“I thought you’d appreciate the ride.” Low. A secret. “Come on, Remi.”

“No,” I repeat. Slow. A fuck off.

I dismiss him with a once-over and dodge around the rear of his car.

If I have my way, I’ll speak nothing else until after dinner.

* * *

I have my way. Maybe not in the blue floral dress hung on my doorknob when I went upstairs. Certainly not by ending up squeezed between the favorites at the table. But I don’t utter a single syllable the entire time.

No one even bats an eye, thanks to my mom’s hazy smile, her dropping her water glass mid-drink, and the apology she stutters out in slow-mode. Not that anyone dared bat a speculative eye at any of that either.

“Migraine,” Daniel explains. “Rebecca’s been suffering with one all week, and the effects on her … That’s what happened here.” He brushes his thumb over the split above her eye, covered in foundation. “A dizzy spell got the best of her.”

One of the wife’s fucking awww while bile breaches my throat.

His hand finds my mom’s, bringing it onto the table, displaying his devout affection for his poor love to the audience. “Why don’t you go lie down, honey?”

She’s pliant as he helps her from the table and to the stairs, which she manages to disappear up without crawling. I stare at my plate, not eating after the performance.

With Mrs. Kane safely stowed out of sight, Daniel catches my wrist after dinner before I can escape to my bedroom.

“Help clean up, won’t you?” His grip tightens enough to warn but not enough to show.

I jerk my arm down, breaking his hold and meeting his stare while I grab a plate. He moves everyone to the den for drinks. I swipe my mom’s surprisingly untouched wine glass, gulping most of the red down on my way to the kitchen. Then I empty the rest of the bottle and polish it off too.

Completing my task, I fold over the top of the kitchen island and hide my face in the crook of my arm. I need a minute to just be. But I should know better.

“Such a good little wife you’ll make.”

His voice lands on my skin like pellets of acidic rain. I straighten, rotating to Elvin slithering his way in from the hallway. My lip curls at the comment, but I continue my wordless streak as I move for the other doorway. He slides in front of me with a smirk.

“What the fuck is your problem,” I spit out.

His gaze drops to my chest, so I cross my arms over it. “Chief’s told me a lot about you. What you get up to.”