Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath

Inside Hull's country house.

Susanna Tucker had been running a high fever, and it had left Hull absolutely

exhausted. It wasn't until around six in the evening that she finally drifted awake,

groggy and disoriented.

Hull was standing by the window, speaking on the phone, his voice low and tense.

Susanna couldn't make out what was being said on the other end.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist, then spoke coldly into the phone,

"Everything's set."

"Tell Mrs. Tucker I need to see her. No excuses."

With that, he ended the call without waiting for a reply.

He turned and caught Susanna's gaze-her eyes were glassy and dazed, like she

was still only half-awake.

"You're up?"

Susanna gave a weak nod, still feeling like she'd been run over by a truck.

Hull walked over to the bed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Fever's mostly

gone."

A woman with a fever, he thought, could really be a handful.

Susanna looked up at him, wide-eyed and anxious. "That call just now... When

you said Mrs. Tucker, did you mean my mom?"

Just mentioning her mother made worry flicker in Susanna's eyes.

Everything she thought she knew about her life had been turned upside down in

past few days. And there was no one who

that place? Some kind of

Hull nodded. "Yeah."

"What did

lips pressed in a

pounding, the silence making

stress out too much.

or death. They're not out

supposed to

sighed. "It's

"Complicated how?"

nodded, looking tired. "Some of Black Gate's old secrets are tough

But I

frowned. "What kind

"Your dad... He's the father of the

Black Gate."

Susanna blinked. "Wait-what?"

was the father of Black

way. Are

dad was dead. Now he'd just what, crawled out

the ground?

face was serious.

then, me and the boss of

"Half-siblings," Hull said quietly.

Susanna's mouth dropped open.

you're telling me I suddenly have not

life, and

popping out of the

a brother. You've

stared

a

"Then why did he take my mom? And at the airport,

to murder

wonder Hull had said

explained, "When your mom left years ago, she

"with her."

frowned. "Half

Hull nodded.