Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

already losing her mind and knew she was already lost. Joley glanced around at the amazing mess she'd made of the hotel room, throwing a fit because Ilya Prakenskii wouldn't have sex with her. He'd made her feel cheap - no - she'd made herself feel that way, throwing herself at him because she needed sex - not just any sex - sex with him. And he was responsible for that, talking to her day and night in that incredibly seductive black velvet voice and zapping her palm so she itched and burned. Damn him.
    She lifted her chin and took another calming breath. 'I'm going to be fine.'
    'Joley, you're really upset. Don't pretend you aren't,' Hannah cautioned. 'That's when you always get into trouble.
    Think before you do anything.'

    'Why do people always say that to me?' Joley said. 'He said I don't think. He said I needed a man to tell me what to do because I couldn't take care of myself. As if. He's stuck in the Stone Age.'
    Hannah knew she'd struck a nerve and tried to recover. 'He is very dominating. I noticed that whenever he's around you and he doesn't like you to cross him.'
    'Well, he can go to hell. I don't know what game he's playing, but I'm not playing it with him. I'll be glad to get out of this city.' Joley flung herself on the bed, trying not to notice that her body ached and she! felt hollow and empty.
    'Europe was good?' Hannah asked.
    'Very good. We sold out every concert and we actually scheduled a few extra because the sales were so high and we hated turning away fans. I'm! exhausted, but it was great.'
    'You had fantastic write-ups in the newspapers, and even the tabloids treated you fairly well. There were only a couple of scandals.'
    Joley laughed, and for the first time it was genuine. T told the reporters to go easy on me because my parents believe all the lies they tell.'
    Hannah laughed with her. 'I read that quote and knew you'd really said it. Mom's going to have few things to say to you.'
    'That's not unusual,' Joley said. 'Go back to sleep, Hannah. And tell my brother-in-law I love him, even though he's semi-friends with Prakenskii when he should be arresting him.'
    'I've got news.'
    There was a small silence while Joley sat up, the note in Hannah's voice tipping her off. 'What?'
    'Abbey is getting married next month, as soon as you get home. They're having the ceremony on the Drake beach and the reception here at our house. They only want immediate family at the ceremony. You know how Abbey is. And I'm pregnant.'
    'Oh my God! Oh my God! For real? You're going to have a baby for real?' Joley stopped, the smile fading from her face. 'Wait a minute, Hannah. What does the doctor say? Are you sure you'll be all right? You're still not completely healed.'
    'Libby doesn't know if I'll be able to nurse. There's a lot of scar tissue, but we'll see. I'm so happy, Joley, and I can't wait for you to come home to share this with us.'
    'Libby's the best doctor in the world,' Joley said of her sister. Libby had special healing gifts, and thanks to her, Hannah's scars were barely visible. 'Jonas must be walking around with a big balloon head. What have you gone and done, Hannah? He's going to be impossible to live with.'
    'I heard that,' Jonas called.
    'Well, it's made him bossier,' Hannah said, laughing.
    Joley could hear the joy in her sister's voice, and deep inside, where no one could see, she wept for her own loneliness. She wanted someone to share life with, to laugh and cry and hold at night. Her life was spent moving from city to city in an endless tour of shows, living out of hotels and buses. She loved it, but she wanted someone with her.
    She was so happy for her beloved sister, Hannah, but Hannah's happiness only intensified her own lonely existence.
    'Wasn't Abbey going to call me?' Joley asked, somewhat hurt that her sister hadn't given her the news of her impending marriage.
    'Don't be silly,' Hannah said. 'You were in Europe and they just decided. They're waiting on the actual date to speak to you. You're going to stand up for her, remember? And Kate and Sarah and Libby will be married at Christmas.'
    'Finally. I thought they'd never actually do it, just talk about it.'
    'If you get married, Joley,' Hannah asked, 'how would you want your wedding?'
    'Since it's never going to happen, I don't think about it. I'm going to be the favorite aunt,' Joley pronounced. 'The fun one who always lets the kids get in trouble.'
    'You'll find someone, Joley,' Hannah reassured her. 'You just have to be more