Page 77 of The Refiner

He nods, watching carefully as his lips tip up into a smile. “Is something on my arm I should be concerned about?”

“Nope, just that arrogance.”

Heaven help me.

“Arrogance, huh? I don’t—”

“Astor?”

A feminine voice stops him cold. Like he freezes mid-step, his posture stiffening with the grip he has on the cart. I’m concerned he’s cutting off the circulation in his hands.

“Rebekah,” he says tightly, forcing a fake smile that I haven’t seen in a while now. “How are you?”

This ‘Rebekah’ with her copper hair, green eyes, and buttoned t-shirt dress has the nerve to give me a cursory glance before pushing closer to Astor. “I’m well.” She points to the little boy in her cart. “As you can tell.”

As he can tell?

What does the toddler have to do with Astor knowing she’s well?

“He’s handsome,” Astor says, sounding like someone else is speaking the words for him—like that old Astor when I first met him.

“Isn’t he?” Rebekah smiles, and it makes me ragey for no rational reason.

Who is this woman, and why does it seem like Astor would rather run through this grocery store naked than keep talking to her?

“His sister is at home with the nanny.”

Ooh, the nanny. Isn’t she flashy rich?

“Congratulations. I didn’t realize you had another.”

Just tell her to go back to the country club, Astor. Jeez. She’s already annoying me in the first two seconds of meeting her.

“Yeah, Ashlyn has been such a welcome surprise in our life.” Rebekah cuts her eyes to the carrier on my chest, addressing me for the first time. “Is she yours?”

Is she mine?

I look at Astor and mouth,what the fuck?What is this, a high school reunion on aisle six? “No.”

I’m in no mood to be polite to people who make the man next to me revert back to the ice king.

“No?” She chuckles. “Well, she certainly isn’t Astor’s,” she looks over at Astor and blinks her fake eyelashes, “unless you decided to adopt.”

Oh hell no.

She did not just insult this man.

Does she not know the hell he’s been through these past few months?

“I need you to take Tatum,” I tell Astor, keeping my eyes trained on the bitch in front of me.

I’ve dealt with people like this before. Ass Face trained me well. And while I would normally never resort to violence, someone needs to pop this woman in the mouth for being a cunt, and Astor, God love him, is too much of a grown-up to do it.

Suddenly, I feel his hand loop around my back, pulling me in so that I’m between his body and the cart, effectively caging me in and preventing me from teaching this woman a lesson.

“Always a pleasure seeing you, Rebekah.”

Boo. I knew he wouldn’t let the gangster out. “At least spit on her basic white shoes,” I mutter, but Astor doesn’t listen. Instead, he takes the high road and nudges the cart forward.

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