Royal (Conner Brothers Construction #5) - Cee Bowerman Page 0,3
our older sister had died. We’d donated her organs, so she might still live on in some way, but she was gone from us. The day we memorialized the lives of my parents, my two sisters, and my brother-in-law Dylan was the same day we took the kids home from the hospital.
I shook off my maudlin thoughts and waited for the emcee to announce us. Stacy/Tracy organized us again and checked each of us out, adjusting ties and lapels as she walked down the line. Finally, it was time to go out on stage. I followed the two men in front of me and smiled at the audience when they clapped.
Just a few more minutes up here under these lights, I told myself as I took a deep breath, trying not to look out into the crowd of strangers. I made sure my knees weren’t locked as I stared down at my family on the first row. I smiled over at Thea as she stared up at me, her head tilted and her gaze focused on my face.
She turned and looked at my brother and then back at me. I knew the game was up and so did Ronan. I watched Thea turn her head slowly and end up almost nose to nose with my brother. He said something and then kissed her, and I watched her face transform with the realization that it was me up here for auction and not her man.
When Thea looked my way again her smile was wide. I winked at her, and she waved excitedly.
Good. That was what I’d been hoping to see.
I had a happy brother with a happy girlfriend. Now I just needed some really hot woman who wasn’t absolutely batshit crazy to bid on me.
I didn’t think my chances were very good, considering my track record.
2.
“Mom, you cannot talk about soliciting a hit man in front of an FBI agent.”
Paula
PAULA
“Make sure she takes her pill with dinner, Dad,” I reminded him as I picked up the pill and set it in the middle of the plate I’d put on the table earlier. “The casserole has a little more than 30 minutes left on it. When it dings, spoon out a healthy portion for her and stick it in the freezer while you make your plate.”
“Sweetheart, you act like this is the first time I’ve been left alone with a child.” My dad’s teasing smile was contagious, and I smiled back at him.
“I’m almost 30 years old, Dad. You might have forgotten a few things since then.”
“I watched her last week while you two went to your book club,” he reminded me. “You do this every time you go somewhere.”
“Grrrr.” I made a frustrated noise as I walked toward him. “Just feed her real food this time. And give her water with dinner, not pop.”
“You survived, and I fed you all the time.”
“Dad,” I growled. It irritated the hell out of me when he didn’t take me seriously as a parent.
“Okay. Jeez, you’re such a hard ass. Casserole. Dish it up. Cool it off. Serve with water and a side of medicine. Don’t let her drink Windex, have a kegger, or play in the street. Yadda yadda yadda.”
“Thank you. I feel much better that you thought to throw in the kegger part. I’d skipped over that one in my notes.”
“I do what I can, honey,” Dad said sarcastically as he walked out of the kitchen. He yelled up the stairs for Brooklyn. “Brook, come with Papa. We’re going to talk to strangers and eat radioactive dirt!”
“Woohoo!” I heard Brooklyn scream as her little feet thumped on the stairs. “I love radioactive dirt!”
“Honey, he’s messing with you,” my mom assured me as she walked out of the kitchen. “The radioactive dirt gives kids a healthy glow. You used to have it, but it went away when you got that stick up your ass.”
I let my head fall forward until my chin hit my chest.
How was it that I was the only adult in the entire family?
◆◆◆
“Mom, I’m begging you. Please do not bid on one of those men,” I hissed in my mom’s ear, praying that the people around us couldn’t hear me pleading. “If you have any love left for me in that black, twisted heart of yours, you will put that fucking bidding paddle down and be normal for 10 goddamn minutes.”
“I have $1800. Do I hear $1900? $1900? Do I hear $1900?”