Reckless Heat: A Hostile Operations Team Prequel by Lynn Raye Harris Read Free Book Online Page B

spree lately, spending his time at the clubs and ignoring Christina and me. If not for the housekeeper and cook, we’d have to take care of ourselves. Not that it’s a hard thing to do, but when you have a parent, isn’t he supposed to be involved in your life and care whether or not you eat McDonald’s for every meal or have something home cooked?
    Christina reads her books and shrugs. I worry about her being here for the next year without me, but Christina never makes the old man mad the way I do. He never slaps her, not ever.
    But what if that changes when I leave?
    My stomach aches as I think of it. All the things I haven’t considered while I’ve been determined to get the hell out of here. What will happen to Christina? What will happen to Evie?
    It’s too late to worry about it now. If I wash out of West Point, I have to come back here and endure my father’s weaknesses, his rages, his attempts to control me.
    And he will control me, because he has the money. Until I reach the age of twenty-five and gain control of my trust, I’ll be doing whatever the fuck my old man wants me to do.
    I’m determined that isn’t going to happen.
    Graduation day comes and I walk across the stage. If my father is there, I don’t know it. But Christina is there. Mrs. Doucet is there, too. She’s the Girard family lawyer and has been for ages. There’s also Mrs. Simpson, our housekeeper, and Bonnie, the cook. They clap and cheer for me, and I salute them with a tip of my fingers at my cap as I walk across the stage.
    After the ceremony, I spot Evie talking to Mrs. Simpson. She turns at my approach and then runs over and gives me a huge hug. Evie’s mama and little sister are there too. It touches me more than I can say.
    “Congratulations, Matt,” Evie says, her eyes sparkling. “You must be so excited.”
    She flips the ends of the honor cords that hang around my neck. I worked hard for those, and I think some people are surprised to see me with them. But they’re mine, earned legitimately. I’ve always known that the way I get to choose what I want out of life is to do well in school. Sure, the old man’s money would get me into college—but I want more than to be in his debt.
    That’s why it has to be one of the military academies. Financial need has nothing to do with getting a full ride. The only “person” I’ll owe anything to after West Point is Uncle Sam.
    “Thanks, cher ,” I say. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
    Evie turns to her mother and sister. “We wouldn’t have missed it, would we?”
    Ms. Breaux—she changed her name back to her maiden name after her last divorce, which is why her name is different from Evie’s—comes over and hugs me. Sarah clings to my leg and tugs on my gown. I ruffle her hair.
    “’Gratulations, Matt,” Sarah says. And then she smiles a gap-toothed smile before running off to do or see something.
    Ms. Breaux smiles and says “Sorry” before running after Sarah. Evie is still here, still smiling up at me.
    “Happy for you, Matt,” she says.
    I have the most insane urge to kiss her as she stands there, looking so sweet and hot and pretty.
    “Can’t believe it’s here,” I say, and that is true. You spend all your life wanting to graduate, and then you do. But there’s so much left to do and see that I can’t wrap my head around it. So much life left to live, if I’m lucky.
    Evie’s eyes sparkle. “Nowhere to go but up.”
    “Yeah.” I put my arm around her and pull her into my side. It feels right.
    Christina appears then, smiling and looking pretty in her blue dress and heels. She’s shy, my sister, but the sweetest person I know.
    “Matt,” she says, and I let go of Evie and hug Christina hard. Goddammit, my eyes are watering.
    “Chris,” I breathe. “Next year’s your turn, honey.”
    “Can’t wait,” she says, and I know it’s true. In her own way, she wants to leave every bit as much as I do.
    But Christina actually has Girard Oil