Page 73 of Gold Digger
His furious expression wavered for a moment. “Shit, Lottie, that came out wrong. You just…” He blew out a frustrated breath. “YouknowI’m protective of Vicky and I?—”
I shook my head. “I said I understand. Now, take your hand off my shoulder.” When he didn’t, I decided I’d had enough, and I jerked out of his grip. When he reached for me again, I took two rapid steps back, and for once, thank the Lord, I didn’t trip and fall on my butt.
Panic flitted across his expression for a moment before his features hardened with determination. “This doesn’t change anything,” he said firmly, and I resisted the urge to shake my head.
“Go and check on your sister,” I told him, my voice still neutral. He frowned and tilted his head to the side.
“What do you?—?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Just check on Claire, Ollie.”
He huffed, looked to the entrance to the event and then back at me, indecision clear.
“Ollie, check on yourfamily.”
Chapter 35
Feudal rule ended four hundred years ago
Ollie
“Your girlfriend is a fucking psycho,” Blake slurred as he grabbed onto my arm. I turned to him and blinked.
“What the hell happened to you?” I bit out.
His left eye was swelling, his shirt was untucked and his eyes were red-rimmed.
“That little bitch happened to me,” he snapped. I shook off his hand as panic gripped me, making my chest feel too tight.
“Blake,” I said slowly. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Your girlfriend attacked me.”
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him. “Lottie is half your size, Blake.”
“Yeah, well, she’s a townie psycho, isn’t she.”
My eyebrows went up. “You’re telling me that Lottie attacked you totally unprovoked? Is that what you’re saying?”
He looked to the side, clearly reaching for the best lie, and then he shrugged. “I told you not to trust her, mate. Some fucking chav foster kid. She doesn’t belong in our world.”
“Careful, Blake,” I warned in a low voice.
“I can’t believe this,” his voice was rising, his words slurring together even more as he swayed on his feet. “You’re siding with that piece of trash? Where’s your family loyalty?”
“Blake? Ollie?” Claire's voice cut through the tension, and we both turned to her. She attempted to smile, but it was tremulous and totally fake. I studied her face for a long moment, and then a wave of rage hit me so hard I felt winded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked her in a strangled voice.
“W-what?” Claire said, her fake smile dropping completely as her hand holding her champagne glass shook. I reached up to her face, touching her cheek for a moment before my hand dropped. She had a full face of make-up on, and I would have missed the bruising if I hadn’t studied her so closely. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. My sister was hurt, and I hadn’t been there to protect her.
I just have a really bad feeling about him, Ollie. I’m sorry. I know he’s family, but he’s definitely an alcoholic, and I… I don’t think he’s safe.
Jesus Christ, I was such an idiot. I moved to Claire and pulled her into me, hugging her fiercely as I tried to tamp down my anger.
“Ollie, what the—?” she started to say, but I cut her off.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t tell me, squirt,” I said in a low voice into her hair. She stiffened in my arms.
