Page 38 of Filthy Little Regrets

Suddenly, he’s a foot away from me, blue irises hot with the promise of retribution. The threat is so blatant, I begin to regret ever letting him lay his hands on me.

Dropping to my heels, I hold his stare for two beats, narrowing my eyes and making it clear I find none of this amusing, then turn away and march to have dinner with my future sisters-in-law.

Sitting at a dining table with crystal wineglasses is a new experience for me. The gleaming silver forks—yeah, this family uses silver for their nightly dinners—the crystal vase of fresh flowers as the centerpiece, and the way the girls eat, it all screams money.

They take delicate little bites of their steak, dipping the very edge into the sauce smeared across the plate like we’re in a five-star restaurant. Mace does the same. They even hold their forks pointed up while they take a bite, and that’s how I know I’m really out of place.

Did they all take the same etiquette lessons or something?How to Be a Pompous Asshole 101.That’s unfair to his sisters, though. They’re nice. Mace is the problem.

Melody eyes me as I mimic them and take a tiny bite. “So, Cassia, what do you like about my brother?”

I arch an eyebrow and swallow. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

She chuckles. “Mmm. Yeah, you’re going to fit right in. Do you like tennis?”

Thank you, Dad, for sending me to private school. At least I can pretend to be high class.“It’s not my favorite, but I play a good game.”

“We should meet up at the club sometime!” She glances at Mace. “He sucks.”

“I don’t suck, you suck. You can’t even get the ball over the net half the time.”

Adalie shakes her head at me as they bicker. “Mace really is terrible. Melody is great, though.” She lowers her voice and leans toward me. “She could have gone to the Olympics.”

“Could have?”

Adalie nods, mouth tipping down. “You’ll soon find no one gets what they want inthis family.”

Is that a warning? Searching her face, I try to determine her intentions, but whatever severity lined her face quickly fades, and in its place is a serene, indifferent mask. The same type Rose wore when she was too afraid to be herself.

“What—”

“What are you two whispering about?” Mace interrupts.

My eyes jump to his. “Nothing.”

He slides his gaze to his sister, then gives me a pointed look. I bristle. It’s not like I could tell her the whole sordid tale in sixty seconds.

“Where did you two meet again?” Adalie watches me with big, innocent eyes. She looks so...naive, it takes me a moment to respond. There’s more to her than she lets on.

“Through a friend. Mace basically proposed to me on the spot.” I take a bite and glance at Mace, leaving it to him to finish because lying reminds me of the secrets my dad kept, and they ended up being the reason he had a heart attack. He can make up the rest of thestory.

“Can you blame me?” he asks with an easy laugh. “She’s probably the hottest woman I’ve ever met, and then I realized she’s smarter than me, and I was a goner.”

Was that . . . a compliment?

Melody gives him a funny look. “Riiiight. And when is the wedding again?”

“We’re discussing that,” Mace says. “But soon.”

We don’t exactly have a choice on that.

Adalie turns a stony expression on her brother. “Mom’s upset you didn’t tell her you were dating.”

Flinching, he averts his gaze. “I’ll go talk to her.”

She grips her fork, knuckles turning white. Mace notices, his gaze moving between her grasp and face.Melody tips her head and frowns. My own forehead wrinkles. What’s going on?

“Dad’s already home,” Adalie says.

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