Kiss by Ted Dekker

has made for you! I’m talking about your disrespect for his career, and your blatant efforts to undermine everything he has accomplished! You are the most conniving, willful brat I have ever met! Don’t you dare sit here and play this game with me!”
    The accusations hit Shauna like lightning, jolting and deadly. She rose and wiped her hands on her pants. “Landon, none of this is true. Help me. Tell her. You and I have had our share of . . . disagreements, but I’ve always respected your work.”
    Without looking at his daughter, the senator turned away from the window and left the room.
    His latest abandonment beat the wind out of Shauna. For a moment, she could not breathe.
    Patrice leaned in close enough for Shauna to smell stale coffee on her breath. “If you keep this up, I will intervene, and I don’t care what it will cost you.”
    Intervene? “Keep what up?” Shauna said.
    “You make a mockery of him at his own functions. You are indiscreet with the company you keep. You tell lies to anyone who will print them. Your reckless driving has cost us thousands of dollars in lawsuits. You are dealing in controlled substances—”
    “I am not ! That is ridiculous.”
    “I have no reason to believe you, and in fact, I will gladly testify against you when the time comes.”
    Shauna felt dazed. “What they found . . . it might have been someone else’s.”
    “Someone else’s? In your car? In your loft? Not on your life. You are a stupid, stupid girl!”
    “I have no idea—”
    “And I, for one, don’t believe it was an accident. I think you have every intention of bringing your father down, and what better way to stab him in the heart than to take away what matters most to him? You never wanted Rudy to follow his father’s lead. Anyone with any perception of reality would see what you’re trying to do here.”
    Shauna tried to slow down her heart. She pulled her hand free of Wayne’s grip, and he let her go. Reluctantly, she thought.
    “Why would I do—?”
    “Shut up. Nothing you say can change who I know you are, Shauna.”
    “You don’t know who I am.”
    “Get over yourself. I know you better than anyone. And if I were you, I would be looking for the fastest, most certain exit off this earth. You are not worth anything to your father or your brother.”
    It took only a split second for offense to trump Shauna’s reason.
    She slapped Patrice.
    Shauna didn’t even realize she could do such a thing, hadn’t even thought about it. And now it was done. A fingernail cut oozed blood at Patrice’s temple.
    Okay.
    Shauna saw the blush rise to Patrice’s skin, and saw the drop of blood that rose from the scratch, and saw herself jump onto the wild horse that was her anger, a runaway beast that left her sensible self in the dust.
    “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about! I love my brother as much as I hate you—you can’t even begin to comprehend how much I hate you—”
    “Likewise.”
    “—and I would never hurt him! You, Patrice, you are the reason this family cannot hold itself together! You are the reason my father has turned his back on me—”
    Patrice guffawed.
    “—and you need to take responsibility for your own mistakes rather than parading mine before the world!”
    Patrice pressed her fingers to the cut. In a distant place, a doorbell rang.
    Shauna kept going. “You are a liar, and a witch, and have never done any-thing for anyone that didn’t somehow benefit you in the long run!”
    “And you, child, are the only one on trial for anything at all.”
    Shauna’s wild horse collapsed, all four legs broken in an instant.
    “It’s all a lie.”
    “I can’t tell you what you want to hear, girl.” Patrice picked up the stack of dishes and turned to follow her husband’s path out of the room. At the door-way, she paused. “I think it’s best you give Rudy some space. Understood?”
    Shauna nodded without understanding a thing. She leaned against Wayne.
    He