Page 88 of Treacherous

"Several more littered across the country," Noah replied dryly. "But only two that he acknowledges – Ellie and JD."

"Who's JD?"

Noah sighed heavily. "JD is the overgrown bastard you thought kidnapped me that day we had detention – the guy in the blue shirt who kicked my ass back there."

"I knew I saw that guy before tonight," I hissed in disgust.

Noah shrugged and said, "JD will be George's successor – when the scumbag eventually kicks the bucket."

"His successor of what?" I dared to ask.

"The Ring of Fire, the Hub, the business – everything George owns," he husked.

"And you?" My hands tightened on his shoulders. "What about you, Noah?"

"And me," Noah confirmed with a sigh. "The Dennis family fucking own me and they know it."

"How can your mom allow this?" I demanded, feeling outraged for him. "Why the hell did she marry that scumbag?"

Shaking his head, Noah rubbed his face with his hand and let out a weary sigh. "She's forty-six and beautiful, Teagan. He's sixty-eight and powerful. It's a match made in hell. Besides she has no choice in the matter. It's this or end up like..." Noah stopped abruptly and turned his face away.

"Like who?"

"Look, Teagan," he snapped. "There are some men out there who are desperate to dominate. And some women who are desperately dominated."

"How did they meet?" I asked him cautiously, aware that he was growing more agitated by the minute.

Noah's body stiffened beneath me and I watched as the shutters closed in his eyes. "My dad worked for him." He didn’t meet my eyes when he spoke and his jaw was clenched tight.

"Is that all?" I asked in a level voice, knowing deep in my bones he was lying to me.

"Is that not enough?" he sneered.

Defensive…yeah, there was definitely more."You tell me, Noah."

"There's nothing more," he replied, again not meeting my eyes.

"Liar," I hissed.

"Believe what you want," he husked. "That's all you're getting from me."

"I'm an all or nothing kinda girl, Noah," I told him. "Complete disclosure – or nothing at all."

Noah got my meaning because his eyes narrowed. "Don't give me an ultimatum, Teagan," he warned me. "You won't win."

"I just did, Noah," I shot back heatedly.

"I'm not the type of guy who takes orders from his girl, Teagan," Noah muttered, jaw clenched.

"Well aren’t we lucky I'm notyourgirl?" I spat as I opened the door and climbed out.

Swinging around, I leaned in the car window. "You told me earlier you weren’t the kind of guy a girl brings home to meet the family."

Noah frowned at me in confusion. "Yeah… and?"

"Andjust soyouknow, I'm not the kind of girl who asks her family for permission," I told him before slamming his car door and marching up my porch steps. "Congratulations, Noah," I called out shakily. "You've won and you've hurt me all in the one night."

"What did that door ever do to you?" Uncle Max asked when I slammed the front door and stalked into the kitchen. As soon as I reached the table I sank onto the chair closest to me and dropped my head in my arms.

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