"When?" That was news to Callum.
"Back in London. She stopped by the office, tearful and pleading, trying to get me to talk to you." Oliver looked all too calm for a man whose world might fall apart in fourteen days. His lips even curled up like a cat who'd managed to steal all the cream. "I wish I'd taped the meeting. She even got down on her knees, begging me to think of my nephew. The position was perfect for oral. I think she was trying to get me to marry her to save her child. She's read far too many novels." Oliver turned to Claire. "You're right. I don't think we should be dealing with her. I suspect she'll be far off kilter if we make her deal with another female."
What the hell was Oliver doing? Thea hated all other females. She never listened to anyone, especially a rival female.
Claire's jaw tightened. "I know Tori should be stepping in to end this nonsense but … "
Callum looked over Claire's head to eye his brother. Rory did the same. Had Oliver persuaded their sister to step in and take over? Why?
Oliver took Claire's hand. "It's all right. We know Tori isn't as invested as we'd like."
"Well, I had a talk with her," Claire admitted. "I explained that if she couldn't find the strength to take care of the men in her life, then I would have to do it for her. She can sit and read that bloody journal of hers all day. It doesn't solve the problem. I always thought American women had more backbone than this."
"You should point that out to her," Oliver agreed.
Claire's chin came up stubbornly. "I shall. After this is over, I'll 'chat' with her. You've obviously allowed yourselves to be used for sexual purposes, and if no one else is going to explain to her how wrong that is, I suppose that task falls to me. I won't allow her to blatantly use my brothers and toss them away like so much rubbish."
Oh, dear lord. Did Oliver know what he was starting? Did he understand what could happen when two women decided they had the same place in a family?
Would Tori even care?
"You always watch out for us." Oliver squeezed her hand. "Let us know if you have trouble with Thea. I, for one, am so much happier now that you're in charge. You're right. We were making a terrible mistake."
Claire nodded, then turned to Callum, pointing at him with a very judgmental finger. "You stay away from that woman."
He watched with wide eyes as she walked out the door, her shoulders squared.
"What the hell just happened?" His sister had always been so quiet and retiring. "Did you pit our sister against Tori?"
Oliver sighed. "I simply talked to Claire about how vulnerable I've been feeling. You have to admit, Tori is using us shamelessly."
Callum rolled his eyes. "She's thinking. She's not using us for sex. She's scared."
Rory smiled. "I like the way Oliver thinks. And he's simply given her something else to ponder. Tori is a very responsible woman. She's also competitive. She's not going to like another woman taking her to task."
"She definitely won't like another woman assuming her role." Oliver took a sip. "But I also seem to have unleashed a tigress in our sister. I wasn't really expecting that. I might have miscalculated a bit there."
The door flew open, and Tori hovered impatiently in the doorway. "Where is she?"
Callum had to stop himself from taking a step back. Tori looked the tiniest bit wild. Her hair looked windswept, as though she'd gone for a walk in a storm. That was when he noticed she was carrying a riding crop in her hand. "Love, maybe you should sit and have a drink."
She didn't budge. "Naturally you're all hiding in here drinking. Well, you can stay right here, but I need to talk to your ex, Cal. Also, I need to talk to our lawyer. Is he here, too?"
Rory held a hand up. "I'm acting as our solicitor in this matter."
"Good, you should probably witness this. Is she in the dining room?" Tori glanced to her right, toward the room in question.
Oliver tipped his drink her way. "Yes, but Claire is taking care of everything."
Her eyes narrowed. "No, she isn't. I'll be having a talk with her, too." She pointed the riding crop. "You three stay out of my way."
Callum couldn't help it. This decisive side of Tori not only got him a little hot, it also brought out his Dom side. "Tori, I don't like the way you're talking to me, love."
She stalked right up to him and turned her chin up. "I don't like the way your slutty past has come back to haunt us all, but I still have to deal with it. And you can spank me later, Master, but you need to let me handle that bitch now. I need to do this. She's coming after my men, and I won't have it. I certainly won't hide behind you. If she wants you, she's going to come through me. And she won't like how I handle her."