Love Slave for Two: Reckoning [Love Slave for Two 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Tymber Dalton Page B

Florida. When he ripped it open, a broad grin creased his face.
    He dumped the rest of the mail into the sack, locked the box, and returned to his car. There, he carefully tucked the concealed weapons license into his wallet, between his car insurance card and his voter’s registration card, so it was hidden from view. He’d have to look into getting one for Georgia, too, as soon as he could. He knew from the information the state provided him that Georgia allowed for reciprocity, but he didn’t want to do anything to run afoul of the law in case they changed that status.
    He popped the truck lid, walked around to it, and removed the gun from its locked case. He removed the trigger lock, loaded a full clip into it, and tucked it into the holster that clipped to the back waistband of his pants. Back in the car, he put the gun and holster into the center console. It would be uncomfortable to wear while driving.
    But when he wasn’t…
    That bloody bastard won’t get another chance.
     
    * * * *
     
    Nevvie, Clay, Peggy, and Andrew sat up and watched the storm’s progress. Edgar had slowed its forward movement, but its course remained unchanged. It meant the storm would take longer to hit land, giving residents more time to prepare.
    It also meant a risk that the monster storm would draw even more energy from the warm Gulf waters. And it meant once the most destructive winds hit shore, they would batter the region for a longer period of time, increasing damage.
    “Okay, Dad. Tell us what happened this afternoon.” She’d been dying for the twins to go to bed so she could ask him.
    He let out a sigh. “I supposed, after my dealings with my ex-wife, that I shouldn’t be surprised by human nature.” He pursed his lips as he gathered his thoughts. “For someone proclaiming herself to be spiritual, Emily certainly carries quite a lot of venom in her heart.”
    Clay frowned. “That bad?”
    “I’m afraid so. I’ll spare you the specifics, but she tried even my nearly infinite patience. Elle was practically in tears by the time we finished. I thought I was going to have to order Danny out of the house. He did surprisingly well at ignoring Emily while she browbeat him. But when she turned her attention to Elle, he wanted to defend his sister. Very admirable, but I didn’t want him getting into a physical altercation with his mother.”
    “He’s a good brother,” Clay said. “He’s always stuck up for Elle.”
    “Did she say anything to you, Dad?” Nevvie asked.
    “Oh, I’m sure she did, but I pretended she wasn’t even there. She paid me little attention when she realized she wasn’t going to get any sort of rise out of me.”
    “Maybe she’s got a brain tumor,” Nevvie snarked. “Doesn’t that make people act completely whacked?”
    “I wish,” Clay said. “I could forgive a lot if that was the case. Unfortunately, I think with all the sisters turning their backs on her and refusing to side with her, she’s decided to turn to the only people who would give her any sympathy.” He shook his head. “She’s been like that as long as I’ve known her. She clings to those who reaffirm her own beliefs. Once I stopped yes-dearing her and called her to the carpet for what she did, she turned on me, too.”
    “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” Andrew said. “It’s finished. I did tell Danny and Elle to try to keep open minds and open hearts. To try to approach her again in the future to see if she would change her outlook.”
    “Good luck with that,” Peggy said. “That girl has a harder head than all my other kids put together twice, and then some. She always tried to get her way, bossing them around, trying to keep them in line. I can’t tell you how many times Adam or I had to step in and tell her to quit being so pushy.”
    “Like Dad said, it’s done with,” Nevvie said. “We’re a family, and we’ve got a lot to be thankful for. I’m not wasting any more time on her. One of these