Drake Sisters 03 - Oceans of Fire

sense of intuition. So he would throw out little tests, at least that’s how I thought of them, and eventually he asked me to sit in on the interrogation of some of his prisoners. For the first time in my life, I felt like my talent made a difference, actually had a purpose. I knew I was helping him and doing something worthwhile.”
    There was eagerness in her voice her sisters couldn’t fail to notice, but Abigail couldn’t hide it. For the first time in her life she had felt part of something and worthy of being a Drake. “It wasn’t just the fact that I was working with him, and that he was proud of me, but it meant that I measured up to the rest of you and all the Drake sisters who had gone before us.”
    “Abigail,” Libby said, reaching out to wrap her fingers around her sister’s arm, “how could you think that way?”
    Immediately, at Libby’s touch, Abigail’s pain eased. She sent Libby a faint smile. “That’s why. You’re so extraordinary, all of you, the things you can do for people. All of these years being in Sea Haven, has anyone ever asked me for help? They avoid me. Most don’t engage me in conversation. I have a few friends outside this family, but not very many. The townspeople are so proud of the rest of you and you’re always being asked to help. I know it isn’t easy for you and I’m not trying to belittle the fact that it takes so much out of you, but to never be asked made me feel so far from the rest of you.” Abigail looked around at her sisters. “Do any of you understand?”
    Hannah nodded. “I’m always the bad girl. It’s probably from having to stay to myself so much. I spend a lot of time thinking about things I shouldn’t. I can’t help it and I wonder sometimes how everyone else can be so good.” She took a chocolate chip cookie out of Joley’s hand and took a bite. “Well, except for Joley, but she never gets lectures because everyone expects it out of her.”
    “Damn straight,” Joley said. “I earned my reputation and it keeps growing even when I don’t do anything.”
    “Stop trying to look pathetic, Joley,” Sarah admonished. “You can’t pull it off.”
    “Sheesh. I get no respect in this house. It isn’t easy to get the kind of publicity I do. My all-time fave was the time someone sent Mom and Dad the tabloid with the headlines ‘Caught in the Act’ and
    ‘Confessions of a Sex Addict.’ Mom called me and said she and Daddy were leaving the country. She neglected to tell me they’d been planning their trip for years, so I was mortified.”
    The sisters erupted into gales of laughter. “Well, you shouldn’t have confessed to your addiction,”
    Abigail pointed out.
    “I wish,” Joley said. “Who the hell am I supposed to have sex with? I’m on the road all the time and I flirt like crazy but I think they’re all afraid of my reputation.”
    “Ooo!” Hannah said. “What you need, Joley, is for us to do the red panty ceremony for you. Do you have a pair upstairs? Everyone we’ve done it for says it works.”
    “It worked for me,” Abigail reported. “Aleksandr loved the red panties and I was very, very lucky the night I wore them.”
    “No way!” Joley held up her fingers in a cross. “I’m not going to saddle myself with a man as arrogant and bossy as Aleksandr. I’m going for the type I can dominate totally. He’ll adore me and do every Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    single thing my little heart desires. If the red panty ceremony nets you a hot bossy man, I am so not there!” She looked curiously at Hannah. “What about you? Have you tried it?”
    Hannah shuddered openly. “Sleeping with someone generally requires a date of some kind and dating generally requires talking to someone and as I have never been able to actually talk with a man I like without looking like an idiot, I’ve passed on the sacred ceremony, thank you very much.”
    “You talk to Jonas,” Sarah pointed out.
    “Is he actually a man? I think he’s an android.” Hannah managed a sniff of disdain. “I doubt seriously if he counts and no one— no one —in their right mind would ever go out with him.”
    They all looked at Elle. She held up both hands. “As no form of birth control is going to work for me, I figure it’s in my best interest to stay as far away from that particular ceremony as possible.” She grinned at Abigail. “Although I did participate in Abbey’s ritual just before