جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 940

"Hey Brooke, do your parents know you are hanging out with Trent's Wal-Mart substitute?" Brennan had begun his assault."Felix?" Brooke deftly parried. "Nah. I dated him once, but he turned out to be another degenerate frat-boy loser, so I dumped him." Maybe I should have let Libra and Brooke dispose of Mr. Keyes for me as well. "Cáel's not like that. He cares.""Come on now," Brennan battled back. "He's some minimum wage paper-shredder whereas Trent worked directly for his department head."At this same moment I was convincing Casper and Anima that I was a professional assassin...just for some relevance."That's why they pay him a quarter-million a year," Brooke snickered. "Or put him on a jet to come back from his father's funeral, or around the clock bodyguards.Minimum wage has improved a good deal under the Obama Administration, but I don't think it has gone up that much," Brooke finished up."He told you that?" Brennan mockingly laughed. "Come on Brooke, that's a total snow job.

"Brennan, I didn't come up this weekend because I'm lonely," Brooke continued."I came up because Cáel has had a rough week - his father dying, and him having to handle all those affairs - so I thought he could relax, unwind and sex me up a whole bunch...and Libra," Brooke winked at her friend. To Brennan, "I thought you were simply being apologetic about initially taking Trent's side in that blow-up instead of mine. Is that not the case?"Of course that wasn't the case. No one at the table thought Brennan was acting apologetic, or out of the goodness of his soul. Brennan was well-connected enough to lash out like a spoiled brat and get away with it. His father's lawyers would bury the mess and he was far, far away from feeling self-conscious about being 22 and having his parent still picking up after him.What Brennan couldn't figure out was why he was losing and looking foolish. Brooke was perfect - as in perfectly vulnerable. She was a non-sleazy, rich girl who was arrogant yet kic

"Ah, I see you possess the same level of common courtesy as your brother, Brennan," I responded. "To answer the first and only question I feel like answering - no; making my own way in the world means I don't answer the questions of exhausted, over-extended, junior plutocrats who somehow assume they can provide any useful input to my life."Verbal hammer to her facial self-esteem. Hana was a 'producer' in that she had a job she felt she deserved, worked at it to some acclaim and added to her family's productivity - the opposite of Brennan."If you feel insulted, by all means leave, Mr. Nyilas," Hana glared."Oh, thank God," I sighed happily. I began dressing, as did Brooke. Hana looked uncertain."Cáel's been looking for a cordial excuse to get us out of here since we arrived," Brooke explained. "I imagine I should thank you. I wasn't sure how I'd keep Cáel from punching out your little brother over breakfast." Hana looked out-maneuvered."What is that?" Hana pointed to my horse-hoof

"Libra, you've seen the scars crisscrossing my body - the bruises and sore ribs I've suffered through," I told her."Those were from the co-workers who hold deep and abiding affection toward me," I continued. "Imagine what they are capable of inflicting on those they do not like. Think about what they might do if they thought I was in danger and distressed. Couple that with the intimate knowledge of exactly what Casper has gone through ... is going through, and then draw your own conclusions." There was a pause while the others ate and Libra digested the information."Are we ever going to see Trent again?" she leaned in and whispered."It can be done, but that it isn't something either of you would enjoy," I whispered out of the side of my mouth. Sending Brooke and Libra on a one-way flight to Indonesia/Philippines definitely wasn't part of my life plan. It was the safest way to let her know Trent was alive."Does Brooke know?" Libra nudged me quietly. I shook my head. "Does Trent?" A

(Saturday Night)The Hamptons gathering had transformed from a post-college exploration to a mature gathering. We had an adult-level task laid out before us - creating an emotional buffer zone for Casper. I gave Estere an 'out'. There would be no more 'fun time' this weekend. She elected to stay anyway.When we moved out to a cliff-side patio for dinner, Brennan and company showed up, sans Orlando and his lady. Casper tensed up, Hana and I rallied and put up a warding wall, so the cast of idiots settled for taunting Casper as she shivered behind us. Because, you know, all of this was one big joke...I had enough peripheral awareness to not get blind-sided by Casper. Hana didn't and went tumbling into Anima. Casper launched herself at Brennan. He had some under-developed martial talent while Casper was clearly driven by frantic energy alone. Brennan received a few scratches then flipped Casper over his shoulder and down hard on the patio's deck.A punch to her face was coming Casper's