CHAPTER ELEVEN

RHYS

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I wait for my Addie in the shadows of the corridor.

Below, voices drift up as guests arrive and move through the house to the patio. My Aunt Iris barks the loudest, a tirade of indignation over some commercial she'd seen. The actual complaint fades the further she goes.

I can't tell how many people have actually made it, but there seems to be a lot.

It makes no difference to me, but someone may notice our absence and I fucking need Addie.

I need my baby.

It's been way too long since I held her, smelled her delicious scent, kissed her sweet mouth. I can't wait until everyone's gone to hold her.

She's not in her room when I slip inside. It's dim, lit only by the lamplight next to the bed she's had since coming into my life.

Addie has always been a creature of habit. Her space is always neat and tidy. Even as children, while my room had been a tornado-struck mess, Addie had all her books neatly organized by author on the three rows of bookshelves Dad built into the wall at the foot of her bed. Her work desk consisted of her laptop, a cup of pens and her schoolwork. Her bed was made in the morning and her clothes tucked away in the closet and dresser.

Currently, her overnight lies open on the mattress. Items are placed in neat piles across the floral spread.

Addie herself emerges from the dark bathroom attached to her room and we both jump, startled by the other.

"Rhys!" her little gasp dissolves into a brilliant smile. The next second, she's running straight into my arms. "I was hoping you'd come up," she whispers into my chest.

I tighten my hold on her. "You told our parents you loved me," I murmur into the top of her head.

"I thought maybe if we broke things to them slowly, got them used to the idea..." she tips her face back to peer up at me. "I also don't want to be set up with anyone else."

My fingers slide into her thick strands and cup the back of her head. "Good, because you're mine, Addie."

She nods vehemently. "I only want to be yours."

"Mine," I stress, dropping my lips to her waiting ones. "Your mouth." I bite her bottom fold, eliciting a moan. "Your skin." I travel along the curve of her neck. My hands work the hem of her hoodie, and I drag the fabric off over her head. "Your tits." The neckline of her tank top is dragged down under the generous globes and I'm on them, sucking the nipples and palming the spongy mounds.

"Yes! Yours."

Her small hands are in my hair, holding me to her as she tries to go up on her toes to get more.

I cup her tight ass and lift her. Her long legs snap around my hips, and I take her to the bed.

"Who does your sweet pussy belong to, baby?"

I dump her down at the foot and claim my place between her already spread thighs. Her arousal wafts through the room and I can feel myself getting drunk on it.

Her plain, white panties already have a wet patch at the crotch, and I think how I barely touched her. I haven't done a fucking thing to her yet.

"Who does your pussy belong to?" I say again, hands working the belt at my waist.

"You," she breathes, big, dark eyes on my hands. "She's yours."

The leather slides free of their loops and I wind it in my hand until only a foot of leather remains dangling free.

"Rhys," my greedy girl begs.

I traced the end of the strap down the inner flesh of her right thigh towards her soaked apex.

"Who gets her?"

I smack her pussy with a sharp, quick flick of my wrist. My Addie howls and falls back across the mattress. Her knees almost snap closed but she catches herself and opens further.

"You. Only you."

I land another hit on her inner thigh, her mound again, her left breast. I tease the nipple before giving it a smack.

"We have no time to play, Addie. There's a house full of people who will notice we're gone." I reach for her hips and hook her panties at the waist. I drag the material down her legs and pitch it aside. "No panties tonight. I want access to her whenever I want."

Like the good girl she is, Addie slips her hands under her knees and offers her glistening slit for me to fuck. Her swollen clit begs me to relieve her, but no.

"Get dressed, dimples."

"But ... I need you. Please. We can be quick. Fuck me, Rhys."

My cock swells with her delicious whines. I'm so fucking tempted to sink deep into her hot channel and lose myself. I want to pound deep into her until she's sucking my seed into her womb. I want it dribbling down her thighs all night. I want her leaving stains on the chairs.

I palm my dick through the fabric of my jeans. Addie watches my hands with her lip between her teeth.

"Let him out to play," she teases, shifting a small hand over to her pretty cunt and rubbing the clit.

"Do you think you can be quiet, baby?" I sink two fingers into her hole and thrust.

"Yes!" she sobs, back arching, fingers flicking faster.

We don't have time, but I'm incapable of stopping now as I watch my Addie chase her own release. I let her soak my fingers, getting them nice and slippery for when I pull back and descend to the tight pucker of her ass.

I stretch the hole. Scissoring my fingers and sending Addie's back off the mattress. A fresh dribble of liquid runs free of her cunt to drench the fingers I slam inside her again and again, working the channel with rough strokes.

"Don't stop. Don't stop!" Addie's voice is climbing, getting too loud as she practically snarls at me to fuck her ass harder. "Harder! Fuck. Fuck, Rhys! God, more! I need you."

She's rubbing her clit furiously, eyes fixed on my pounding wrist.

"I want you to fuck my ass on our way home. I want you to pull over, bend me over your hood and fuck me on the side of the road. Like this. So fucking hard I cum."

She's killing me. I'm leaking in my pants and can't remember why I'm not inside her fucking her the way she wants.

Instead, I fill her tight cunt with three fingers from my free hand and I fuck both holes while she screams.

"My dirty little whore!" I hiss at her as I finger her the way I wish I could fuck her right now. "My greedy little cunt. Cum for me, Addie. Show me what a good girl you are."

She's close. She's bouncing on my fingers and rubbing her clit. She toys with her nipples with the other hand, pinching and tugging.

"I am. I'm your dirty whore."

I growl and slam harder. "Prove it. Cum. Cum for me, my perfect little—"

Addie comes with a whimpering sob of my name. Her muscles contract all around me, holding me hostage to her pleasure as she rides her wave.

I pull her to me when she floats down again and kiss her with every drop of my brewing madness.

"Fucking love you," I growl into her mouth.

The soft folds curve into a happy, sleepy smile. "Love you, too, my masked weirdo."

I bite her bottom lip, and she giggles.

"Get dressed, my sweet addiction. I'll go distract the masses."

Addie laughs and brushes her lips over mine. "My hero."

With a final meeting of lips that nearly has me dragging her down to the bed, I leave. Quickly. With Addie's giggles following my heels.

Little brat.

The patio is a mess of people. People I thankfully only deal with on holidays and the odd party. People I never saw or talked to otherwise but was raised to deal with when necessary.

Paloma catches sight of me as I step through the patio doors. Her eyes, the same brilliant green as her daughter's, light up and she detaches herself from her sister Tully and hurries over to me.

I'm pretty close with my mom. Not nearly as close as Addie is to hers, but I text her throughout the week and see her when she travels through town in her RV. We have a very simple relationship, and it works for us, and I think a lot of that is because I never felt like I got cheated out of a mother when Paloma just clicked into place in my life. I still love my mom, but it worked out for everyone when Mom and Dad split, Mom followed her dreams of seeing the world and Dad found Paloma and Addie.

I think one of the reasons it's impossible not to like Paloma or my mom is because they could be sisters. Both have an aura of calm and peace that immediately puts everyone at ease. I don't think I've ever heard either of them raise their voices. Mom is a wild explosion of colors, a true daughter of the seventies to her soul. Peace, love and weed for all is her life mantra. Paloma is a calm river, a serene, white mist that envelopes and soothes. I used to think it was funny that Addie looked exactly like a younger version of her mother but had the spirit of mine.

"Hello sweetheart." Paloma slips her arm through mine and hugs it to her chest. "How are you?"

I let her guide me along the edges, giving the crowd a wide birth and us privacy.

There really is too many people present. Aside from Paloma and my dad, Paloma's older sister Tully, her husband Julian and their two kids, sixteen-year-old Dayton and eighteen-year-old Clio are in attendance. Tully is yelling at someone on the phone, her voice an irate shriek over the hiss and pop of meat being roasted over the grill. Her family stand several feet from her, a wide birth from her and each other on opposite sides of the porch. All their heads bent over their phones.

Uncle Grayson, Iris's husband stands too close over Dad's shoulder. Too close. Close enough that I want to shift uncomfortably. Like his wife, Grayson has zero awareness. Both have no concept of reality. The world revolves around them, and no one can tell them differently.

I could have done without any of them. I would have loved the night to be just me with Addie and our parents, but it's Dad and Paloma's anniversary. It's their weekend. Only twenty-four hours and these people would be gone.

"Rhys?"

I blink and glance down at the tiny woman at my side. "Sorry. I'm good. How are you?"

She stops us at the edge of the patio before the set of stairs leading down into the yard and turns to me. Her big, green eyes peer up into mine and I'm struck by how much Addie resembles her.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," I say without hesitation.

Her smile is a brilliant light spreading across her face. "I know it's probably asking a lot. You guys only just started talking again, but I think if anyone can help me convince Addie to move back, it's you. I know you care about her as much as I do and—"

I don't falter when I take a breath and murmur, "I love her."

Paloma's smile widens hopefully. "So, you'll help me? I don't want to gang up on her, but she's so far for no reason. I know you guys had an incident and she's a little embarrassed about it, but I know you guys are too close to let something as small as a kiss come between you."

I have no idea what she's talking about, but I do agree that Addie needs to come home. She doesn't belong in a shoebox miles from her family.

"I'll talk to her."

Paloma's whole face lights up. "You will? Oh, Rhys!" She pulls me into a suffocating embrace. "Thank you." A hard kiss is stamped into my cheek before she pulls back, still beaming. "Now, I have to convince her to convince you to move home, too."

I burst out laughing. "You know, most parents want their children out of the house, right?"

Paloma purses her lips and scowls. "That's what Addie said and like I said to her, there's a whole guesthouse right there."

I chuckle. "You want me and Addie to move into the guesthouse together?"

I am perfectly fine with that. Hell, I'll drive back right now, pack all my stuff and hers and have us moved in before sunrise, but I am curious how Paloma — who has no idea her daughter's release is still sticky on my fingers — thinks that would play out in a regular situation.

"Well, I mean..." she wrinkles her slender nose, "you're both adults. You can figure out your own rules about company and chores. Or we can expand!" she decides excitedly. "We'll add a whole section, like a duplex."

It's on the tip of my tongue to confess the conversation I'd had with Dad earlier while we were unloading the truck. The one where I made him an offer for the square of land directly across Lake Eden. My gaze even flicks over to the thick span of wilderness barely visible across the water, the whole patch of untouched earth waiting for me and my crew to break ground and build Addie the home of her dreams.

It's been on my mind for a while. I initially wanted to build it, have it ready to bring Addie to, but this is for both of us, and I want her to make the plans with me. I want us to picture and create our home together. Arriving this morning, seeing the excitement on her face, I knew it was time to put that plan into motion and ask Dad officially.

"You want to buy it?" he'd asked, pausing in the process of pulling Addie's suitcase down. "From who? The land already belongs to us."

"From you," I said, amused by his confusion.

"Rhys, the land belongs to you already. It's been in our family for years. It's already yours and Addie's."

I wanted to roll my eyes at how simple he always made these things sound. Like when Grandpa passed and left Dad his construction company even though Dad had zero understanding or interest in the business. He simply looked at me and asked if I wanted it because Dalgado Constructions has always been mine and Grandpa's passion. Grandpa had me out on the field since I could walk. I knew the company inside and out and loved the intricate art of working with my hands. Dad just signed it all over to me and told me to make Grandpa proud.

"Can you just let me please pay you for it?" I begged, seeing where this was going.

Dad froze as if I'd pulled a gun on him. "Pay me? For what? You're going to pay me for what is yours?"

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "You own it, Dad. It's under your name. Grandpa left it to you, so, it's yours and I would like to make an offer to buy it."

If disgust could be more potent, I would be dead, but he scoffed and waved at me to get out of his way with that shit. "Mine. Yours. You're my son. This is your land. Your home. You want to build a home here for yourself? Throw a rock and pick a spot. Don't come to me talking about money again or I'll disown you."

I bite back my chuckle. "If you disown me, can I buy the land then?"

He smacked me upside the head as he passed with Addie's bag in hand.

But I keep the idea to myself until I can talk to Addie. I want to take her to the spot I've chosen and watch her face as she sees where I want our lives to start. Where I want our children to run and grow. I know Addie enough to have zero doubt in my mind that she will love it.

Still, I chuckle and lean forward to press a kiss to the top of Paloma's head. "I'll move back if Addie does."

Like a child being told they're headed to Disneyland , Paloma squeals with happiness and gives a little clap of her hands. The gold bands at her wrists clink noisily over the hum of chatter. She pivots slightly on her flat sandals as if prepared to hurry over to my dad and tell him the news but stops to turn back to me.

She lowers her voice. "Oh, Aunt Iris isn't having a good day. Please be patient with her."

I groan and she pats my arm sympathetically. "Great."

My gaze drifts over the many faces glowing in the soft light of the setting sun. My aunt Iris is nowhere to be seen, my Grandma Khalida has snuck in when I wasn't looking, and Dad is guiding her wheelchair to a spot at the table.

I'm guessing Iris must have picked her up from her retirement home. That was the only explanation why the troll hasn't caused havoc yet.

I also dimly notice that Iris's daughters Eve, Ruth, Miriam are absent, unsurprisingly. They rarely ever joined family events unless it was mandatory. I suspect they're too embarrassed by their parents' behavior to bother.

I don't know if every family has an Aunt Iris, but she's the reason everyone drinks during family events. She's the reason everyone stays quiet during conversations because anything you say will be scrutinized and shamed. It's worse when something displeases her, putting her in a foul mood. Then she sets out to make everyone else miserable.

"Does she have to be here?" I grumble.

Paloma touches my arm again. "She's your aunt and your dad's sister. We need to be kind. Let's get through tonight and hopefully she'll be in a better mood tomorrow."

I disagreed. Anyone who went out of their way to make my family that miserable can just stay the fuck home. Paloma knows I will happily go toe to toe with the woman if she even thinks about crossing the line with Paloma or Addie. I give zero fucks about her place on the family tree or what she thinks about anything. She can talk all she wants about whatever she wants, but the second she oversteps into my territory, all gloves will be off.

"I'll do my best to watch my tongue for you," I promise the tiny woman peering up at me because it's her damn day. It's her anniversary and she shouldn't be warning people to tiptoe around assholes.

Paloma smiles and touches my cheek. "Thank you, baby."

The appearance of two figures on the porch has us looking around. I don't recognize either one of them, but Paloma and Dad don't seem surprised by their appearance.

"Long, lost cousins?" I partially tease because one is a fully grown man in his mid-twenties. The tiny creature next to him was half his age, but has the same piercing blue eyes and soft, blond hair.

Paloma chuckles. "That's Brooke and Michael. Brooke is dating Dayton. He asked if she could stay for the night. Her mom was fine with it as long as her brother tags along with her."

Brooke has to be sixteen at best.

I narrow my eyes at my stepmother. "I remember a very firm rule about no boys or girls spending the night when I was Dayton's age."

She rolls her eyes. "I would have said no here, too, except Tully said yes and her mom said yes, and I'm not responsible for either of them, but..." she grimaces a little and looks over to where Michael, a tall, broad man with supermodel features smiles wanly at Dad. "He's going to be a problem."

I look over his jean clad legs and polo shirt. "I can take him."

Paloma laughs. "No, I mean..." she exhales softly, "I may have also agreed to have him over so he can meet Addie."

"My Addie?" I blurt without thinking.

She winces. "It was before the conversation this morning. I was thinking if she meets someone in real life with an actual face..." she pauses to nibble on her bottom lip. "Shoot. Well, I better go face the music. Who knows, maybe they'll hit it off."

Paloma moves to greet her guests, and I stay where she leaves me, scowling at her back, pissed off at her for the first time in my life.

But it doesn't last. A solitary movement in the doorway has already redirected my attention. My anger is a distant memory as the light from the house frames her perfect silhouette, outlining every delicious curve with such haunting precision I can't breathe.

The dress, a thin sheet of fabric practically transparent with the light falls deep between the valley of her gorgeous breasts before the waist is cinched to fold the material in place around legs I would sell my soul to live between for the rest of my life. To finish it all off, high, black sandals are strapped to her feet.

She descends the stairs, one hand on the railing. The skirt shifts and sways, and parts up one leg. High. High up. I can almost see her hip.

No panties.

Fuck, I'm so hard it hurts. The soft head of my cock grinds into the zipper of my pants. I want to adjust it but there's no way without drawing attention.

As if sensing the danger she's in, my helpless prey peers up through thick, dusky lashes. Her full, red lips curve as if she thinks I won't fuck her right here on the table. Like I won't bend her over, press her naked tits into the glass as I fuck her ass and fist all that beautiful riot of curls in my hand. I don't care who watches as Addie begs me to fuck her harder. Let them watch as I claim her. Mark her right there as mine.

Not for my sake.

I know she belongs to me, but to certain fuckers who think they stand a chance taking her.

My Addie turns her feet as if prepared to come to me, to let me do all the things in my head when Michael appears in her path like a syphilis relapse with Paloma at his side. They stop her. They force her to stay and make small talk while I'm crackling with a rage, a violent madness that is making my vision darken.

If he touches her, I will drop kick his ass into the lake.

"Hey, why are you standing over here?"

Dad appears at my side, a glass of scotch in one hand and a pair of greasy tongs in the other. I don't think when I reflexively take the drink and down it. It scorches a flaming path down the center of my chest to fuel the fire in my belly.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, why?" I hiss through my teeth, eyes never leaving Addie.

"Because you look like I'm going to need bail money ... and you finished my drink."

I look down at the empty tumbler in my fingers and wince. "Sorry."

He clears his throat. "You seem ... tense."

"Nope," I mutter like some petulant dick. "I'm fine. Just avoiding conversation."

"That's too bad. I was thinking you should come talk to your uncle for a bit and keep him busy."

I hear the desperation in the statement and follow his gaze to where Grayson has cornered Clio. The girl looks like she wants to be anywhere but there as a fully grown man criticizes her plaid skirt, black t-shirt with a mesh top underneath, and big, chunky boots that go to her knees. Whatever he's telling her has color rising under her white makeup.

"What the fuck is he saying to her?" I snap, and Dad sighs.

Grayson points to Clio's sharp pixie cut and I'm ready to stalk over but Paloma has already beaten me. She slips between the two seamlessly and faces the stupid fuck with a sweet smile. The distraction is enough to help Clio slip away, leaving Paloma to take his shit.

"You need to stop inviting them," I tell Dad. "They're the worst kind of people."

"She's my sister," Dad cuts in sharply. "She doesn't mean to be brisk. That's just her nature and Grayson doesn't think."

"Stop making excuses for her. Paloma is a saint. If anyone talked to Addie the way Iris talks to Paloma, I would be in jail for manhandling her out the door. She would never be allowed in our home."

"Iris loves Paloma. She has never said—"

"To your face."

Dad points the tongs at me. "Stop it. This isn't the time for this conversation."

My irritation only builds from there.

Michael says something to Addie, and she laughs. Neither one of them has moved even though Paloma is no longer there.

Maybe I will need bail money.

Dinner starts and Addie sits in her usual place across from me. Dad and Paloma take the ends with everyone else going filling in around us. Michael the monumental fuck takes the seat next to Addie and flashes her thousands of dollars in dental work.

But Addie is looking at me. Her green eyes are soft and watchful. She's not trying to get my attention or even saying a word, simply watching me and something in that calms some of my fury.

When Dad stands to give a speech, Addie looks away. Her head turns to listen as he describes the last ten years of his life with Paloma. The happiness and contentment. He talks about Addie and me, and us as a family. I'm only partially listening as my brain can't seem to detach from how beautiful Addie looks in the soft twinkle of fairy lights strung up overhead. How her eyes glittered. How delicate the lines of her profile were.

As she always seems to, her glance flicks to the corner of her eyes in my direction. Her little nose crinkles playfully over a quirked lip. My own lips twitch and I bump her foot lightly under the table.

Food is distributed. Something is placed in front of me. I don't look at it. I don't care when I'm given a knife and Michael leans — fucking leans like the foot between them is too far for whatever shit he just has to tell her — into Addie's shoulder, breaking her connection with me to focus on him.

I could kill him.

I have thirty tons of wet concrete and a basement to finish. Nobody would ever find his fucking body.

The idea becomes even more enticing when I can hear his useless mumbling asking about her job, where she lives, why so far. Idiot things that are none of his business.

"Do you have someone back home?" he asks finally, acting ridiculously casual cutting his chicken.

"Yes," Addie says without pause. Without consideration. She carves a sliver of her own chicken and pops it into her mouth.

"Oh, that's great," Boy-Wonder mutters. "How long have you been together?"

"A while."

He nods slowly. "So, you're serious about him."

It's not a question, but Addie bobs her head once. "As a heart attack."

I feel my lips curve until the idiot lifts his head, a frown on his face. "But he doesn't think you're worth committing to?"

Addie stops chewing. My grip on my knife tightens.

"Excuse me?"

Michael shrugs, but we don't hear his response when the grating whine of Iris's complaints filter down the table like shit rolling down a hill. The snide sneer carefully kept below Dad's radar is an octave higher, catching my and Addie's attention.

I don't miss the hard pinch in Paloma's jaw, the tightness in her knuckles as she saws into her steak. She's listening politely to the troll on her left as she's berated at her own table.

"I don't mean to be cruel, Paloma. But you've been a part of this family long enough to understand the importance."

Paloma's shoulders lifts in a slow, measured breath. "Yes, thank you for the reminder."

I set my cutlery down gently across my untouched steak and baked potato, my irritation too high to even consider eating. I also shouldn't be trusted to wield a weapon at the moment.

"Mom?" Addie calls down the table.

Paloma's eyes hop up to her daughter and she smiles like everything is fine. "Does anyone need a refill?"

"I could use one." Grayson lifts his empty cup and shakes it, filling the silence with the rattle of ice against glass.

"Of course!" Paloma starts to push her chair back, but Addie's already on her feet, her face a beautiful, dark cloud of vengeance. "Addie," her mom says quietly, but with warning.

Addie pinches her lips. Her jaw flexes. There is rage running down every line of her body when she stalks to Grayson and snatches the glass violently from his fingers.

"What do you want?" she hisses at him.

"A smile would be nice." Grayson barks a laugh like he's a comedian.

"Answer her, unless you want me to get your drink," I say, pinning my uncle until the grin melts off his round face.

"Just a coke," he mutters.

Addie sucks her bottom lip between her teeth to contain whatever she's trying to hold back. She manages to as she spins and stalks to the drink table. The glass is filled and brought back.

"There's hardly any ice in here," Grayson grumbles when Addie slams the cup down with enough force to vibrate up the table to where Dad turns away from his conversation with Julian.

"Addie? Everything okay?"

Addie looks to her mother who gives the slightest shake of her head.

"Yup, fine," Addie grinds through her teeth.

"Wait. I need more ice," Grayson complains when Addie starts to leave.

I'm on my feet. Addie meets my eye, and I gesture with a nod of my head towards her seat, but she's still there when I round to her side.

"Sit," I tell her quietly. "I'll get it."

Her big eyes watch me, dark and hungry, and I have to resist the urge to lean in and nibble on her lip the way she is.

"Now, dimples," I add even quieter, with warning.

Little brat grins slightly before returning to her seat.

I get Grayson more ice and set it down next to his plate. I press into his space as I do so, practically bowing him back as I glower into his eyes.

"Go ahead. Tell me to smile," I growl through my teeth.

He says nothing. Not a peep as I draw back.

"I just don't understand what the big deal is," Iris is pattering on when I round back towards my seat. "When did ten years become such an ordeal? I mean, do you really need to celebrate every year that you don't get divorced from the man you chose to marry?" she goes on. "A month in Europe. Two parties. Another trip next month to ... where are you jetting off to?"

I watch Paloma's cheeks darken, but she smiles sweetly at the vile woman. "We're not actually flying, but driving to a couple's spa resort—"

"Just for being married for ten years?" Iris shrieks loud enough that the table quiets. "Good lord. My poor brother will have to start saving for the twenty-year mark at this rate. Lord knows what extravagance he might be required to pay for if this continues."

I can feel my patience hit my threshold. My head snaps to the opposite end of the table, expecting my father to jump in, but his chair is empty. He's nowhere to be seen. Of course, Iris saw this as the perfect opportunity to start her shit.

"I beg your pardon?" Paloma's tone is gentle, but the white knuckled hold she has on her utensils tell a different story.

Iris waves a hand lined with thick, chunky rings. "I don't mean anything by it, Paloma. I just think it's too early to be celebrating when, weren't you only married to Addie's father for ten years before ambushing Oz a few months after? Barely long enough for the ink to dry on the divorce papers." Her fists saw through the steak covering half her plate. "Now, look at you. You don't have to do anything, except live in this beautiful home while my brother—"

"That's rich."

All heads pivot to where Addie is cutting neatly into her chicken but staring into Iris like she's picturing the other woman under the knife.

"Excuse me?" Iris barks.

"Addie..." Paloma warns softly.

But my Addie has fire in her eyes and a knife in her hands.

"I said, that's rich coming from you. Your dad took care of you until you married Grayson. Since then, you've done nothing but be a miserable cunt—" she ignores the chaos her words cause as she plows on, "—my mom, on the other hand, has built a very successful business on her own. I'm not one to put another woman down, but if you ever talk to her with anything but the utmost respect going forward, I will bitch slap you so hard—"

"Adeline!" Paloma gasps.

"How dare you!" Iris screams at the same time.

"So fucking hard," Addie snarls, pitching her voice higher, knife point straight and steady aimed in Iris's ruddy face, "I will break your jaw. I don't give a shit who you think you are, I will rip that stick out of your ass and beat—"

"Adeline!"

A deafening silence crashes over the table as Dad returns with a bottle of hot sauce in hand.

His dark eyes are fixed on Addie who has gone very still in her seat. The joints in my body tenses, coils in preparation to jump in if he thinks for a second I'll let him yell at her.

"Oz..." Paloma begins only to get silenced by the hand Dad raises.

"What is going on? Addie only!" he snaps when Iris breaks in. He slams the bottle down on the table and fixes everyone with a sharp glare. "Addie?"

Addie is breathing hard, but her tone is steady when she answers, "I called your sister a cunt and I threatened to bitch slap her."

Despite the situation, I have to resist the urge to chuckle. Dayton and Clio were having no luck at all when they snicker loudly.

"Why?" Dad ignores the teenagers and focuses entirely on Addie.

Addie grinds her jaw but doesn't back down. "Because, although I love my mom with my whole soul, she has a giant flaw. She loves you. That's not the flaw. Loving you is her whole world because you are her everything. She would walk through red, hot coals for you, and I love that. I love how happy she is with you. But because she would do anything for you, she has endured unimaginable abuse at the hands of that..." she stabs her knife point in Iris's direction, "that crusty discharge for ten years. She has been torn apart, belittled, and disrespected, but she has smiled through all of it because she doesn't want to upset you or cause a rift between you and the cunt monster. But not today, Satan. I'm not doing it. Mom has been excited for this party for a year and I'm not going to let a used sanitary napkin humiliate her. Now, I am sorry that you're related to that, and I'm sorry, Grams," she turns to my grams who has no idea what's going on, "for saying this stuff in front of you. You know I love you, but I truly believe deep in my heart that your baby was switched at the hospital, and you were saddled with Rosemary's demon."

"Adeline," Paloma groans, covering her eyes.

But Addie's looking at my dad again, her every line rigid with defiance. "I'm not letting her talk to Mom like trash anymore. I'm sorry, Oz, if that hurts your feelings, but Mom's been hurting for ten years."

It's unclear how long the silence stretched, broken only by Clio and Dayton practically under the table trying to smother their howls. Iris looks on the verge of exploding, and everyone else is doing their best not to make eye contact with anyone else.

The only people who seem genuinely confused are Michael and Brooke.

I'm just fucking proud. Not at all surprised by Addie's unique handle on the situation. We've both gone years biting our tongues because Paloma begged us to keep the peace. She reminded us it was only a couple of hours, and it would upset Dad — her main and only worry no matter how disgusting Iris's behavior was towards her.

"How dare you with your gutter tongue. Is this how you raised your daughter, Paloma? To talk with such embarrassing language to her elders?"

Paloma's beautiful face is splotchy with color, a mixture of embarrassment and panic as she tries to smooth the other woman's vulture feathers.

"Iris, I am so—"

"Don't." The ferocity of that single command startles even me, but I push on. "Do not apologize to her. She doesn't deserve it and I won't let you. She should be apologizing to you."

"Rhys?" Iris gasps, garish mouth flapping. "My own flesh and blood turned against me?"

"This here is uncalled for behavior," Grayson barks, weaseling his way into the conversation. "To treat the people you love so shamefully."

"Settle down, Colonel Mustard . No one here loves you. Not even your wife," Addie mutters under her breath.

"Quiet!" Dad snaps.

I can't take my eyes off Addie. If I wasn't already hopelessly enthralled and devastated by this woman, I would have fallen to my knees in worship. I still have every intention of doing just that the second I get her alone; I'm going to worship every inch of her until dawn.

"Paloma?" Dad says at last.

There are tears in her eyes, but she shakes her head. "It's really fine. It's not a big—"

Dad marches to her end of the table and pulls her out of her chair.

"Wrong," he growls. "This should never have gone on this long."

"I didn't want—"

He kisses her. A long, deep kiss that has the rest of us suddenly interested in literally anything else, but the couple entwined together.

"We will finish this later." He tells her at last and I'm not sure if he means the conversation or the kiss. Perhaps the conversation because he turns to his sister in passing and says, "We will discuss everything."

For the first time in my life, Iris says nothing as everyone resumes eating. She's a quiet figure sitting at the end of the table alone. Dad has taken Paloma's chair to his side, but she sits in his lap, feeding him. Her chair abandoned.

Across from me, Michael is back to leaning into Addie's space. His head is too close to hers like he's telling her the secrets of the universe, but my Addie has her knife in his face.

"I'm going to stop you right there, Michael. Your little sister is sitting right there so I'm going to keep my voice down when I tell you that I don't have to explain my relationship to you because you are never getting into my pants. I would rather grind my pussy on sandpaper before I let you touch me, so get out of my face."

Michael looks like he has a lot of thoughts on the verbal smack down, but we make eye contact, and I don't blink until he's shifting in his seat and turning his attention to his plate.

Fucker.

Only when I've won do I swing my gaze to my Addie, her eyes are on me, her expression soft. Something about it, about the way she gives me the sweetest smile soothes the possessive fire in my chest.

She's mine.

All the assholes in the world won't change that.