Page 29 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“No.” I shake my head. “I’ll probably just catch up some shitty reality tv with my dad. Maybe FaceTime with Z.”

He nods and stands up. He swipes his keys and phone off the counter. “Goodnight Delores.” He looks at me. “Call me if you change your mind, Peasant.”

I roll my eyes at his nickname for me. I watch him swagger out of the kitchen, his jeans hugging his perfect ass and trim hips nicely.

“He’s a good boy.” Delores is watching me closely. “Rough around the edges but inside he’s got the best heart. He’s like an artichoke, all together it doesn’t work, it’s too hard. You have to pull apart the leaves to get to the tender part.”

“Yeah, he’s hard to get a read on.”

“The only people he lets close to him are Levi and Griffin. I’ve been cooking his meals since he was a baby.” She points at me. “I’ve never seen him act the way he does with you though. He’s fighting it but he likes you.”

“He likes fighting with me,” I correct her.

“Fighting and loving are just opposite sides of the same coin.” She tutts and turns back to her baking. “I need to finish baking this birthday cake.”

“Birthday cake?”

“Tomorrow is Connor’s birthday.” I hear the wistfulness in her voice. “I can’t believe he’s turning 18. I feel like I was just mashing up all his baby food. I wish his mother and Claire were coming back.”

“Is he close to his mom and sister? I get the feeling that he and Victor aren’t buddies.”

“He and Claire have always been close. Two peas in a pod. From the day she was born he took on the title of protector. To the point of being overbearing at times.”

Overbearing?

Never would have guessed.

“His relationship with both of his parents has always been strained. There’s more under the surface than you see just as there’s more than he sees as well.”

That’s cryptic.

“Come down for breakfast at nine tomorrow morning. He wants you there, even if he acts like he doesn’t.”

“Okay.” I seriously doubt that but Delores doesn’t seem like the type who wants to hear your arguments. My phone vibrates again with a text.

Ivy: Hey! What happened? You disappeared.

Me: Some kid attacked me in the back stairwell of the science building before physics.

Ivy: WTF!

Me: Connor and Griffin showed up b4 anything 2 bad happened.

Ivy: Do u know who it was?

Me: I think Connor called him Ferguson when he pulled him off me. It’s all kind of a blur. I canceled my date.

Ivy: He was on top of you?!?! I’m coming over. Let me change and we’ll have a girls night.

Ivy: btw we’re going to a party tomorrow night

* * *

“Miss Nelson?” Edward asks over the house intercom system. I jump, I wasn’t expecting his voice to interrupt the silence of my room. I scramble to find the little wall unit and figure out the button to use to respond.

“Lilith, Edward, please call me Lilith.”

“Right. Lilith, your friend Ivy is down in the foyer.”

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