Page 67 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
Brahnt looked at her, unimpressed. “Explain.”
“Oh, Regine was trying to buy me off. The whole if you leave my son and never darken our doorstep again, you can have this fast cash now.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “It's like she thinks I'm stupid. $200,000 is what you spend on duck eggs in a month. She would have to go up to at least two million to tempt me to leave you.”
Brahnt took the check, looked at it, grimaced, and handed it back. Then het ran a hand over his face. “I knew she was going to do this. What did you tell her?”
“Are you serious? The first offer was 50K, I told her to quadruple it. I took the deal, man. Just. . .go along with it until the check clears.”
“Charlotte.”
“Come on. You didn't expect me to turn down that much cash, did you?”
“You’re going to give the check back.”
“I say we cash it. We could use a fifth luxury vehicle, right? You never know when the other five might break down in the snow and leave us stranded.”
Brahnt gave her a withering look.
“What? It’s not like she can’t afford it, and it would teach her a lesson. I don’t know why she thought I wouldn’t tattle?” Charlotte gave Brahnt a quizzical look. “Caro writes these plot lines all the time. I already know not to run away sobbing, or hold my silence in aggrieved martyrdom, or. . .nah. Cash the check and have a date on Mom’s dime.”
Brahnt grabbed Charlotte’s hand and ushered her out of the library, out of the house and back to the outdoor party. “We’re going to nip this shit in the bud right now.”
“Oh, a dramatic confrontation?” she squealed. “I’m down. Wait, let me go get Caro. This never happens in real life, she’ll feel it’s vindication her werewolf billionaire smut is actually reflective of reality or something. Though it’s really not.”
Brahnt’s parents glanced at them as they approached. Milgrida and Caro hovered nearby, in conversation. Regine must have recognized the expression on her son's face because her posture shifted slightly. Samesh, knowing his wife, glanced between everyone then thinned his lips.
“What did she do?” Samesh asked when Brahnt was in ear shot.
Brahnt gave Regine a long look. “She tried to buy Charlotte off.”
Regine sneered at Charlotte, unabashed. “Snitches got stitches in my day.”
“Except you’ve been legal money for two generations now,” Charlotte said. “Though I have legit doubts. I tried to convince Brahnt to cash the check, but he said no.” Charlotte shrugged. “I did my part. I tried to cooperate.”
“You didn’t, Reggie,” Samesh said, turning to Regine. “Couldn’t you restrain yourself this once?”
Regine sipped her drink. “It had to be done. Consider it her final test.”
“You could act like you’re normal for once.Once, Reggie. You tried to buy off our son’s pregnant fiancé at the baby shower? And you constantly bitch how low class the Carlsons are.”
Regine sniffed. “Because they are. Do you know their daughter actually wore a—”
“No one wants to hear it,” Milgrida said loudly.
“It screamed insecure new money. Why don’t you just stamp “Daddy won the lottery twenty years ago and made some good investments” on your forehead? Please. They’re fooling no one.”
Charlotte gave Brahnt a look.
Brahnt avoided Charlotte’s gaze. “Mom, don’t do this again. If you do, the baby’s first wardrobe will be Louis Vuitton. With visible insignia.”
Regine paled.
“Plusthe stroller, and we’ll push that bad bitch all around Central Park and post pictures on Instagram too. And tag your friends.”
Milgrida sat in the grass and began laughing.
“I don’t get it,” Caro said.
Charlotte turned on Brahnt. “Oh my god, can we? My engagement stats would go through the roof.”
