Page 44 of Inked Persuasion

“I think it already is,” I whispered.

“We need to talk to Mom. She’s the only one that can talk him down.”

“Except she’s getting just as bad as he is with some things,” I said softly.

Benjamin shook his head, his eyes tight. “I don’t have answers, and I know you don’t either. But I hate this. I’m starting to hate that our parents still work here. And I like our family. I don’t want to hate my parents.”

“Ditto,” Paige said from behind him, and Archer nodded.

Beckett just shook his head, glowering. “I sent Clay home. He took a Saturday morning off away from the kids to deal with Dad’s shitshow. And I’m done. I don’t know what we’re going to do, but this isn’t working anymore.”

I met my siblings’ gazes and nodded. “I know. We’re going to have to figure it out. I just don’t have answers right now. And I was going to work today anyway because I have plans to work on. I need to let my creative juices flow, and I haven’t been able to recently.”

“Because of Jacob Queen?” Archer asked, and I flipped him off.

“No, we’re not talking about that.”

“So, no plans tonight?” Paige asked, and they all looked eager to talk about anything but our family problems.

I just glared at all of them.

“I do not have plans tonight, other than to work. And maybe do this thing called relaxing.”

“So, Mr. Fancypants hasn’t even called then?” Beckett asked.

I blinked at him. “Did you just say fancypants?”

Archer snorted, while Benjamin just shook his head, his lips twitching.

Beckett shrugged. “I don’t know. It just came to me. It doesn’t seem apt now that I think about it.”

“Okay, if this is where you want to be, fine. Since I left Jacob’s bed this morning, I’m pretty sure we didn’t need to make plans for tonight. If I see him, I will. If I don’t? Whatever. It’s not your business, any of you, and that’s the last time I’ll be talking about it in this building.” I let out a breath. “Or ever,” I added, as Paige’s eyes widened, and my brothers just stared at me, mouths agape. “Out. Go do what you need to do. Stop bugging me.”

“Where did you say you were this morning?” Beckett asked, his voice a growl.

“In Jacob’s bed. Yes, I slept with Jacob Queen. More than once. And it wasn’t even the first time. What are you going to do about it, Beckett? Are you going to beat him up? I thought you were all for your sisters being strong women who could take care of themselves. Are you going to be that kind of jerk?”

Beckett stared at me before his lips twitched just like his twin’s. “You are a brat sometimes.”

I shrugged. “Well, you make me.”

“You won’t even let me pretend to be all protective and glowering,” Beckett said, pouting a bit. I loved my brothers.

“You’re only allowed to be protective or glowering if someone hurts me. And only after they hurt me, and I ask you to help me. You don’t get to take it upon yourselves to think that you know what you’re doing.”

“You’re making this whole not-liking-this-guy thing very easy.”

“You don’t have to like or dislike Jacob, because it doesn’t matter. We’re just having fun.” I hadn’t meant to say that, and now they were all glaring at me again, including Paige. “Okay, that’s enough. No more.”

“It’s not going to get serious?” Benjamin asked, tilting his head as he stared at me. “I thought sex would be pretty serious.”

“When’s the last time you got laid, Benjamin? You want to talk about that?” I spat.

Archer rolled his eyes. “Well, since we’re talking about the last time hell froze over, we may need to sit down for a while if we’re going to think about that long-lost time.”

“You’re an asshole,” Benjamin said.

I sighed. “And this family is getting far too close. Go, do your thing. We’ll figure out the whole what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-this-family thing later.”

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