Christmas Confessions by J.M. Guilfoyle

Author:J.M. Guilfoyle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jennifer Bauer
Published: 2022-10-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

The last few days have been nothing but bad ideas

Lucas

Chris crashed through the door, narrowly avoiding his sister as she stormed out, muttering, "I have an image for people..."

That image included her scratching her hairline with her middle finger, and Lucas' imagination supplied scenarios of what she might be planning next.

Security, managers, lawyers, and PR people who were congregated near the elevator cleared a path for the fuming heiress. Chris shot his mother a glare, but it withered almost instantly.

"Smooth," Alicia cooed at the younger Astor twin.

Based on the bags under Chris’ eyes, he looked to be running on about as much sleep as Lucas. And his sense of humor was stretched thin.

“Bella! Bella Annalise Astor!” Lina shouted too late.

Bella was in the elevator, doors closing and possibly flipping her mother off.

“Christian?” Lina fiercely growled.

Chris rolled his eyes. "I will send a security detail after Bella, Mother."

“Security?” Lucas said and let out a sigh.

What better way to piss Bella off even more than she already was? Send a personal detail to crowd her. Even when they were invisible, they weren't invisible to her. Lucas easily forgot that they were there until a flick of Bella's eyes indicated where one was. Since she wasn't in the public eye, most of her day-to-day required little security, but those days were probably ending after recent events.

He bit back what he wanted to say, opting for, “Chris? No, Bells will...”

Chris wasn’t listening. He wandered away from his office, already on the phone with Bella’s personal head of security, Kellan Travers.

“This is a bad idea,” Alicia sang.

Lucas wholeheartedly agreed.

When Chris returned, Lucas asked, “How is Kellan?”

Since Bella's triumphant return to New York, she'd gotten a new head of security. The man looked like he'd come straight out of the army. Actually, Kellan and Bella were about the same age. Kellan, though, was taller than Lucas and built more like an Armani-wrapped tank.

Chris beamed. “Kellan is heading to Bella’s gym.”

“Great! I’m not going anywhere near her!” Alicia announced.

No one, especially Lucas, blamed Alicia for that sentiment. Bella's preferred method of letting out her aggression was punching things. Usually people. But with purpose. She liked to box and took jiu-jitsu at one point. She was vicious on the mat. He'd often trailed her to the gym and sparred with her to let out the pent-up aggression after arguments with her mother. Usually, that led to days of Lucas poorly hiding the fact that he needed to ice his shoulders. Bella had a mean right hook and jab. And cross. And her submissions...

Lucas' mind stopped. Bella didn't have time for the gym lately.

Chris beamed.

Alicia shrugged, balled hands on her waist, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Bella hasn't been to the gym since she came home. Not her normal gym, at least." Chris whispered.

Okay, information such as that was a double-edged sword. Chris wasn’t pissing his sister off more by crowding her. Which was good. But he was keeping close tabs on what she was doing, which... was kind of awkward to be in the middle of.

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