Page 82 of Perfect Liar

I leaned forward and gave him my hand.

“You seriously didn’t know?”

“All I can say is, I’ll figure it all out. What I know right now is she’s where she belongs…with my family…and you. How she got here doesn’t matter. Blood is blood, always to be protected, no matter the circumstances.”

Even though he’d said kind things, maybe even the right things, anger whispered in my ear, reminding me how much the loss of my sister’s life hurt.

I pulled away and snapped at him.

“So why didn’t you protect Isabel?”

Compassion filled his eyes, and he dismissed my aggression.

“I’m sorry. I should have been there.”

My throat started to close. Tears would come next, so I just nodded.

“So darlin, you’ll let my brother get his arse back to work.”

I looked up at Will.

“As if it were up to me. He’ll do what he wants to do.”

Ethan also looked at Will, and another big grin spread from his mouth to his eyes.

“Oh? I think it’s all about you now.”

Then Will grinned.

I narrowed my eyes at them.

“Stop it…both of you, stop.”

Ethan winked and went back to the pool table, where he and Thomas became dark silhouettes against the bank of windows in the gray afternoon light.

Will leaned in and sealed his mouth over mine, intoxicating me with a slow, tender kiss. He lingered at my lips, not caring at all that his brothers watched. But maybe that was the point…he hadn’t yet repaid Ethan for his obnoxious behavior.

A dreamy sigh slipped out of me as I gently pushed his face away from mine.

“I promised to spend time with the girls. Lissie will be waiting for me.”

“Good. Take them outside today.”

“What? I can leave the house…without you?”

“Yeah, we’ll give it a shot. Stay in the north garden, and I’ll send security out with you. And Elle, you must listen to Turner. I’ll be in the conference room watch?—”

“—watching us on the monitors when you should be working.”

He conceded with a nod, and I kissed his cheek.

“Good,” I added.

We got up, and he jerked me against his body, cupping my ass with both hands.

He didn’t kiss me, though…he smirked.

“Good,” he echoed.