Liar (Madison Kate #2)(17)

I nodded and gave her a sympathetic look. "Too true. Come on, let's grab snacks and hole up in my room away from all the big dick energy."

She grinned in response and followed me into the house. I’d made it as far as the first step when my father's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Madison Kate," he called out from the formal dining room, a room we basically never used. "Come in here."

My gaze shot to Bree, and she gave me a wide-eyed-panic stare.

"Now," Samuel Danvers barked, not ever being one to be kept waiting.

"You better go," I muttered to Bree. "Call me later?"

She grimaced and gave me a short nod. "Count on it. We can go get late-night milkshakes or something."

I sighed as she scurried back out of the house, and reluctantly made my way through to where my father waited for me.

He was sitting at the head of the long table, a gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman hovering at his shoulder as she refilled his whiskey. Archer sat in the next seat along the table, Kody and Steele opposite him.

"Take a seat, Madison Kate," my father ordered in a voice equally bored and pissed off at the same time.

I dragged my heels as I made my way across the room. He must have yanked the guys in there as soon as they entered the house, too, seeing as they'd only been a few moments ahead of me.

"Thanks for the fucking warning, asshole," I muttered under my breath as I slid into the seat beside Archer. I didn't believe for a second that he hadn’t been fully aware of when my father and Cherise would be back from Italy... even if I’d had no clue myself.

The corner of Archer's mouth pulled up, and he looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "Anytime, Princess."

Ugh, I want to junk punch him so hard.

"Madison Kate," my father started, not even glancing at his girlfriend, who I hadn't even been introduced to, "I hear—"

"You must be Cherry," I interrupted, speaking directly to the beautiful woman. It was no wonder my father had gone for her; she looked vaguely similar to my mom, but with a whole lot more plastic surgery. "It's nice to meet you... finally." I gave her a tight smile. It wasn't her fault my dad was turning out to be a complete and utter sack of shit. It also wasn't her fault that her son was an antagonistic bastard who made me want to turn to violence on a daily basis.

The pink bedroom, on the other hand... that was her fault.

"It's so nice to meet you, too, Madison Kate," she replied in a breathy, hushed whisper. It was actually a bit disappointing. I'd sort of expected Archer's mother to be a strong-willed, ballsy woman. Apparently not.

My father cleared his throat in a pointed way, and I hid a smile. Samuel Danvers didn't take well to being talked over. Ever.

"As I was saying," he continued in an annoyed growl, "it's come to my attention that you've been causing a bit of trouble since you've been back, Madison Kate. That's not what we discussed when you asked to come home from Cambodia."

My jaw dropped. "Are you for fucking real right now?" I spluttered. My father’s face darkened with fury at my disrespect, but fuck that. Respect was earned not demanded, and he'd done nothing to earn mine.

"Antagonizing your stepbrother with fake porn images—"

"Whoa. What? Archer isn't my fucking stepbrother!" I was halfway out of my seat, already sick to fucking death of the bullshit my father was peddling. "And he started it."

My father gave me a withering look. "Listen to yourself, Madison Kate. You're eighteen—"

"Almost nineteen." I muttered, even though my birthday wasn't for another five months.

"—and I expect you to start behaving like a mature adult if you're to live under my roof." He continued on like I hadn't said anything, and I ground my teeth together in anger.

One of the boys—probably Kody—made a small scoffing sound at that, though, which sent a flicker of amusement through my fury.

"First of all," I snapped back, balling my hands into fists under the table, "I didn't ask to come home from Cambodia. Aunt Marie died and I had nowhere to live because I don't get access to my trust fund until I'm twenty-one."

"Believe me, Madison Kate, I'd change that if I could." My father's words sounded a hell of a lot more threatening than reassuring, and I suppressed a shiver of dread.

"And secondly," I carried on, ignoring the anxiety he'd just sparked in me, "maybe if you hadn't literally moved the pricks who framed me for Riot Night into the same house, I wouldn't feel the need to lash out. Furthermore," I sucked in a quick breath, "the rest of the so-called trouble is thanks to the goddamn stalker that you never felt the need to inform me about. So the explosion on campus today? That's on you. My getting stabbed and almost dying two weeks ago? On. You. Mom's murder? You, as well."

My father didn't even flinch. The only reaction he had was a twitch to his brow.

"If you're done with your tantrum, Madison Kate, we are going to discuss some new rules."

I was speechless. Had he heard a single word I'd just said?

"Archer, Kody, and Steele are very concerned that you're acting out and that this so-called stalker is just your newest cry for attention." His voice was so bland he might as well be talking about the damn weather. This got better and fucking better. "I personally would like to see you checked into Riverview Heights for a thorough medical assessment"—I gasped aloud—that was a psychiatric hospital—"but Archer seems to think that you simply require stricter rules and boundaries here at home."