Casing ✔️

Chapter 6

I turned around to look straight into the icy stare of Hank. "Hello," I said, smiling as innocently as I could. "Do you want something to eat? I do. I'm starving."

"Where have you been?"

He wanted nothing to do with my bullshit, but I was honestly famished. I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a tub of roasted chicken leftovers, placed it on the kitchen island, and opened the lid. The smell made my mouth water, and I shrugged as I picked up a small piece of white meat from the container. "I was outside, now I'm inside." I put the chicken in my mouth and chewed.

It was amazing. If only I had some cheese to dip it in..

"Are you drunk?" Hank walked closer, lowering his voice as the front door shut and dad groaned from the entrance.

"Tiny bit," I admitted, illustrating by holding up my thumb and index finger, letting them almost touch.

"I saw you dancing with James Davis at the ball, and when he turned up here, I wanted to know you hadn't been out with him." He sighed, just as dad's groan got higher. He was getting closer. "I'm disappointed, you should've—" he stopped to turn his head when dad entered the kitchen, and Hank groaned, "—you should've eaten before you emptied the whole wine cellar."

"Having fun tonight?" Dad smiled at me, and I nodded, another huge piece of chicken filling my mouth so I couldn't speak. I would've said something stupid. "Let her have some fun, Hank. It's not like she's glueing herself to my boss' son, like her sister."

Well, no. James was the boss' son's best friend.

"Again?" Hank seemed to drop his anger and disappointment towards me. My eyes darted between them as I kept stuffing my face with the delicious chicken. The skin was still crispy, even.

"Damian's tired of it. He sent James to say it's enough."

All three of us turned towards the hallway when the front door opened and shut, and the rustling of keys dropping onto the dresser let us all know who was back home. I picked up more chicken, feeling myself sober up more and more with every bite.

Dad and Hank shared a look, just before Nina waltzed into the kitchen, staggering a bit as she came to a stop to stare at us. "What's going on here?" she asked, giggling once the words were out of her mouth.

"I just had a visit from Damian Strac's partner," dad began, crossing his arms. "He told me you're hanging onto Damian. Again. And he said it's enough. If you don't back off he'll ban you from the club for a month, and I'm tempted to send you to Durfair to take your sister's place."

Nina scoffed and walked around the island, her arm bumping my shoulder as she picked up a piece of my chicken. I almost wanted to growl at her, but I figured that would cause a lot more fuss than I needed at the moment. So I let her eat. A little.

"I'm securing my future, dad," she said, "I thought you'd be proud that I could bag the heir."

"Why would I be proud when I want you away from danger?" Dad sounded angry, and I took a step to the side, dragging the container with me away from the explosive anger radiating from my family.

I met with Hank's stare, and he sent me a look that told me to listen, because this talk was about me too—dad just didn't know it yet.

"I would be better off with a man as high as possible in rank," Nina defended, slurring her words a little more than I did before I started stuffing my mouth.

Dad huffed. "Are you so drunk you don't remember what happened to Jean Strac, then? Or your own mother?" His hands connected to the stone countertop, and as I tried to take another step away with my tub of chicken, Hank's hand landed on my shoulder, stopping me. Dad continued, "Women in the Strac family rarely make it. They're seen as the men's weaknesses. Michael's enemies are my enemies, and the worst of them has already taken so much from us."