Phillipa whistles out a shocked breath when I give her a bullet-point update on Megan’s obsession with Isaac’s brother. “And this is why I’m convinced the world isn’t flat. Life is a never-ending circle of unknown connections.” With tiredness strangling my senses, my laugh comes out as more of a yawn. “Perhaps after you’ve packed, you might get some sleep.” When I scoff, she whispers, “I can come prepare you a warm cup of milk and rub your tummy until you fall asleep if you’d like?” Don’t take the childishness of her offer as being innocent. Her comment could have only been more insinuating if she had said it while naked.
Feeling playful, I mutter, “Phillipa?”
My cock twitches when she purrs, “Yes, BJ.”
Her laughter roars above the pulse in my ears when a snippet of the old Brandon breaks through the dark cloud above my head. “Can I have some cookies with my milk?”
8
Melody
When a shuffle sounds at the door, I peer up from the mountain-load of case files I’ve been sorting through the past few weeks. I have been in the reference library for hours, yet I’ve barely deciphered half the charge sheet in front of me. My mind is elsewhere, and I don’t see that improving when I lock eyes with my caller. The Governor has popped in for another visit, except this time, he’s minus his posse of advisors.
“Mr. McGee, good evening.” My tone is lower than usual, somewhat skittish. I’m not a fan of my voice as it is, let alone speaking to a man who rarely stops glowering.
It’s men like Mr. McGee who keep fear alive. Their insides are so evil even a deliriously handsome face can’t hide it. For years, I believed the McGee children’s personalities were evenly split between their mother and father. Brandon and Joey took after Mrs. McGee, and Phoenix and Madden adopted their father’s traits.
My beliefs only changed the night of Joey’s party.
Not wanting my mind to get sidetracked again, I ask Mr. McGee in a kind and professional voice, “Is there something I can help you with?”
He walks into the room, all regal-like. “I popped by your apartment. You weren’t home. Clearly.” His laugh makes me so uncomfortable I stand to give my flipping stomach room for its churns. “I figured you’d be here. Barbara put many hours into her studies before we wed. I often found her in the library.” Even though they’re in the process of separating, he speaks fondly of his wife while shuffling through the case files I’m working on. When his eyes lift to mine, I forcefully swallow. They’re so hollow even with them being oddly familiar. “Will you continue working once you’ve wed?”
I nod without pause for thought. “Julian has no wish for me to stop. He knows how important this is to me.”
“He sounds a lot like your father.” He tosses down a file with more aggression than needed, ensuring I’m aware his dislike of my father is still apparent even years after his death. “I heard the ruling on his accident was altered. What are your thoughts on that?”
“Umm…” I’m truly lost for a reply. Mr. McGee isn’t a caring man, so why is he pretending as if he is? “I’m not exactly sure what to think of it, to be honest. It’s all rather new. I’m still trying to process it all.”
A reason for his visit comes to light when he asks, “Are you planning to sue?” He’s not worried about my well-being after discovering my parents were murdered by the man who brutalized them years earlier. He doesn’t want a murky cloud placed over his state’s head.
Yes, you heard me right. Vincent McGee believes he owns New York. He’s wrong, but the last man to tell him that is buried in a cemetery next to his wife and my mother, so I’d rather not point it out when I’m alone with my attacker’s father in a room that only has one exit. I’m not scared of Mr. McGee, I’m frightful of the children he raised.
With my mood hostile, my words get snappy. “I have no intention to sue, so you have no need to fret.” I stack my files together before sliding them into my messenger bag. “What happened was unfortunate, but as far as I’m concerned, the matter has been attended to.” I don’t know who killed Milo Bobrov, and in all honesty, I don’t care. Justice was swiftly served. I couldn’t have