Who Wants a SANCTUARY Sneak Peek?

SANCTUARY excerpt – unedited   ©Suzanne Halliday

 

The happy interlude stuttered to a surprised halt when all of a sudden the big wooden front door flung open. They all turned expectantly for whatever happened next and then…

A furious looking Angelina, his little sister and present day piece-of-work, came stomping into the midst. Instead of stopping to make nice she stormed quite angrily right past them, only acknowledging Alex’s hastily muttered, “Oh hey, Ang,” at the last second.

Before storming up the grand staircase she turned and spat, “Parker Sullivan is an ass hat!”

Even Daniel gaped at her as she pounded her way to the family quarters on the second floor.

Well, shit. That didn’t look good.

They stood there in silence, staring at air for a few moments until the furious slamming of a door signaled that Angie had chosen her battleground.

Eep. Fanfuckingtastic.

Drae raised an eyebrow and asked in that cool, assessing way he had. “Wonder what the fuck that was all about.”

Tori made an exaggerated sniff and drawled, “Wait for it…”

Sure as shit, maybe a minute later the front door swung open again only with a tremendous thud as it hit the wall with force.

Jesus, it was just a door, Alex thought. No need to kick the shit out of it.

And then Parker was there, also stomping furiously, and looking like the wrath of the gods had taken him over.

Right behind him a stunned looking Cameron stood stock still with a What the fuck? expression as though he’d been about to open the door but had been pushed aside.

Drae chortled as Parker sped by, and murmured, “Sully’s in over his head with that one.”

Never try to get one past a legal machine like Parker Sullivan, Esquire. Not only did he hear what Drae said he added a few choice words of his own to the comment.

“Yeah, Damn straight I’m over my head St. John you douche! And you would be too if your woman was a brat.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Alex cut in. “That’s still my sister, man.”

“Yeah,” Parker growled as he started taking the stairs two at a time. “Well your sister needs a good spanking.”

He said more but all anyone heard was muttering as he dashed down the same long hallway where Angie had gone.

Cam had shut the door and sauntered into the group. “Just another day at the Villa, hmmm?”

They all laughed. What he said was so true.

Bang, bang, bang! “Open this damn door Angelina or I’ll kick it in,” Parker shouted.

Looking at one another with barely concealed amusement, they waited and listened.

Angie must have responded in that especially snarky way she saved just for her fiancé, cause next thing anybody knew he was yelling furiously.

“Well fuck that!” he boomed. “There will be no doors between us, Angel!” and then all hell broke loose.

Alex shuddered at the suggestion of splintered wood that sounded as his oldest friend got through the locked door, probably by kicking it in.

Angie’s pithy scream of “Screw you, old man!” made Tori cover her mouth as laughter took over.

Aw, god, sis. Alex thought. Really? Fuck. Taunting Parker with the old man comment was not going to end well. For her. Or maybe it would. Who was he to judge, she was his sister after all and he really didn’t want to know.

The unmistakable sounds of a couple scuffling could be heard. Angie kept up a non-stop tirade of cursing that he had to admit was pretty impressive.

And then a moment of silence followed by several sharp yowls and then more silence.

“Let the spanking commence,” Meghan muttered. “What do you say we take this into the kitchen? I for one don’t need to hear whatever happens next.”

Alex shuddered. Neither did he.

Cam chuckled. “Perfect timing on my part, huh? And I just stopped by to see who wants to watch a movie tonight. At the cabin. Lacey’s made enough chocolate chip cookies for an entire squad and we need you guys to come eat them.”

“Ah shit,” Drae answered. “No can do, man. Got the mother-in-law and her boyfriend coming to dinner.”

Tori fixed Alex with a piercing look. “Your uncle planning on putting a ring on it anytime this century?”

He just smiled. Calder had a plan and though he wasn’t privy to the details, Alex had absolutely no doubt it would be knock-the-socks-off worthy of Tori’s fabulous mom.

“Unlike some people,” Alex drawled sardonically with a nod of his head to whatever was going on upstairs, “Stephanie and Calder don’t want to hog the spotlight right now. This is about me and Meghan so grade the guy on a curve and just wait.”

Before they had a chance to make their way into the kitchen, Parker came stomping along the hallway and proceeded to make his way down the broad staircase. When his feet landed on the tile floor and Alex saw the smug, satisfied half grin on the man’s face he laughed out loud cause there, flung over the guy’s shoulder was his sister’s wiggling body.

He reached up and smacked her butt hard. “Be still.”

With a nod at each of them as though nothing weird was happening, he walked for the door with Angie dangling down his back with her hands on his waist.

“See ya’” she giggled as the two left through the big front door.

They all cracked up laughing. Just another day for Family Justice.