Page 66 of Forbidden Wish

“It didn’t. We’re friends. I help her out. It’s no big deal.”

Ford squinted. “Isn’t her father like—”

“Police Superintendent? Yes. He runs the damn police department and our father is nailing his little princess.”

“Okay, no one who knows Sersha would call her princess. That word’s cursed with her,” Strat said. “And I am not nailing her.” He gestured at Ford. “I told her she should make time with you but—”

“You want me to screw your girlfriend?”

Written in disgust, the words were a tease too. She didn’t find this funny.

“Doesn’t matter. You stay away from her.”

Ford held up both hands. “She’s yours, guy. I don’t want hand-me-down pussy.”

“Won’t be so funny when you have to see them together. I caught them in bed—”

“When?”

“Five weeks ago,” she answered her brother. “Five weeks ago yesterday, to be exact. Was that some anniversary for you?”

“Immie—”

“Whatever,” she said to her dad. “Are you going to call her? I can have Lachlan—”

“I’ll do it, I’ll text her,” he said, digging his phone out of his pocket to type into it. “Then you can fill both of us in on what the hell you’re mixed up with.”

“I didn’t come here to tell anything. I came here to get information, not give it.”

“This Sersha, she’s the one who wrote that piece in The Chronicler,” Ford said like he was just figuring it out. “She knows all about the Manzanis. How come you didn’t speak to her at work?”

“This is my story and we don’t hang out.”

“You dated her brother, the cop, for long enough.”

“We know each other, but we don’t hang out. This isn’t a teen movie. We work in the same office. Not everyone is bestest buddies with their boss and colleagues.”

Bringing Sersha into the conversation was a risky endeavor she hadn’t intended to undertake.

“Guess you’ll have to get to know her better, if she’s going to be our new mom.”

Okay, that was funny. To her and Ford anyway.

“You two…” Strat said, pointing at each of them before going over to slap his phone onto the breakfast bar, “don’t fuck around with her.”

“Protecting your FWB?”

“Protecting my kids. Any word of anyone screwing around with Sersha could be in serious trouble. Don’t taunt her.” She got that hit. “Don’t fuck her.”

And that one was for Ford. No one could say her dad didn’t give them equal attention. In that room, on that day, anyway.

“What’s your deal with this woman?”

Her brother did that discerning thing again, giving her the creeps. Ford was laid-back, easy; he didn’t think too much about anything. Had she missed him maturing and actually giving a shit? Jagg’s accusation that she hadn’t been paying attention applied in more than one of her relationships.

“I look out for her,” Strat said. “And I’m not the only one.”

“There’s some deal with her and Vex,” her brother said.

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