Page 3 of A Rebel's Shot

Tears stung her eyes, and she sucked in a harsh breath. Her dad’s possible murder was not drama.

She turned from the partially frozen ocean and sat at her dad’s desk. His warm scent of leather and cinnamon candies enveloped her, making sorrow overwhelm her again. She shook her head and pushed the tears away.

She’d keep them at bay, just like she did at the refugee camps and orphanages she traveled to. She could wait to fall apart where she could smother her heartbreak in her pillow.

With mechanical precision, she filtered through the paperwork on the desk. Handwritten notes of drilling procedures, names, and government divisions mingled with invoices, board meeting notes, and environmental reports.

She had no clue what any of it meant, but she scanned each piece of paper, praying a clue would jump out at her.

As she set the last paper on top of the pile of items she’d already gone through, bright red flashed in the doorway. She jerked her eyes up, pushing back in her chair with a jolt. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest.

Joni, her stepmother, leaned against the doorframe.Her arms crossed over her slinky red top better suited for the Caribbean than the Arctic, even if it was summer. Her long, manicured fingernail tapped rhythmically against her fake-tanned skin.

The small lift of the corner of her glossy lips was the only indication she delighted in startling Merritt. Other than that, Joni’s face held its usual dismissive expression when it came to her stepdaughter.

“So, the Precious One decided to grace us with her presence.” Joni arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow over her ice-blue eye. “What? No more babies to rock or world to save?”

Merritt’s mouth dropped open as her stomach clenched.

How dare she?

Did Joni have such little regard for Merritt that she’d slap her with her normal complaint? Did she really love Merritt’s dad so little that she couldn’t even say one word of comfort?

“Dad’s will didn’t leave any other choice.” Merritt crossed her own arms and watched Joni closely.

Joni’s body tensed and her lips pinched, but only for a second. If Merritt hadn’t been paying attention, she’d have missed it. Her stepmother’s eyes blinked, then she pushed off from the doorframe.

“Quite the surprise there.” Joni stalked into the room, lifting the stone heart paperweight Merritt had given her dad years ago and tumbling it in her fingers. “Clay—controlling and manipulative, even from behind thepearly gates.”

She slammed the paperweight back in place, and Merritt flinched.

“Well, more likely the fiery pits, but who am I to judge?” Joni shrugged nonchalantly.

Merritt clenched her teeth to keep the sharp retort in.

The hateful woman slipped into the chair across from Merritt with an inhale through her nose, her cue she was calming herself down. Merritt had seen her do that often when she lived at home. Joni and her father arguing about something, usually money, and Joni sucking in air like she was counting to ten.

Did she know it made her nostrils constrict in a very unattractive way?

Probably not. Otherwise, she’d curb the habit just like she cultivated the rest of her image with exact precision. Merritt hated who her stepmother had become.

“So, why’d Clay do it?” Joni’s eyes bored into Merritt. “Why’d he up and change his will to leave everything to you? Even Nolan hadn’t known.”

Merritt stifled her cringe, the guilt of her dad leaving even his brother out of the will skimming along her skin. The will was clean and simple. She got everything.

When her dad did something, he went all the way or not at all. She was just thankful Nolan wasn’t spiteful, unlike Joni.

Merritt shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” Joni sneered. “You two and your precious messages back and forth. There’s no way he didn’t tell you.”

“No. He didn’t.” Not exactly. “I’m just as surprised as you.”

“Doubt it.”

“It’s true.”

“You don’t deserve to head this company.” Joni’s fingers dug into the chair’s arms. “You’re clueless. An idiot do-gooder with your head in la-la land.

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