Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

After the doctor hooked Susanna up to an IV, she was still blushing from the earlier commotion, her cheeks flushed an even brighter shade of pink.

A few minutes ago, she'd been full of energy, eavesdropping in the hallway like it was her life's mission. Now, leaning back on the hospital bed, she felt deflated, like a balloon losing air.

Hull handed her a glass of water. "So, you really enjoy listening in on people, huh?"

Susanna was still a bit dazed from everything that had just happened. Oh, boy... Stella's temper was legendary-a real firecracker, that one.

And Dan? He actually faked his own death just to trick her? Was he out of his mind?

"About Dan-" Susanna started.

"Dan, your brother," Hull clarified.

"Please. I don't have a brother like that," Susanna blurted out without thinking.

Anyone who'd go so far as to fake their own death? That's about as low as it gets. If she admitted he was her brother, she'd probably get punched just for sharing the same last name.

As far as she was concerned, family ties like that were best left as distant as possible.

Besides, she'd heard that years ago, Yvonne nearly lost her mind over a man like that.

And it turned out the guy was lying to her the whole time? How could anyone stand for that?

If Stella found out, she'd probably lose it—and Susanna didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

Susanna almost reached for her phone to warn Stella, but glancing at the clock, she decided maybe it was best to wait until morning.

Hull's question snapped her out of her thoughts. Susanna thought about it for a second. "It's not like I eavesdrop on just anyone."

If it didn't involve her, she wasn't interested. No matter how juicy the drama, she'd never bother-except she'd overheard Stella mention Yvonne's name earlier, and, well, that was different.

She looked at Hull. "Um, you should probably head out. You don't have to stay." Hull raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I just... feel kind of bad about all this," she admitted, her cheeks burning again. She'd been a handful lately, and she knew it.

Desperate times, desperate measures. She couldn't believe she'd even made that deal with him.

Hull's lips curled into a smile at her suddenly formal tone. He reached out,

grabbed her free wrist, and gently pulled her closer.

Their faces were suddenly just inches apart.

Susanna's breath hitched. "W-What are you doing?"

Hull's eyes glittered. "You feel bad?"

"I... uh..."

He leaned in, voice low. "Funny, you didn't seem so shy when you were bargaining with me in bed earlier."

Susanna's face turned scarlet. "Can we not bring that up?"

Even when she told Stella about it, her friend couldn't believe she'd actually negotiated with Hull while lying in bed. It was mortifying.

"Back up a little, will you?" she mumbled.

Hull just grinned. "You know Leanne's in this hospital, right? Are you sure you want to be here alone?"

Susanna blinked. "She's here? So, the Nelsons are around too?"

Hull shook his head. "Not the Nelsons. The Murrays. They take their mother's last name."

"Oh. Right," Susanna said, remembering now.

The Murrays were... a handful, to say the least.

Hull continued, "Her mom's not here, but your father probably is."noveldrama

Susanna's expression turned stormy at the mention of her father. She tried to push Hull away, but his chest was like a brick wall-he didn't budge an inch.

"What's wrong?" Hull asked.

"I told you, that man's not my father," she snapped.

A man who shoved his own wife under the bus just to protect his mistress? He didn't deserve to be called a father-he barely deserved to be called a man. fo

Hull fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, “He probably knows you're here now."

With Leanne and Ivanna both showing up, things were clearly getting complicated.

Susanna's jaw tightened. If her so-called father really cared, the twins wouldn't have been the first ones to find her. That told her everything she needed to know

about his priorities.

A cold determination settled in her chest.

***

Meanwhile, Dan was being revived—again.

When he finally came to, the first thing he saw was his father, Derek, sitting by his

bedside, looking about as pleased as a thunderstorm.

Dan's breathing quickened. Derek fixed him with a piercing glare.

"So, the trouble at Black Gate lately—is that your doing?" Derek's voice was cold

and accusatory.

Lacey's return to Black Gate? Yeah, Derek clearly blamed Dan for that.

Dan gave a dry laugh. "Whatever happened, that's your old mess, not mine." "Dan!" Derek snapped, his eyes sharp as a hawk's.

Dan just smirked. "Everyone says I clawed my way to the top, that I chased down

the last leader myself. That's the reputation you stuck me with, Dad.”

He said it with a mocking lilt, as if the whole thing was some big joke.

Derek's face darkened even further.

Dan sipped from the glass of water on his nightstand. "All these years, you've just

been waiting for Finch Murray to grow up, haven't you?"

"My reputation's shot, so naturally, the Black Gate throne falls right into Finch's

lap."