted your time coming here.”
“Your sister is dead,” her father said. “Kevin killed her, and now there is no one to run my office.”
“You need to hire a secretary,” she said. “If you don’t know how to do that, then there are head-hunters you can hire, and they will find you someone suitable.”
“You’re suitable, and apparently a lot of my clients liked you, so it’s time to stop this little charade and get back to work.”
“This charade, as you call it,” she said, firmly, “is my life, and as I said before, I’m not going anywhere with you. Ever. Please don’t ever come back here again.”
She turned to walk through the crowd when her father’s voice boomed around the room.
“I put up with this behavior in the beginning because I really hate looking at you, but if you walk away from me now, then that’s it. You are no longer my daughter. You will no longer have any family. You’ll be a fat, ugly, disgrace for the rest of your life, and then you’ll die alone.”
She turned back toward her parents and was met with a wall of muscle. Lael and his brothers had created a barrier between herself and her father, and tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She didn’t want her parents to think that she was crying over them and their treatment, because that would never happen again.
It’s okay. She said, tapping Lael on the arm. Let me through.
He let out a growl so low she was probably the only one who could hear it, but he did as she asked and moved so she could face her parents for the last time.
“You wish those things were true, and in your limited world, maybe some of them are, but you’re wrong about one thing. I have a family, and unlike you guys, they love me just the way I am.”
“Damn straight.”
She smiled at Lael’s outburst, and the chorus of agreement coming from those around her. The people standing in front of her, her parents, had never had her back, but the Rivers’ family did. When she mated Lael, she hadn’t just gained a husband, she’d gained a whole family, and she knew they would always be in her corner.
“As I said before, it’s time for you to leave. You’ve wasted your time coming here, and if you ever contact me again, I’ll take it as a personal threat and report it to the police. I won’t be quiet about it either. I’ll make sure all of your clients who like me so much know exactly how you treat your oldest daughter, and I’ll also share a few other company secrets I’ve picked up over the years, including how you overcharge companies that have very little influence in your social circles.”
“Anastasia!” her mother screeched. “You can’t threaten us, we’re your parents.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Rourke, but your husband just disowned me.”
Stacey turned and walked through the group without waiting for a response. Behind her, she heard Lael move back into place, once again shielding her from her past, and she already knew what would happen next. Lacey and Elle followed her into the kitchen, and she could hear Levi’s booming voice telling her parents to get out.
You okay? Lael asked through their link.
I’m perfect. She smiled, lacing her words with joy. Absolutely perfect.
Yes, my mate…you are.
The End
***
Levi’s story is next!
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About Ruby Shae
I’m a curvy, full-time, USA TODAY Bestselling Author who loves chocolate, ice cream and coffee. My favorite color is blue, and when I’m not writing, I’m reading, watching movies, or collecting vegan recipes. I write sizzling, sexy, shifter romance featuring women in all their beautiful forms and the alpha men who love them. Until I find my own tall, muscle bound, alpha male, shape shifter…I’ll keep writing about them.
Word Slayer | Coffee Drinker | Animal Lover | Vegan
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