Page 99 of Merciless

“Thank you for helping her. I’m sorry I was a dick. You did the right thing. She needed you.”

I saw on her face she had million questions to ask me and I lifted one finger in the air.

“Only one, please.”

“How do you feel about her decision to leave?” she cocked her head waiting for my answer. I thought about it for a second.

“I want her to be happy.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Clementine

I got back home in my tiny room in the house I shared with eight other people to find my sister Madison with two empty wine glasses in here hands.

“Oh, good, you’re home,” she smiled.

She landed in London three days ago and although we were in a better place now, and I really enjoyed seeing a familiar face, I really needed her to go back to her hotel room. Apparently she wanted us to drink wine.

I was in a bad mood. Duncan turned out to be an even bigger asshole in person. I didn’t know that was possible. I was here for two months now, and I never saw him smile. Not even once. Most of the people who worked with him rarely dared to even look him in the eye. What the hell did Elizabeth see in this guy?

I asked her that on the phone on the way home today. She laughed.

“Well, I was young and he was older, talented, famous. I was attracted to his dark vibe.”

I loved to talk with her on the phone. I asked about everything and everyone except Lucas. I couldn’t bear hearing news about him. Although I was dying of curiosity. Where was he going after graduation?

“Honestly,” Madison was looking at me with a face that suggested I had something gross somewhere on me. I glanced down. My clothes were fine. “You start to look as grumpy as you describe that boss of yours. I think London doesn’t agree with you. You should come back home with us.”

Us stood for Madison and Sylvia. Maddie was here with a client. I had no clue what mom was looking for here, but I wasn’t going to ask.

Madison and her renowned boss traveled with their newest client. The daughter of a third generation politician was marrying the son of one of richest financial investors. The bride could pretty much buy every bridal dress in Europe, which obviously made her indecisive and irritated Madison.

“Are you even going home? I thought you were going to Paris in a few days?”

“Not if that spoiled brat buys a dress. I have two days to make her buy something. I want to go home.”

“Poor Maddie,” I made a pouty face. “Forced to sleep in five-star hotels in every capital in Europe, while the bride-to-be picks up the check for everything”, I looked at her as if she was personally responsible for my misery, and I continued with annoyance. “You don’t even have to go out. They bring the dresses to you. You could go to Paris, Madison, and instead of trashing every dress you see here, you want to press her into buying one, just so you can go back home?” I narrowed my eyes at her.

Madison passed me a glass of red wine. I raised a brow.

“It’s allowed here and I’m the safest person to get drunk around, I promise.”

I believed her. I couldn’t imagine Madison getting drunk. She would have to set aside her manners and risk compromising herself. And we all knew she had to be perfect all the time.

I took the glass from her hands and left it on my nightstand. I haven’t touched alcohol since the New Year’s Eve party, and that night was still haunting me, so no wine for me, thank you very much.

“Where did you even find those glasses?”

“I bought them on my way here. I don’t want to drink from a cardboard cup.”

“Well, feel free to leave at any time.”

Madison watched me for a couple of minutes while I was nervously cleaning up a bit, then started talking.

“You should come to the hotel. We’ll have a girls’ night.”

“When did we ever have a girls’ night?” I snorted.

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