Page 75 of Burning Daylight
“Things usually aren’t.”
Scoffing, I cross my arms. “Have you been fighting with Lance again?”
It’s not out of the ordinary—at least, it didn’t used to be. It’s possible that things have changed in my absence. Back when I was growing up, though, he and Lance were always attached at the hip, for better or for worse. They used to spend weekends practicing everything they learned in their Jeet Kune Do class, then trudging through the place with goose eggs on their foreheads and deep bruises on their ribs.
Tyler snorts. “Lancewisheshe could land a punch like this.”
I smirk at him, because Lance could beat the shit out of him. I don’t know anyone Lancecouldn’tfight and win. He’s been trained since he was five years old, and although Tyler’s got repressed anger issues that could put down an elephant, fighting is Lance’s outlet; it always has been.
“So, it’s not from him?” I push.
Tyler’s grin drops. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“And I want to wake up with a mother who loves me,” I reply sarcastically. “Tough shit.”
He sighs. “I may or may not have gotten into an argument with Benjamin Voltaire, remember him? Fucking Montgomerytrash.”
Tyler spits the last name out like a curse, but it isn’t surprising to me. He hates the Montgomerys on principle, and when it comes to Benjamin—the guy who’s dating his sister—sometimes I swear his anger outweighs even my dad’s.
“And hehityou?” I inspect his black eye. “For what?”
“Because he’s a piece of shit, Juliette.” He lets out another sigh, dragging a hand through his hair. “I tried to talk to Rosalie, and he…intervened.”
“What?” My voice sharpens. “He wouldn’t let you talk to your own sister? What did Rosalie do?”
He gives me a look. “Just sat there and stared at me with those big puppy dog eyes.”
I frown. “That doesn’t sound like her.”
“Yeah.” Tyler’s jaw tenses. “I don’t know what he’s done to her, but it’s like she’s not even there anymore. She just smiles, and nods, and lets him pull her strings. It’s pathetic.”
He glances around and then lifts his shirt.
My eyes widen when I see the gun at his waist in a holster. “What the hell is that, Ty? Do you even know how to use a gun?”
He shrugs. “Protection.”
“I can’t believe you brought that here.”
“Preston here yet?” he replies, peering around with his hand over his eyes.
He’s clearly trying to change the subject, and it works.
I scowl. “How did you hear about that already?”
He smirks. “I know everything that goes on around here. Besides, Preston’s got a big mouth; he’s been spouting off for weeks that he’s about to ‘claim’ you again.”
“Yeah, I saw theRag.”
I glance around the courtyard.
Paxton’s under the covered patio talking with a few people I’ve never seen, and Alex is leaning against the Roman-style column next to him, smiling like he hasn’t got a care in the world.
Rude that they’re here and yet they haven’t even come by to say hi.
My mother flits around in another one-of-a-kind outfit, a gorgeous, emerald summer gown this time, laughing at something Mayor Penngrove is saying. I’m sure both her and my father are using this as an opportunity to blackmail people into donating to his campaign so they can keep him in power. He’s been in my dad’s pocket for years; no reason for that to change now.
“WhereisLance?” I ask.
