Page 232 of One Bossy Disaster

I’d bet anything it isn’t used for eating. Just business plans and posing Meghan like a doll for pretty pictures.

My anger returns, thinking about Molly, though I keep it in check.

The husky started howling twice a night the next day after we got home. Her vet tech friend thinks it’s a sort of PTSD, and we’re doing everything we can to help.

I was up with Dess at three o’clock, walking Molly outside for a quick game of tug and a frozen banana ball in the moonlight, before we helped her back into bed and waited for her to fall asleep under a blanket.

Personally, I’m only offended by almost dying.

But the fact that the world-class bitch staring at us tried to send Dess and Molly to an icy unmarked grave...

I take the seat opposite her, gesturing for Adriana to sit down before I say, “Cutting the fuel line. That was fucking low, especially for someone like you. Couldn’t you have at least had the dignity to put a little poison in our dinner?”

Adriana’s chest heaves. She shakes her head violently.

“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. Jesus, I—”

“Yep. No class whatsoever. Where’d you find the guy who slashed the fuel line, I wonder? Was he sleeping in the dumpster behind your favorite dive?” Destiny’s gaze cuts up and down Adriana’s figure with sweeping derision.

The older woman regains her composure, just enough to flash us a sickening smile. “What would someone likeyouknow about class anyway?”

“Have you met Cole Lancaster?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “I had the pleasure the other day. We had words. More importantly, he doesn’t take too kindly to anyone who tries to murder his daughter with a technique right out of a cheap slasher film.”

“Oh, yes,” she flings back. “I’m sure he’s thrilled at what his daughter’s been up to.”

Destiny doesn’t flinch.

“He called me on the ship. Dad wanted to know what was going on, but I told him we were fine, in case you were wondering. I’m not the kind of girl who runs off asking my parents to bail me out. I like to take matters into my own hands.”

Shit, she’s on fire.

I don’t need to add anything.

I barely knew about the call home she had on the boat.

That’s not going to be a comfortable conversation when we get down to it, after all of this is over.

Cole Lancaster threatened to tear my throat out with his bare teeth twice, and I don’t blame him. I’d like to think the fact that I brought Destiny home in one piece won me some reprieve.

Mr. Lancaster is famous for his temper, and right now, I’m second place in the firing line.

I’ll worry about the fireworks with him later.

Still facing Adriana, Destiny doesn’t back down. Her blue eyes are sharper than swords. There’s no green in them, no softness with her today.

She’s thinking about Molly.

A part of me enjoys seeing her righteous anger unleashed. She’s a little cherry bomb, deceptively small and bright yet so deadly.

Is it wrong to say it turns me on?

“You know what the worst part is?” Dess asks. “If you hadn’t cut corners using a desperate kid from the docks and you’d found someone who was just a teensy weensy bit more careful at covering his tracks, we might have never known. You might’ve been able to claim it was all a freak accident,” Destiny says. “Oh, but then there’s Meghan.”

Adriana’s brows rise, waiting.

“Your lovely daughter sent me a message just before we boarded the yacht, telling me not to. Weird how she knew our plans. Even weirder that she told me not to go with Shepherd right before we got into a really ugly storm...”

Adriana scowls.

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