Free Boston Avant-Garde 5: Bellicoso by Kaitlin Maitland

bluffing her way out of whatever idiotic intervention her family had planned was her best bet. “I’ll just run along and let you guys finish up…whatever it was you were doing.”
    From the direction of the kitchen two men entered the foyer. The first was her brother, Erik. He looked tired, his clothing rumpled and his dark hair sticking up at odd angles. It was no wonder, considering his wife, Talia, was due to deliver their first kid in another three months.
    The second man was a slightly broader, badass version of her brother with tousled, dark hair and a wicked gleam in eyes that were more hazel instead of the usual Aasen green. He gave her a rakish grin. “Thank God you showed up, Selena. This group is the killer of all parties. Erik’s married with a bun in the oven, and no one will come near Desiree when we go out because her husband scares them off with one look. No offense, Aunt Annaline, but Selena was my last hope for a good time while I’m here in Boston.”
    “I think she’s been having a little too much fun recently, Lars.” Annaline shot Selena an icy gaze. “It’s high time she get back to important family matters instead of traipsing around Boston making a fool of herself.”
    Not even her mother’s insult could dampen Selena’s joy at seeing her cousin for the first time in more than two years. “Lars Aasen, did you come all the way to Boston for my intervention?”
    He opened his arms, and Selena dashed down the steps and flung herself against his chest. He squeezed her tight. “Coincidence, love. I flew in from London two days ago. I’ll be hanging about in order to step in while Mr. Mom takes his paternity leave after the baby is born.”
    “Maybe he can talk some sense into you,” Erik grumbled. “God knows you won’t listen to the rest of us.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.” Selena stepped away from Lars’s comforting presence. “You’re right. Since I had the audacity to leave my no-good, can’t-keep-his-dick-in-his-pants husband, I should be hiding in shame. Or better yet, begging him to take me back.”
    “Nobody’s saying that.” Desiree gave their mother a wary look. “At least I’m not saying that. But we’re a little worried that you’re running with some unsavory people.”
    “Unsavory people. Really? That the best you got, Desiree?” Selena wondered what her family would say if she described Malachi to them. If she told them she’d let him use a flogger against her pussy and bring her the best orgasm of her life. All within ten minutes of meeting him.
    What would they say if I admitted I wanted a repeat performance with Malachi after telling him to invite a friend for a threesome?
    “Jackson treated you horribly. Of that there is no doubt.” Her mother glanced down, examining her cuticles. “However, instead of using the very public incident to reinforce your place in society, you’re hiding out in clubs, keeping low company, and making the people who count wonder if Jackson wasn’t right to treat you as he did. I’ve told you a thousand times, wild displays are perfectly acceptable as long as you use them to sway public opinion in your favor. Especially now that Jackson has left town for a while.”
    The words stung. Just once Selena wanted her mother to acknowledge her as something more than a society princess. She wanted to be worth more than her stock as the pampered daughter of one of Boston’s richest families. Preoccupied with her feelings, Selena almost didn’t catch what her mother had let slip about Jackson.
    “Did you just say Jackson left town?” she asked, for clarification.
    Annaline sniffed. “His father has put him in charge of some business interests in South America. He left for Rio a few weeks ago.”
    About the time he was stupid enough to pull a gun on Malachi . It didn’t matter. Nothing did. “Well, with that lovely encouragement in mind, I think I’ll just crawl back into the hole I share with my low company.” Selena turned on