Page 11 of Driftwood Daffodil 2

Her stubbornness was almost cute. Nova would rather change the subject than admit she was wrong. I looked forward to breaking that streak.

“Well, what do you call him?” She spat.

“He’s my father, so…” I paused outside the office door. “I generally call him dad.”

Based on the dirty look she shot me in response, I was going to assume she didn’t like my sarcastic comment.

“I wouldn’t know about that. I don’t have a dad.”

That’s right. I almost forgot about her orphan status. It did explain a lot. Like her obvious lack of supervision. Someone seriously needed to put her in line. Her brother obviously failed in that aspect.

“Aww,” I gave her a fake frown. “Does someone have daddy issues?”

She didn’t like that one. I saw the sneer she quickly tucked back behind a sweet smile.

“Um, have you met me? I scream daddy issues.” She wasn’t wrong. “I’d say I also have mommy issues, but clearly you take the cake in that department.”

I never wanted to gut someone more than I did her in that moment.

Especially when she placed her palm on my chest and said, “Don’t worry, you still have your dad.”

There was a high chance she wouldn’t make it to four years. In fact, I’d be surprised if she made it four hours at this rate.

“Do me a favor, repeat everything you just said,” my tongue clicked off the roof of my mouth as I turned the knob and pushed the door open. “In here.”

Then I wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with her, because Nova wouldn’t even make it out the door. The last time someone mentioned my mother, my father shot him right between the eyes. And that was someone he considered a friend.

Of course, Nova was more than happy to rise to the occasion. She puffed her chest out, rolled her shoulders back and marched into the room like she was going to tell the entire world off. Two feet was about as far as that lasted.

She looked over at my brother as he puffed on a cigarette, then turned to eye Saul standing behind my father, who was seated at his desk and her shoulders instantly slumped.

My father didn’t have to say anything. All he did was roll his dark eyes up, and what remained of Nova’s bravado disappeared with one loud swallow.

“Hello, Novalee,” He waved at the chair on the other side of his desk. “Have a seat.”

Gotta say, I enjoyed how her legs trembled as she walked over and sat down. Almost as much as the way she glanced over her shoulder at me. As if she expected me to help her or something. How fucked up was that?

My father’s chair creaked as he sat back and took a minute to eye her, which made my jaw clench. Not because of how he was looking at her – my father sized everyone up. It was the fact that Nova shut the fuck up for him that made me want to punch someone.

Every time she saw me she ran her mouth, yet my father didn’t so much as get a snide snort. He openly scrutinized her while Nova just sat there, fidgeting with her hands like a timid child.

What the fuck?

I stomped over to the navy armchair next to the bookshelf Romeo was leaned against, and dropped down.

“Something wrong, Little Brother?”

“I’m fine.” I grumbled, despite the fact that I wanted to knock that stupid arched brow off his face.

He leaned down and exhaled a puff of smoke, “Your girl is cute.”

Would he fuck off already?

I rolled my glare his way. “She’s not my girl.”

“She will be in about two minutes.”

My eyes zeroed in on Nova’s fidgeting fingers. She was also two minutes away from more bruises on her ass.

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