Page 109 of The Twins

I kicked off my pumps, sending them them skidding over the white porcelain floor tiles and stalked into the kitchen. “Dad?”

“He’s not here,” Vince said, tailing me, “he’s in London.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know. He’s on business. Got to keep the millions rolling in.”

I frowned. Of late I’d believed our wealth to be from human trafficking, the profits of my mother’s sordid, secret life. But now…now I knew that wasn’t true. Hell, it couldn’t be further from the reality. And it was my father’s successful company that had given me a life of privilege. His hard work and business acumen had provided us all that we had over the years.

And that was a huge weight off my shoulders.

I poured a glass of water, my eyes stinging suddenly with tears of relief. Okay, my mother had had another life, an undercover cop, but she’d been the good, decent, perfect person I’d always known her to be.

No longer did I have to look at photographs of her and wonder about the poor girls she’d illegally and deceptively brought into the country. She’d been trying to stop that sick trade, not add to it.

I sipped my water and took a deep breath, regained control.

“I sent Tina home,” Vince said.

Tina was our housekeeper. “You did? Why?”

“There wasn’t much to do here.” He gestured around the sparkling kitchen. “And besides, her mother is sick, I figured she deserved to take some time back for all the occasions she’s gone over and above for our family.”

“Fair enough.” I went to the huge bay window and stared out at the gravel driveway and the pristine lawn beyond. “And you? How long are you staying? I presume you just came to say your piece to me.”

He moved to my side. “You had to know.”

“I agree.”

“And I had to come to…that place, Chelsea, to tell you in front ofhim, so he knew, too.”

I held in a sigh. Vince hadn’t liked Andrew from the start. But then Vince would struggle to like anyone I hooked up with. I was his sweet little sister after all.

Except Andrew had tapped into my darker side, the erotic kinky layer of my being, and I’d been hooked for a long time. I didn’t think I could give him up no matter how mad I was with him.

I folded my arms, hugging myself. In the distance, two white swans flew over the treetops, likely heading to our lake.

“That old dude has filled your head with lies,” Vince went on. “Hateful, vicious lies, offensive and libelous, you have to see that. He poisoned you against our mother. Made her out to be a vile criminal.”

“He was acting on intelligence.” For some reason I was compelled to defend him. After all, I’d spent the night in his arms, his thick cock inside me for most of it.

Vince snorted. “Hardly reliable intelligence, and not from any official source.”

I stayed quiet, what could I say? Galahad were independent, they had their own system and rules. Andrew ran the show. It had been his brainchild. It was one of his reasons for getting up in the morning.

“You’re not to see him again,” Vince said. “I don’t want you caught up in all of his chaos. It will end badly.”

“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t see.” Right now, I didn’t want to see Andrew, but equally I didn’t want a bossy brother thinking he could dictate my life.

“I can, and I will.” He frowned.

“There’s nothing to stop me seeing who I damn well want when you go back to your precious bikers.”

He looked at me, a muscle flexing in his cheek.

He knew I was right.

“Dad will hate him. He’ll hate everything about him.” His voice was gruff.