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She reached for the phone, fu for it and rolling back in the bed as she flipped it open

"You could die for waking me up this early"

She kneho it was Only one person dared to call her so early and to have the teetting gru you a favor of major proportions"

Arinned at the sound of it But she knew better If he was calling, then she was in trouble

"What is Daddy mad over this time?" She yawned "Tell him he can’t cut off my allowance siain "I believe he ed for you Soirly stuff?"

She sat up in the bed "The French collection? Moo"

"Well, it appears sheit" She could al with amusement as a smile curled at the corners of his lips

"Why would Daddy cancel ht in Saudi last month"

John chuckled "Well, sweet sister, it could be due to a very iht from the son of an eneentleman called Father and confir killed" John’s voice hardened "The fa ETA at Louisville is for noon Have your ass there and be waiting for it"

Rogue breathed in slowly Patience, she reminded herself Without it, her father and John would win before the battle began They were overprotective, forceful, and though her father loved her and tried to allow her to live her life as she pleased, he was still her father

There was nothing Rogue hated irl her older brother and sister had always tattled on her Her teachers tattled, her babysitter had tattled Rogue had always found a way to get into trouble And her father had always given the pretense to herher

Calvin Walker had been born to be a father He had taken the tiet to know his children from infancy He knew the best way to deal with their weaknesses and how to draw out their strengths

But he was, at the very soul of the nore the sheriff Whatever Joe and Jaime were involved in, I’ to listen," John pointed out with chilling logic

"Get your butt on that plane, Rogue It’s tihed "I’ Somerset If Daddy wants to come visit, then he’s more than welcome to do so Hell, the whole faht up front, contrary to what Zeke Mayes believes, I a out for my own butt here"

"So we’re to just sit here and wait until we get that phone call that lets us know you’re dead?" John was becory His voice was cold, quiet He was a lot like Calvin Walker in that regard The angrier he got, the icier he becairl now and I don’t need to run to the bosoets a wild hair up his ass"

"You know, Rogue, six o we stood over your hospital bed after some bastard tried to bash your head in I’d prefer not to do that again, if you don’t mind"

"I don’t mind in the least," she said in exasperation "This is ridiculous, John Don’tto Boston This is h to decide for o"

"I should bash you over the headyour ass home," he snapped "Froue He orried enough to call Father; thatto worry about"

"Yeah, he’s real daht touch that frozen heart of his" She swung her legs out of the bed, fury erupting inside her "Let me tell you what Zeke’s problem is, John He can’t stand to keep his hands off me, so he had to make certain Daddy hauls ive a daht I’m an adult; I’ll decide for myself when to tuckShe was so furious she could barely stand it How dare Zeke call her father and upset him this way? How dare her father sic her brother on her rather than calling himself?

That was just like Daddy He knew if he called hi her anger, he called John Because John would rather fight with her as to breathe so rivalry was still alive and well

"Rogue, don’t et on that jet and come after you," John warned her

"John, don’t ht with hi back to slap you on the ass I’m his favorite, remember?"

"You’re his favorite because you’re as crazy as he is," John accused "You can fight it out with hiest you take a flying leap," she raged back at hi up on ue inhaled slowly, deeply If she didn’t get a handle on the hurt and the anger churning through her, then she was going to explode Exploding wasn’t a good thing She never failed to hurt herself more than she did anyone else whenever she lost control of her teht as she stalked to the shower Daotten him involved like this She knew her family She could expect every daue of locusts now

She’d be lucky if her grandparents didn’t fly in with the rest of the brood

She shuddered at the thought She loved her grandparents, she really did But they were dangerous Forget the upper-crust Bostonian reserve they used like a shield Her grandparents icked And they didn’t take prisoners or showhim up and make him scream for mercy Oh, he had seriously underestimated her

An hour later, showered, dressed, and ready to rumble, she pushed into theteak counter where Jonesy was checking liquor

He straightened frolared back at her

They hadn’t talkedto throw her across the rooue was saddened by the fact that the friendship she had once believed they had was disintegrating