Page 76 of The Seven Rings
He turned back to her where she stood flanked by the dog and the cat.
“You must have figured out by now that a project like the Ryder campaign’s too big for one person. I’ve started my own company, and Wise Marketing’s already taken off.”
“Congratulations. Get out of my house.”
He rolled right over her. “It was past time for me to shake loose of By Design. I’m pretty busy, but for old times’ sake, I’m willing to help you out with Ryder.”
Of all the things he might have said, that one hit the top of the irony bar.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
He rolled right over that, too, and spread his hands. All reason and benevolence.
“I’m here to take some of the stress off you, share the load. In fact, I’m more than willing to clear the slate. Forget past mistakes, yours, mine.”
He walked to her.
“How about we sit down, talk about it? I’ve missed being with you. Seeing you again like this…”
He started to reach a hand for her cheek.
“How about, once again, no? Try to touch me again, I’m calling the police.”
“Yeah, I bet they’re really on the ball down there in whatever it is, a hamlet?” He couldn’t quite cover the sneer in his voice. “I just want to sit down, have a conversation.”
Oh so reasonable, he spread his hands.
“We’re both adults, and you’ve had more than enough time to cool off, come back to reality. And the reality is, we were good together, we need each other. Together we can put By Design in the ground.”
“That’s not my reality. I don’t even think it’s yours, but on the off chance it is, let me be really, really clear. I’m not interested in any association with you. At all. Ever. Now get the hell out of my house.”
The look he gave her transmitted disappointed adult to stubborn child.
“There’s that childish streak again. Honestly, it can be endearing.”
He sneezed twice, gave Pye a vicious glare. “Now put that damn cat somewhere. We’re going to sit down and talk.”
He curled a hand around her arm, held on, fingers digging in, when she tried to jerk away. At her feet Yoda let out three quick barks and showed his teeth. Pye’s ears lay back as she arched her back and hissed.
“Call off that ugly mutt and get rid of that cat.”
“Take your hand off me, now. I’m warning you, Brandon, I can do worse, a lot worse than my dog and cat or the police. Get out of my house.”
“Knock off the drama and bitchiness.” Face set now, he tugged her toward the parlor. “We’re going to sit down, and you’re going to listen.”
“No, and no.”
She was on the point of kneeing him, hard, when Yoda’s ball flew and banged into the back of his head.
A laugh followed it. A young boy’s laugh.
“What the hell is that?”
“That’s thea lot worse, and it’s just getting started.”
His head jerked back as if from a punch or slap, Yoda snapped and snarled. Pye took a swipe that scraped claws over his khakis.
Before he could follow through with a kick at Pye, Brandon wheeled back as if from a hard shove. And his eyes went wide with fear.
