Page 41 of The Masks We Wear (Satan’s Angels #1)
I raise my chin and force confidence into my tone, “She’s doing great. I’m very impressed with how far she’s come. You have a wonderful and very talented daughter, Sir.”
Her father responds, “Please, call me Robert and my wife’s name is Adriana.” He pauses as he recalls what I just said and snorts a laugh, “Well, she gets that from me of course. I just wish she would use her talents for a more acceptable career.”
Brody exhales and I lean closer to her to offer her support without making our current relationship too obvious to her family. “She has an amazing voice and tremendous talent. It would be a shame for the world not to hear it,” I say politely.
Brody looks up at me and I swear her eyes sparkle.
I give her a grim smile and our moment gets interrupted by her mother’s plummy voice, “I agree with your father. You would’ve never gotten attacked if you lived a more appropriate lifestyle, Brody.
And what’s this about you not calling us after it happened?
We had to find out about it from the news and not from our own daughter and then Selene called us to talk to us about it before you did and that was days ago.
You still never reached out. Do you have any idea how selfish you are? ”
Brody snaps, “I’m selfish for not calling you about my attack? Do you even hear yourself? Maybe I didn’t call because you find a way to make every single thing about yourself.” There she is, my little spitfire. I knew she was still in there.
Andrew sucks in a sharp breath and exhales, muttering, “Oh, here we fucking go.”
Adriana’s nose scrunches with anger and her overly made up face barely moves, most likely from copious amounts of botox treatments.
“How dare you?” She snaps at Brody and I watch Brody’s defense crumble.
“You’re a selfish little brat and your fame and fortune have gotten to your head.
You forget that respectable people once earned the things they had and worked normal jobs rather than revealing too much of their bodies and abusing substances. ”
Andrew seems to not like the words coming out of his mother’s mouth that are directed at his sister as he argues, “Really, Mom? You’re gonna lecture her on working when you’ve never had a job in your life?
Dad has done everything for you so you have no business lecturing my sister on working a ‘normal’ job when you don’t have one. ”
I really like her brother. Adriana gives Robert a threatening glare and he sighs before getting worked up and raising his voice at his son.
“Don’t speak to your mother that way,” Is all he says.
It seems Robert wants no part in the argument but that Adriana is his puppet master.
It seems the whole family can’t really stand her and that doesn’t surprise me one bit after I’ve gotten the displeasure of meeting the woman.
Andrew rolls his eyes. “This is bullshit. We came here because she was attacked and instead of offering support, you’re making this about you,” he gives his mother a death glare.
Adriana stomps her foot on the ground like an angry child and shrieks, “Shut your mouth, Andrew.” She turns on Brody, “Whatever biases you’ve placed within your brother, make quick work of removing them or your life will become difficult.”
Did she just threaten Brody? Fuck. No. This is where I draw the line.
“Was that a threat? It seems to me like it was one but I’m not understanding how you could actually think Brody turned him against you when you’ve done that all on your own.
” Adriana’s eyes widen, not expecting me to intervene but I continue before she can speak, “And your daughter was viciously attacked and could’ve been killed.
All you care about is yourself and your image and you actually have the audacity to blame her for her own attack.
Your daughter is the most talented person I’ve ever met and she was intelligent enough to make her talent her career, and she’s happy with what she’s doing so why isn’t that enough for you?
” I snap, my voice raising as my anger rises.
Robert’s eyes darken. He isn’t pleased with me cornering his wife like that but maybe not from loyalty but rather from the fact that she’ll yap into his ear if he doesn’t.
Andrew gives me a nod of appreciation and Brody’s jaw hangs wide open with surprise.
Adriana seethes, “You are not involved in our family and therefore, have no business forming any opinions or sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Why don’t you see yourself out?”
Brody interjects, “He’s not going anywhere because I want him here. I feel more comfortable with him here because you constantly victimize yourself and make me miserable every time I’m near you.”
“Brody Drake, shut your mouth.” Adriana points a finger in Brody’s face.
Brody looks up at me and inhales a deep breath.
She reluctantly looks back at her parents but I see a split in the mask she wears, the Brody I know creeping through.
“You’ve gone out of your way to make me miserable since I was a kid.
You’ve never been happy with anything I’ve done, you’ve never told me you were proud of me, hell, you’ve never even hugged me, Mom .
So get this, I’m done. You can all see yourself out and fuck off back to LA because I’m not doing this anymore.
I let you treat me like shit my whole life but I won’t let it go on any further.
” She turns and looks at her brother, “You are my best friend and I’m sorry if this drives a wedge in our relationship, but I need to start doing what’s best for me because none of this is healthy, Andrew.
I don’t want this to affect our relationship but I understand if it does.
” She glances at her father next, “And you’re too scared to leave her because you were stupid enough to not have her sign a prenup.
You’re her bitch because you’d rather keep her happy and quiet than deal with her wrath.
Grow the fuck up, Dad.” There she is. She’s all the way out of that mask now, and the little rockstar I know is back.
They all stare at her wide eyed, Andrew full on smiling.
“I’ve been waiting so long for that,” he admits.
He looks between Brody and her parents but inevitably walks over to his sister and drapes an arm across her shoulders.
I realize then that he’s closer to my height, still a few inches shorter, but his frame is about three times bigger than hers.
Is that how I look next to her? “Sorry Parentals, but Brody and I are adults and we don’t have to take your shit anymore. ”
Robert rubs the spot between his eyes, “You two are being overly dramatic. We came here to bring the family together.”
Brody snaps, “Maybe that’s why you came here, but she ,” she points at her mother, “Only came here to make me feel like shit and I’m not gonna let it fly.
I’ve let this go on for too long, pretending to be someone I’m not for you, to please all of you, but I’m not doing it anymore.
This is who I am and if you don’t like it, we don’t have to talk.
” She hooks a thumb over her shoulder, “The door is right there so kindly see yourselves the fuck out.”
Adriana looks at Robert expectantly for him to somehow solve the problem and tighten Brody’s leash and for a second, I feel sympathy for the man.
He’s clearly overworked and exhausted and would probably love to have a normal family, but this woman makes him and their children so miserable.
He has the power to leave, but chooses not to, so do I feel that bad for him?
No. Robert clamps his jaw shut and just exits the room.
Adriana mutters arguments under her breath but reluctantly follows Robert out, slamming the door behind her.
Brody throws herself onto her bed and sighs, her eyes closing. Andrew and I exchange worried glances. “You okay, big sis?”
“That felt fucking awesome,” Brody grins up at the ceiling.
Andrew smirks, relieved, “I didn’t know you had that in you. I’m impressed.”
Brody sits up, grinning from ear to ear, “I didn’t either. I was feeling inspired,” she glances at me, meeting my eyes as she blushes. I smile at her, warmth spreading through my chest.
“What should we do for Christmas and Thanksgiving now that we won’t be spending it with them?” Andrew inquires.
Brody shrugs, “Who cares? We can do whatever we want! Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Andrew chuckles, “True.”
“How long are you here for?” Brody changes the subject.
“I’m leaving tomorrow night after your show,” Andrew responds.
Brody’s eyes light up, “You’re staying for the show?”
“Of course. You know I love watching you perform,” he says affectionately.
“I’ll have Selene give you a backstage pass and a VIP ticket,” Brody plans, tapping out a quick message to who I can only assume is Selene on her phone.
He nods, “Sounds good to me,” he yawns. “I’m beat, though. I’m gonna head to bed and have beautiful sweet dreams about Mom’s face when you told her off.”
Brody laughs but gets up to hug her brother. “I’ll see you tomorrow, dumbass.”
He kisses the side of her head and pats me on the shoulder before he sees himself out. Once the door closes, it’s just Brody and I, alone after everything that just went down. She walks over to me slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. “You didn’t have to stand up to her for me.”