Page 2 of Play Action Pass

Rebuked, Emerson dropped her gaze.

“Don’t talk to my sister like that,Bunny,” Jacoby snapped as he stood up. “You’re both pathetic assholes, you know?”

Their father slapped his hand down onto the table, making Emerson jump. “Sit down! Unless you no longer want access to your trust fund.”

Emerson blinked. “You can’t do that. Grandmother gave us that—”

“We can hold it up in litigation until there’s not a single cent in that account,” her mother threatened, cutting her off.

Emerson looked at Jacoby and mentally asked him if they could do that. He raised an eyebrow, giving her an uncertainanswer, then he sat back down. Running a hand through his hair, he glared at both parents.

“Just so you know, I sat back down for Emmie’s sake. As for me, you can take my trust fund and shove it up your ass. But that might lead to some uncomfortable questions by your so-called society, especially if your children end up living in squalor.”

“Language,” Bunny ground out. “Why do you always act like this, Jacoby? We gave you everything, and all we ask is that you marry a small slip of a girl—”

“My life is mine. Why can’t you let me live it?”

“Jacoby, being born into one of the wealthiest families in America means you don’t get to live a normal life,” McBride explained. “Your life belongs to the name. You have appearances to uphold, just like your mother. Just like your sister.”

“What if we don’t want to be a part of your fucking name?”

“What are you going to do?” McBride taunted. “You have no life skills. No knowledge how to do anything but be a spoiled brat. Youwillmarry the girl we chose and youwillfinish college. One day youwilllead the company.”

Emerson kept her gaze on her him, willing him to shut up. She’d always been the one to cave to their parents’ demands. Didn’t want to rock the boat and make them turn their vitriol on her. The Adinson family got rich during the Gilded Age, gobbling up land and reselling it at exorbitant inflated prices. They made their money walking across the backs of the working class.

“Do you really want to live your life having to work in fast food?” Bunny asked. The server came over with two plates and sat them down in front of Bunny and McBride. “Be some nobody like this woman?”

Emerson glanced at the server, whose mouth had thinned, and felt absolutely horrified at what her mother justsaid. How could she be related to such an awful person? Maybe she and Jacoby were adopted? Or maybe Bunny and McBride Adinson paid off their real parents. She mouthedsorryto the server, but the woman only turned and marched away, head bowed.

“I’m not going to marry some airheaded socialite just to further your business interests,” Jacoby said angrily. “And I refuse to go to college.”

“You will do as I say,” McBride said, a hard edge to his voice. “Because if you don’t, since you don’t seem to care for yourself, your sister will pay for your stubbornness. Her little animal project will be gone. Her money dried up. She’ll have to live on the street.”

What he said just got worse and worse. Tears welled up in her eyes and she stared at Jacoby, unable to look anywhere else. Her animal “project” was going to the shelter to volunteer. Cleaning out cages, walking the dogs, cuddling the cats, and helping the animals get adopted. Would her father get the shelter shut down? She couldn’t let that happen, but she was too afraid of her parents to speak up. So, she did the only thing she could think of, and that was silently beg Jacoby. She couldn’t lose the shelter. She just … couldn’t.

Jacoby stood so forcefully his chair toppled back. Every eye in the place turned toward them.

“Sit down,” McBride snapped.

“What’re you gonna do, Dad? Take away my charge cards? Get me banned from this fucking country club? Oh, please! That’ll do me a favor!”

McBride stood up and grabbed Jacoby’s arm.

“I can have you admitted for drug addiction,” their father hissed in a very low tone.

Shock filled Emerson.What?Was Jacoby doing drugs? Why didn’t she know this? Her father had to be wrong. Helooked clear-eyed. Didn’t look like he needed a fix. She was his twin. Surely, she’d know if he was falling into the hole of addiction.

Jacoby rolled his eyes “Try again,McBride. I don’t give a rat’s ass about fitting in with all these snooty, stuck-up sonsabitches.”

A round of gasps echoed. Emerson saw the maître d’ hurrying their way and wished the floor would open up so she could disappear into the ground.

“You’re all a bunch of fucking hypocrites!” he yelled, looking at the people gawking at them. “You’re all sheep! Hear me?” His gaze fell on Emerson. “You coming with me, Emmie?”

If she went with him, would her parents follow through on their threat to take away the only thing she cared about? She couldn’t lose the animals. At the same time, she agreed with her brother and wanted to go with him. As she hesitated, trying to figure everything out in her head, an ugly sneer twisted his face.

“Seems like you made your bed,” he spat, then turned on his heel and marched out.

Emerson watched him, feeling miserable. She would have to beg her brother’s forgiveness, once he calmed down. Her father sat back down and picked up his silverware as if his son hadn’t just had a meltdown. Her appetite fled, and she spent the rest of the luncheon sipping the mimosa that had been brought to her.

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