Read Testing The Limits for Free Online Page B

shoulder. "You mother worked hard to allow you and your sister to have choices."
    "She made the wrong choice!"
    "But she had a choice."
    "Yeah, but…"
    "I do understand your fury at her actions, though. She stole from you, and that is inexcusable."
    "So you understand why I don't want anything more to do with her?"
    "I do. But that doesn't mean you have to cut your mother off, too."
    "I don't want to. But it's hard. She won't see my side of things. It's because Angie is there and I am here. I need to talk to her, face to face. But even then I think she won't listen."
    "Give it time."
    "I don't have time. I feel torn. I don't want to go back and sort it out, but that's what they're asking. Jeez. Work comes first, not this family crap that they ought to be able to sort out themselves. Although, mom says that she's met someone who might be able to help."
    "A charity?"
    "No," Jas said darkly. "Met someone. You know. Met a man . My mom's been single for, like, ever, so… I guess she deserves it."
    "That's nice," I said, smiling inwardly at the note of suspicion and jealousy that had crept into Jas's voice. "Who is he?"
    "Some rich dude from upstate New York. Jack something or other. I dunno."
    "Good. So you don't need to worry about her." I pulled her tight and nuzzled into her hair. A small voice in my head suggested that she could - maybe should - fly back for a short visit, and put her mind at rest. But as soon as I imagined her leaving, I shivered. No. She was mine now, and I wasn't about to let her go. Not even for that. Her family could look after itself.
    Amjad spoke up from the front, his voice still clipped and terse. I decided he'd been having issues at home because his mind was certainly not on his job lately. "Sir, we are here."
    "Thank you. Call it a night, hey?"
    "Sir."
     
    * * * *
     
    I waited until we'd started on the main course. We'd had our usual tussle about who ordered the wine (me, and it would always be me) and then settled to enjoy the food.
    "I have some news," I told her. "Something of a curate's egg."
    She glanced at my plate and then hers. "Eggs? Wait, what?"
    "Good in parts."
    She cocked her head. "I have literally no idea what you're talking about."
    "The curate's egg? Punch? Du Maurier? Well. Okay. I simply mean I have some bad news, but some good news as well."
    She glared at me for a moment longer, and then resumed eating. "Right. Go on, then. Bad first?"
    "I lost my job."
    Her fork clattered to the plate. She insisted on eating American-style, cutting up her food and swapping her cutlery all over the place. She picked the fork up again, and waved it in the air. "When? When did you lose your job? And how? What did you do?"
    "I didn't do anything. Somehow my father got to me. Through Craig, my assistant, is my guess. I'd chosen that company because it was relatively new and didn't have quite the same ties as many of the older businesses. My father's influence is broad. Broad enough to reach me there, it seems."
    She frowned. "What does he want?"
    "You know what he wants. He knows he can't control me so now it's personal. He wants to destroy me. But there is good news; I have a new job. It's a short term contract, but it's in finance, working for a Chinese investment bank."
    "Right."
    She still looked worried. I reached over and placed my hand over hers, stopping her waving that fork around. "It will be all right. He really isn't a powerful as he likes to think he is."
    "But you just said-"
    "I know. I mean, he can't chase me forever."
    She pulled her hand free, and shot me a dark look, as if she didn't believe me, and a cold feeling tickled the back of my neck. I needed her to trust me, or none of this would work.
     
    * * * *
     
    After the main course, I persuaded her to have a pudding. She scowled but I insisted she was not to become one of those silly women who pretended to diet when they were out with a man, only to gorge themselves in private. She took predictable umbrage at my suggestion,