Pushing the Envelope: A Prequel from "The Barter System" World Read Online Free PDF

what you think.”
    Pulling back far enough to look at her, she asked, “No sex?  You’re friends with a guy and no sex?”
    “Oh no.  Duh.  There’s definitely sex.  Like, a lot of it.  It just isn’t emotional for either of us.”
    “You sure know how to keep your mouth shut.”
    “You blab enough for three people so…yeah.”
    At that moment, Maggie entered the room.  She’d changed clothes.  When she was settled on the barstool, she said quietly, “We have to get him into rehab.  If we don’t, he’s going to die and I don’t know how to stop that from happening.” 
    “What do I need to do?” Riya asked softly.
    “Prepare yourself for battle because that’s what it’s going to take to make him go.  I can’t run the business alone.  I need him to dry out, to function enough to help me.  I was already taking care of Edward’s responsibilities.  Taking on Archer’s is getting to be too much.” 
    “We’re home for six weeks before our last semester starts.  Let’s find a program.”
    Tawny shook her head.  “You’ve got enough on your plate, Riya.  No way are you getting sidelined by this shit.” 
    Focusing on Maggie, she said clearly, “Mom, you’ve done enough on all counts.  Hold down the fort at the company a little longer.  I’ll handle Archer.”
    She wiped her hands on the dish towel and her mom asked nervously, “Honey…what do you have in mind?”
    The two women she loved more than anything had eyes as big as saucers.  Apparently, she was a wild card .
    Giving them a huge grin and pushing Riya onto a stool beside Maggie, she replied, “I’ve got this.  No matter what you hear, don’t get up.” 
    With a wink, she walked down the hall to Archer’s bedroom and opened his door without knocking. 
    He was in the process of pouring himself a drink. 
    Slamming the heavy door with a bang startled him enough to spill the expensive whiskey and took him off guard.  It gave her the advantage in the war he didn’t know they were about to wage. 
    Stepping closer, she took the bottle from him and put it back on the tray that held several more bottles.  Balancing it in one hand, she walked to the French doors, opened them, and threw the entire fucking liquor collection on the patio that extended along the back of the house as hard as she could. 
    The sound of shattering glass was spectacular . 
    She turned around to face him.  He was staring at the liquor seeping into the Mexican tile.  A slow frown formed between his eyes and he lifted his gaze to hers. 
    She watched anger replace the disbelief, his face reddened, and as his lips parted to scream in fury, she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. 
    He held his hand to his cheek in shock.
    “That was from Dalia.  She told me to tell you to stop being a selfish dick and remember that you have people who love you, that are still fucking here , who would appreciate you not drinking yourself into oblivion immediately after they clean up your goddamn vomit.”
    The man was beyond stunned.  While he processed her words, she walked around him and proceeded to search his bedroom, bathroom, and closet for alcohol. 
    No one conducted a more thorough search than Tawny.  Nothing was off limits.  When she’d found several small bottles, she added them to the shattered pile on the patio, destroying them one by one. 
    Nudging him into a chair, she gentled her voice.  “I’m not going to guilt you about Dalia because we all loved her and we all lost her.”
    “ Dalia… ”
    “However, I will tell you that this can’t continue,” she interrupted.  “You’re driving my mother toward a fucking nervous breakdown.  Your daughter worries day and night about you and blames herself for the downward spiral of her family.”
    She put her hands on her hips.  “As for me, you’re the closest thing I’ve had to a dad since I was six years old and I’d consider it a personal favor if you’d seek help, get