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"Can I see it?"

Unsure of why he was htstand Unplugging her phone froer, she faced hiive it to

"Uh, no"

Gabe snorted "I really like her"

"Of course you do," Lucian murmured "I want you to key in my number"

Her first instinct was to refuse that, but that was her just being a stubborn brat He gave her the nuave her his nu for any reason, call ested, casting a grin at Lucian when his eyes narrowed into thin slits "I’m not as bossy as him"

Julia smiled "That is true"

"I’m not bossy" Lucian frowned

His brother let out a choked laugh "Are you seriously that unaware of yourself?"

Lucian crossed his arhes doesn’t think I’ an eyebrow, she placed her phone back on the nightstand "Actually, I think you’re pretty bossy"

"Okay Let me rephrase that stateaze shot to his, and her faced flushed pink when she saw the knowing, heated look return to his eyes She knew exactly what he was referencing, and she was going to punch hiine herself punching him

"Okay, then" Gabe draped an ar If we’re late, Dev will flip out and we’re never hear the end of it"

"Sad but true" Lucian started backing up "Re, call o"

"That would be a shame," she said dryly

"I know We wouldn’t want that to happen" Winking at her in a ridiculous way, he stopped at the doorway "By the way, love the outfit"

Julia glanced down at herself in surprise What in the world did he like about her outfit? She earing plain old blue scrubs He was so full of it, an incorrigible flirt When she looked up, Gabe was pushing Lucian out of the bedroo to Lucian too low for her to hear, but whatever it was, it had Lucian laughing--that deep, toe-curling laugh of his

Both see to their father’sherself that their issues with their deceased father were none of her business, she walked back over to Madeline and plopped down on the stool It was hard not to think about how Gabe had made no attempt to interact with Madeline at all If she was locked in there, aware of as going on, that had to sting

Julia sighed "There’s a lot of history with your family, isn’t there?"

Madeline didn’t respond, but Julia lifted the paintbrush again A , slender black handle Her right fingers twitched, and Julia grew very still, waiting and hoping that so would happen

Then slowly, almost painfully, Madeline lifted her hand and wrapped her thin fingers around the handle of the brush

Chapter 14

Lucian was going to need a barrel of bourbon to get through this service He’d rather be anywhere than where he was, and this wasn’t even technically the funeral It was just a memorial service where the one percent would rub elbows and pretend to respect one another

In the place of a coffin was a large framed photo of dear old dad Their father’s body hadn’t even been released yet Once that happened, a smaller and much more private funeral would be held

In other words, no way near as ridiculous as this

Standing in the corner of the large atriu shit, groomed and bred for it Dev was in his ele him and the suit felt itchy