Ricky’s grin was huge. “Well, all right then.”

“This isn’t about you, hillbilly.” Livy looked down at Toni. “You need to calm down. You can’t go around killing your relatives. Even when they deserve it. As you know, I’ve tried and it just didn’t work out well for me. Those ankle bracelets they use to monitor your movements are really not comfortable.”

“That horrible bitch is using my baby brother to scam people.”

“Who?” Ricky asked.

Livy smirked. “Delilah.”

“The blonde?”

“Yeah,” Livy replied. “And what really bothers you,” Livy said to Toni, “isn’t that it’s just one of your siblings, but that it’s Freddy.”

“Because Freddy’s the only one she could scam into doing this. Kyle and Oriana won’t go near her. Zia and Zoe cry whenever she’s around. Troy could do it and probably would, but he’s such a ballbuster, he’d want hard cash from counting cards. And he’d never believe that orphans story.”

Hands in the front pockets of his jeans, Ricky asked, “Isn’t Troy, like . . . nine?”

“Your point?” Livy asked.

“And not to be indelicate, but . . . aren’t y’all kind of rich?”

“Kind of rich?” Toni pushed Livy off her and dragged herself up until she was sitting. “My mother could buy the property we’re currently sitting in outright . . . and in cash. But my sister likes to scam people for money. Do you know why?”

“Just another bored rich girl?”

“I wish. The twins are bored little rich girls. I can handle bored little rich girls.”

“But sociopaths . . .” Livy muttered.

“Now come on,” Ricky said. “I took psychology in college—”

“You went to college?” Livy asked, which got her a punch in the ribs from Toni. “Ow! It was just a goddamn question.”

“—and y’all shouldn’t be bantering around words like sociopath when you’re talking about a family member.”

“Believe what you want.” Toni swung her legs over the edge of the bed so that she and Livy were sitting right next to each other. Toni thought a minute and decided what she had to do.

“I’ve made my decision. I obviously can’t go on this trip. I can’t go.”

That’s when Livy slammed Toni to the floor and pinned her there—because the woman simply didn’t know the meaning of the word subtle.

Ricky grabbed the small but surprisingly strong and vicious female off of Toni.

“Tell her,” Livy ordered him once he’d gotten her off Toni. “Tell her that she is going.”

“How can I go now?” Toni shot back. “At first I thought I just needed to deal with the schedule issue, which is challenge enough. But now . . . after what I’ve found out about Delilah?”

“Excuses!” Livy accused, pointing a damning finger at Toni. “You’re using bullshit excuses to get out of this. Becauseyou’re scared.”

“They’re bears! Of course I’m scared!”

“Not of the bears, you idiot.” Livy swung her arms until Ricky was forced to drop her. Then she re-adjusted her T-shirt and denim mini-skirt. “You’re scared of change. You’re scared of taking this chance and going out on your own.”

“They need me.”

“Because you’ve made them helpless. Which, I’d like to remind you, is not your job. Your job as the eldest jackal sibling is to prepare them for life on their own.”

“But what about Delilah?” Toni demanded. “She’s a problem all on her own.”

“Isn’t that something your parents should be concerned with?” Ricky asked.

“My parents are in denial. I’m not.”

“I’ll watch out for Freddy,” Livy said.

“I can’t ask you to—”

“I’ll watch out for Freddy, so just suck-it-the-fuck-up already.”

“Don’t curse at me, whore!”

“Birthing cow!”

“All right!” Ricky cut in before he was hurt trying to stop these two females from getting into a claw match. “That’s it!” He focused on Toni. “The bottom line is, if you don’t take this trip, I can assure you that Cella Malone is going to fire your ass, no matter whose cousin you are.”

“I don’t care,” Toni said, her voice firm. “Let her fire me. I’m not leaving. At least not until we get things . . . organized.”

“Organized?”

“Right. Once I get their schedules organized, everything will be fine. That’ll just take me a couple of days. Cella won’t mind that, I’m sure.”

Toni walked out, leaving Ricky and Livy standing there, gazing at the open door.

“Will that Cella Malone chick mind that?” Livy asked him.

“She sure will.”

“Then we have to take away her excuses.”

Ricky shrugged. “I may have an idea.” He pulled out his phone. “But my baby brother won’t like it.”

“Your baby brother? Was that the other wolf who was in the office with us?”

“Yep.”

“Then I don’t give a shit he won’t like it.”

Ricky laughed and began making calls.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Paul stepped out of the cab and held his hand out so that Jackie could grab it. He helped her out and then held his hand out for Irene. She, as always, completely ignored it, and got out on her own. He didn’t take that personally, though. He never had. It was one of the main reasons they’d gotten along so well. Paul never took anything Irene did personally. She was so brutally direct and unwaveringly honest, it didn’t make sense to get all worked up when she said things like, “I’d prefer you not touch me” or “Are you staring at me because you have a question or because you’re planning to kill me at your earliest convenience?”