House of Cards Read Free Page A

gave Rae the once over one more time. She shook her head. “I can’t believe it!”
    “I told you.” Carter pointed to Rae’s hair. “She cut and dyed her hair a week ago and must have changed her mind. When I saw her today with the shoulder length, I thought it was her for a moment.”
    Hello. I’m still in the room. Who were they comparing her to?
    Jennifer cocked her head to the side. “How do you know she won’t end up like the bastard?”
    Rae stiffened with indignation. She didn’t know who this woman was, but she’d had enough of people pre-judging her based solely on her parentage for one day. “I am not my father.” She gave the woman the same once over Jennifer had given her. “And who are you?”
    Jennifer actually smiled. “You sound like her, but with a lousy accent.”
    “I don’t have an accent.” Rae knew she sounded childish and petulant, but didn’t care.
    Carter finally moved and sat down at the table, motioning at the chairs for them to sit down.
    Rae sat back down in her seat.
    Jennifer came around and leaned against the wall. “I prefer to stand.”
    “Fine,” Carter said. “Rae, Jennifer has offered to be your Botcher.”
    Seriously? I didn’t catch the “voluntary” vibe from this Laura Croft wannabe.
    Carter smiled. “This is a huge compliment, Rae. Jennifer’s pulled herself out of the field and wants to train you.”
    “You’ll be working with the best.” Jennifer looked like she couldn’t care less. She stood head bent, checking her phone.
    Where did she pull that out of? The tight leather couldn’t hide a thing. Rae couldn’t even detect panty lines, so the question remained. “To make me better than the best?” Again, the childish dig came out of her mouth before her brain could process it and warn her to shut it down.
    Jennifer’s eyebrow rose. “I offered because you’re Bethney’s.”
    Mom? “How do you know my mother?”
    “We were best friends, and partners here at the Privy Council.”

Chapter 2
    Tete en Tete
     
    What? Jennifer seemed nothing like the type of person her mom would have hung out with. Sh— Wait a min… Mom worked with the Privy Council? Rae couldn’t imagine her mother knowing about the Privy Council, or wearing the leather outfit, but these days, nothing should really surprise her anymore.
    She pictured her mother and pretended she was in the room so she could talk to her. Mom, why didn’t you tell me you worked for the Privy Council? What would her mom say? Sorry dear, it never came up. Rae rolled her eyes. Wake up, Rae, she told herself. You didn’t know your mother. You were so young when she died, how can you have any concept of her as a person? You never really knew her. “How could…? But my father… wanted to destroy…” She looked at Carter, hoping the confusion she felt showed clearly on her face.
    “There’s a lot you don’t know, Rae.” Carter’s voice carried sympathy but also something else. Mystery? Could he be hiding something? Did it matter? It only served to make her temper flare. This was exactly the reason she had to hold back. How could she truly trust anyone until or unless they told her everything? Every time she turned around someone was confessing that she had not been told about something, that they had withheld info for one reason or another. It didn’t matter why anymore. She didn’t feel protected. She just felt betrayed. If anyone in the entire world deserved…no needed…needed to know the entire story of her parent’s lives from start to finish, including every tiny little incident or coincidence, it was her. After all, she was judged by it. It was only fair she at least know about it.
    “I’m getting a little tired of living in this constant shroud of mystery.” She inhaled and forced the air through her nostrils. The Privy Council wanted her here – correct that – they needed her . “Start filling me in.”
    Jennifer whistled. “You are your mother’s daughter.” She sat