Deadly Vacation (Hardy Brothers Security Book 10) by Lily Harper Hart
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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about it?”
“I’m fine,” Sophie said. “I think I’m the one who got off light. You didn’t even bother to yell about us going to the haunted house.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Grady said. “It’s not like you guys knew what was going to happen. They seemed like a nice couple. Not everyone in the world is out to get us.”
“No,” Sophie agreed. “It just feels that way sometimes.”
“It does indeed,” Grady said. “How did Emma take things?”
“As well as can be expected.”
“Should I know what that means?”
“Emma is a survivor,” Sophie said. “She’s already survived the worst this world has to offer. Between her hormones and fear, though, she’s all over the place. She held it together. She didn’t freak out when that guy had his hands on her.”
“You know you should have never gone to that house, right?”
“Mandy wanted to see it,” Sophie said. “It was two blocks away. There were plenty of people on the street. It didn’t seem like a big deal. She was so excited.”
“She’s always liked that stuff,” Grady said. “She and Ally would have slumber parties in middle school and watch as many gory flicks as they could get their hands on. It didn’t matter how bad they were.”
“I hope James isn’t being too hard on her,” Sophie said. “She didn’t mean any harm.”
“She never does,” Grady said. “I think James wanted everyone to eat before coming up here because he needed time to collect himself. He doesn’t like flying off the handle, and he always regrets it.”
“Then he should stop doing it,” Sophie said.
“That’s easier said than done. When you love someone, you can’t always help how you react to things.”
“How come you’re not flying off the handle then?”
“Because I know it won’t do any good,” Grady said. “I’ve decided to pick my battles where you’re concerned. James just opts for too many battles.”
“Oh, so you pick your battles, huh?”
“I do.”
“What battle do you want to fight tonight?”
“The battle for your virtue,” Grady replied, laughing. “Now turn around so I can massage your front.”
“Then what’s going to happen?”
“We’ll see where the night takes us.”
“DID you get enough to eat?”
James was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the television and flipping through the channels. Mandy had taken a bath, plucked her eyebrows and filed her fingernails, and he still hadn’t said a word to her. She couldn’t take much more of the silence.
James merely grunted in reply.
“Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the night?”
James didn’t answer as he focused on the television.
“I would rather have you yell at me than just sit there,” Mandy said. “Scream. Throw something. Do … something. Don’t pretend I don’t exist.”
“I don’t want to scream,” James said. “I promised I would never throw anything again. I have no interest in scaring you. I know you exist. That’s why I’m so mad.”
“I … I’m sorry,” Mandy said. “I had no idea things would go the way they did.”
“I know.”
“Isn’t my apology good enough for you?”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to go to bed,” James said. “I’ll … sleep out here on the couch.”
Hot tears flooded Mandy’s eyes, and she fought to tamp them down. “Oh. You’re going to sleep out here?” Her voice cracked, and she hated herself for it.
“I think it would be better,” James said, refusing to look at her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay,” Mandy said.
James pressed his eyes shut as he listened to her shuffle away. He hadn’t seen the tears, but he’d heard them in her voice. He knew torturing her was not the answer, but he was terrified of picking a fight with her in a hotel. He just needed a few minutes to regroup. Once he could put things into perspective, he would feel better.
After a half hour of watching Sports Center, he
“I’m fine,” Sophie said. “I think I’m the one who got off light. You didn’t even bother to yell about us going to the haunted house.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Grady said. “It’s not like you guys knew what was going to happen. They seemed like a nice couple. Not everyone in the world is out to get us.”
“No,” Sophie agreed. “It just feels that way sometimes.”
“It does indeed,” Grady said. “How did Emma take things?”
“As well as can be expected.”
“Should I know what that means?”
“Emma is a survivor,” Sophie said. “She’s already survived the worst this world has to offer. Between her hormones and fear, though, she’s all over the place. She held it together. She didn’t freak out when that guy had his hands on her.”
“You know you should have never gone to that house, right?”
“Mandy wanted to see it,” Sophie said. “It was two blocks away. There were plenty of people on the street. It didn’t seem like a big deal. She was so excited.”
“She’s always liked that stuff,” Grady said. “She and Ally would have slumber parties in middle school and watch as many gory flicks as they could get their hands on. It didn’t matter how bad they were.”
“I hope James isn’t being too hard on her,” Sophie said. “She didn’t mean any harm.”
“She never does,” Grady said. “I think James wanted everyone to eat before coming up here because he needed time to collect himself. He doesn’t like flying off the handle, and he always regrets it.”
“Then he should stop doing it,” Sophie said.
“That’s easier said than done. When you love someone, you can’t always help how you react to things.”
“How come you’re not flying off the handle then?”
“Because I know it won’t do any good,” Grady said. “I’ve decided to pick my battles where you’re concerned. James just opts for too many battles.”
“Oh, so you pick your battles, huh?”
“I do.”
“What battle do you want to fight tonight?”
“The battle for your virtue,” Grady replied, laughing. “Now turn around so I can massage your front.”
“Then what’s going to happen?”
“We’ll see where the night takes us.”
“DID you get enough to eat?”
James was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the television and flipping through the channels. Mandy had taken a bath, plucked her eyebrows and filed her fingernails, and he still hadn’t said a word to her. She couldn’t take much more of the silence.
James merely grunted in reply.
“Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the night?”
James didn’t answer as he focused on the television.
“I would rather have you yell at me than just sit there,” Mandy said. “Scream. Throw something. Do … something. Don’t pretend I don’t exist.”
“I don’t want to scream,” James said. “I promised I would never throw anything again. I have no interest in scaring you. I know you exist. That’s why I’m so mad.”
“I … I’m sorry,” Mandy said. “I had no idea things would go the way they did.”
“I know.”
“Isn’t my apology good enough for you?”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to go to bed,” James said. “I’ll … sleep out here on the couch.”
Hot tears flooded Mandy’s eyes, and she fought to tamp them down. “Oh. You’re going to sleep out here?” Her voice cracked, and she hated herself for it.
“I think it would be better,” James said, refusing to look at her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay,” Mandy said.
James pressed his eyes shut as he listened to her shuffle away. He hadn’t seen the tears, but he’d heard them in her voice. He knew torturing her was not the answer, but he was terrified of picking a fight with her in a hotel. He just needed a few minutes to regroup. Once he could put things into perspective, he would feel better.
After a half hour of watching Sports Center, he
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