Page 39 of Hot Commodity (Banks/Kincaid Family 1)

"That's right," Cameron said softly. "She spilled it all, right after we were married."

It seemed to take a moment for those words to sink into Vivian's brain. She whipped her head toward Olivia.

Nolan stepped away from the doorway, surprised. "Married?"

Olivia shook her head like she could deny the truth, but no one paid her any attention because all eyes returned to Cameron, who had become the ringmaster of this insane circus.

"So, you see why I can't marry her today," he explained. "I've already been married to her for what...three...four weeks now, honey?" Then he grinned proudly. "Elvis married us."

Olivia backed against the wall to support herself. She wondered how she was still standing. Every cell in her body felt like someone was poking her with a hot pin. She was so stunned and scared. What was Vivian capable of doing now?

"You two are already married?" she asked slowly, zipping her confused gaze from Cameron to Olivia.

"Yes," Olivia admitted hoarsely

"So you can save yourself the angry, concerned mother act," Cameron added. "And get the hell out of here so I can put some damn clothes on."

Vivian whipped around to nail him with another menacing look. "What did you say to me, you little cocksucker?"

Cameron sighed as if tired of dealing with her. Olivia couldn't believe it. He wasn't intimidated at all. "I told you to get out," he repeated calmly. "And take that creepy old man with you."

Clearly insulted, Nolan thundered a menacing step toward Cameron. Vivian's face clouded with that mad, purplish-red hue again. Olivia's eyes shot wide; she just knew someone was going to die, right here, right now.

"Listen here, boy," Vivian growled. "Don't ever think you can tell me what to do. I paid for this room. I can come and go as I please."

Cameron rolled his eyes and let out another exhausted sigh. "Fine," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. He shuffled toward the bed, moving slowly because he was still mummified by the sheet. Then he lifted his pants, draped across the mattress. After digging inside for a moment and fishing out a wallet, he extracted all the cash he had on him. "There." He flung the money at Vivian. "I'm paying you back for the room."

Olivia swallowed. She saw at least two hundred-dollar bills, a couple of twenties, tens and fives and ones galore. She had no idea how much cash he flashed, but it more than doubled the cost of the room. Vivian greedily stared at the cash and went to pluck it from Cameron's fingers. But once she tried to take it, Cameron tightened his grip.

Vivian's eyes shot to his.

In a steely soft voice, Cameron hissed, "Enjoy it while you can, bitch. Because this is the last money you'll ever see from me. I'm one son-inlaw you can't control."

He let go of the cash, making Vivian fall back a step. She stared down at the money with parted lips. Nolan moved to her side, taking her elbow as if he wasn't sure how to help his wife and sought her instruction. She sniffed and jerked her arm from his grasp.

"You may be excused now," Cameron said and turned away to pull his shirt off the floor.

The cash had somewhat mollified Vivian. She continued to stare at it a moment and then, without speaking another word to Cameron, she turned and looked at Olivia. Her eyes cast blame. Then she snapped her fingers and glanced at her husband as she pointed toward her daughter. Nolan instantly marched toward Olivia and grasped her arm, hard.

As her stepfather dragged her toward the door, Olivia's life flashed before her eyes. She had no backbone, she realized. She never would've been able to stand up to Vivian the way she'd just seen Cameron Banks do. And now her entire existence felt over.

Vivian was probably going build a basement under their house when they got home, just so she could chain Olivia to a wall down there for the rest of her life.

Olivia swallowed, trying to hold back the tears as Nolan yanked her behind him. When he opened the door, her heart gave a leap.

Barely aware she was resisting, she dug her heels into the floor and braced herself, already wincing at the assault she knew her mother was going to give her for balking.

"Come on," Vivian hissed, pushing her from behind.

"No," she said in a voice that was a hundred times stronger than she felt.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Cameron turn. "Hey!" he called. "Hang on there, Bonnie and Clyde."

As Nolan looked back over his shoulder, Vivian paused and slowly turned around to glare at Cameron.

Cameron looked undaunted. "Where do you think you're taking my wife?"

Olivia's spun around. She couldn't believe her ears. It sounded like he was going to help her. Oh, dear God. Was he going to help her?

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