Page 33 of Captivating

“I’m well aware of exactly how screwed I am, thanks,” I groan.

“Your mom and dad know, you know?” Hudson sits up and offers me his hand.

I take his hand and let him pull me to my feet. “You talking in riddles for a reason?”

“Nope. Just warning you.” He looks over my shoulder and winces. “Incoming. See ya later, kid.” Hudson smacks my shoulder, then waves at someone. “Hey, Scarlet.”

Fuck.

I turn and smile. “Hey, Mom.”

Five minutes later, I’m sitting across from my Dad’s desk, while Mom sits behind it and Dad stands next to her.Apparently, this day could actually get worse, and now I’m sitting in the crosshairs of hell.

“Would you care to explain exactly what you were thinking?” Mom asks.

Scarlet Kingston St. James is the master of her universe.

She’s a woman who’s dominated a man’s world for three decades as the president of the Philadelphia Kings football franchise and vice president of King Corp., my family’s multi-billion-dollar empire. She’s a badass and a hard-ass to everyone in the world who’s not her family. To us, she’s Mom, and to my dad, she’s everything. She hates when the world doesn’t bend to her iron will... and hates it even more when it’s her kids refusing to do so.

“Not really.” Okay, maybe my answer is a little too indifferent, but there’s no way this goes well for me, and I can’t decide if Dad’s humoring her or if he agrees with her. “I’m twenty-six, Mom.”

“And... you’re still my child. And if you need to remind me you’re a grown man, try considering what that says about you, not me.”

“Fuck me,” Dad grumbles. “Duchess, he’s a grown man.”

“Are you kidding me?” she snaps and pushes to her feet. “He moved in with her, Cade. There was a bomb in her dressing room less than a month ago. She has a security team surrounding her twenty-four seven. A team stacked full of people licensed to carry guns. What exactly is our son going to do to protect Lilah Ryan that her security team can’t?”

Dad opens his mouth, but Mom’s not done with her rant. “And aren’t you supposed to be yelling at him about his fight? Shouldn’t you be lecturing him about focus and consequences?”

“Mom—”

“No.” She spins back to me. “My only concern is you and your safety. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care what you think you’redoing. You’re not. She doesn’t need you, and you’re putting yourself in danger, playing house. Think, Killian. What are you going to do? Jump in front of a bomb for this girl you haven’t seen in ten years?”

“Scarlet.” Dad’s voice is quiet. It’s the voice we heard growing up when we knew we were in trouble. “Stop. You’re allowed to be worried about him, but Kill’s not a kid anymore, he’s a man. One who I’m pretty sure understands what he’s doing.” Dad flashes me a look that saysdon’t open your fucking mouth, kid, or I’ll skin you alive myself.So I do as I was silently told and watch, because honest to God, nobody ever wants to fight with my mom. You never win.Never. And given the chance, she’s not gonna like what I’m gonna say.

“Cade...” Mom softens, and Dad pulls her into his side. “I hate when you’re calmer than me.”

“Somebody has to be.” He kisses her temple, then looks at me. “No distractions, Killer. Don’t let me catch this interfering or I will rain hell down on you like you’ve never seen. And let me know if she’s going to be hanging around here during the day. I’ll get the extra office cleared out, so she has a space to go when you’re busy.”

I stare at him, withthat’s it?on the tip of my tongue.

Luckily, I’m smart enough not to ask that.

“She’s got a full gym in her basement. I’d already gotten close to two hours in there before I even came in today. No distractions. My title is still my top priority.” I’m supposed to mean those words. I meant them a month ago. I meant them a week ago. I’m not so sure I mean them now, and I don’t know what the fuck that means.

Lilah Ryan is a friend.

Barely.

She hates my guts.

Probably has a voodoo doll that looks like me in her nightstand.

Maybe it’s tucked right in there next to her vibrator.

And there go my thoughts right back to those damn shorts and those fucking legs.

I’m saved from my spiraling thoughts when one of the girls who works the front desk knocks on the door. “Cade,” she calls out.

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