Page 82 of Pin-up Girl

Elise’s nose crinkled from confusion as she stared after him. Looked like we were both in the dark.

Grabbing her arm, I nudged her after him. No need to make anyone angry before we could get them out of here.

I pinched the underside of her arm, and when she looked at me, I signed very small in front of my chest,My phone?

She shook her head one time.

Damn it all to hell, how were we going to get ahold of Milo?

The butt of the gun crashed into the back of my head, and I staggered forward.

“Don’t think I didn’t see what you were doing, Mute. I know you sign, and I know you three have been trying to teach your little pet.” He snickered. “But she wasn’t always yours, was she?”

What the hell was he talking about? Elise stiffened, but she didn’t try to look behind her. Instead, she slipped her hand in mine, and gripped hard.

Our family sitting room was fairly small, with just one teal loveseat, two crème chairs, and a circular table with a yellow flower arrangement in the middle. Not a lot of room for whatever kind of heart to heart Justin had in mind.

Still, I ushered Elise to the loveseat, pushing her to the farther side away from Derek, who just went around to stand behind us.

Justin gracefully sat down in the crème chair, locking his hands between his legs. “Now that we’re all comfortable, let’s get down to business. I’m assuming you haven’t been in contact with Milo and Emmett?” He raised his brows in question, but he must have known they weren’t here.

“He needs something to write on.” Elise’s voice was scratchy, but packed one hell of an attitude.

“You’re right. How insensitive of me.” He stood and left the room. The drawers opened and closed in the kitchen as he rummaged around for something to write on. It shouldn’t be that hard. Margo kept writing supplies everywhere.

He came back in less than two minutes with a brand new notepad and one of my father’s trademark pens. I took it from his hand, and he resettled himself back in the chair, assuming the very same position as before.

“Perfect. So where are Milo and Emmett?”

Not here.

Some of his cheerful disposition faded. “And where are they?”

I don’t know.

“Really? You expect me to believe that you don’t know where they are?” A note of ice entered his voice.

Elise squeezed my thigh and spoke up. “Emmett broke up with me last night in a very public way. I wasn’t interested in seeing him, so Milo took him somewhere else.”

Justin looked to his son, who confirmed. “That’s true. And the reason why Jules and Elise took a car without them.”

Fuck it all to hell. That’s how they knew to find us here. We’d used one of his cars.

“Hmm, okay. That changes things a little. I had anticipated everyone being here for my big reveal. Maybe by doing it twice, I’ll get twice the fun.” He leaned forward and laughed like we were all in on some big secret.

“Can you get on with it? It’s clear you’re dying to share whatever it is you came here for. Anyway,” Elise studied her nails, “I have plans later today.”

That took away anything friendly in Justin. “Listen here, you little bitch. You’re only here by my sufferance. Your sister only lives by my generosity, so I’d think twice about opening your mouth.”

All of the color drained from Elise’s face. For a second, I thought she was going to pass out, but she swallowed and nodded.

He was going to die. Today, tomorrow, sometime in the very near future, he was going to die.

“I’m assuming you actually do know that Elise was sent to gather information on you three. Marsten lucked out to overhear that fun snippet, and I’m sure he ran right to his brat.”

We do. But she no longer works for the organization.

“Very brazen words for a man with no power. Did you know I picked her specifically for this job?”

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