Page 18 of Destroyed

I nod at him and shove my hands in my pockets, standing there awkwardly while he types away.

Ten minutes go by before I start to get worried. Where the fuck are Antonio and Jamison? Andre’s brows keep scrunching up while he’s typing. When I’ve finally had enough of the silence, I open my mouth to ask him what’s going on and the front doors to The Cellar open up. We both turn to see Antonio walk out, followed by Jamison. Antonio wears a matching scowl to Andre’s.

“Remind me to put a leash on your friends next time I decide to do you a favor, brother.” He says to Andre before turning and walking back inside.

I wonder what his problem is. Jamison looks perfectly fine. He looks almost a little content. He is usually the one with a stick up his ass but if I didn't know any better, I would think he almost looks happy. His normally pristine long-sleeved button-up is a bit wrinkled though and not completely tucked in. Maybe he got laid too? Wait a minute…

“Did you get a robe?” I ask him.

“Yes,” is all he replies.

I look at him with brows raised, “Where is it?”

“I threw it away after it was soiled.”

“There’s blood on your collar,” I state.

“Bloody nose,” he replies in his normal bland tone.

Before I can observe anything else our cab pulls up and we all jump in. “Bolt Corp,” Andre tells the driver before he speeds us away. Hopefully, Andre got more than just his dick wet while in that room with Sasha, I think to myself while staring out the cab window. Any information on Lockhart would be good at this point…

Chapter 12

Corrine

I sleep into the afternoon, surprised to wake to the darkening bedroom around me. I must have been exhausted. I gather myself and head downstairs. Riley is seated back at the kitchen counter, flipping through another photo album.

“You’re really curious about Mom and Dad, huh?” I ask her.

“I guess I just realized they’re getting older and we don’t spend much time with them,” she says, looking wistful.

“Are you pregnant? Is that what this is about?”

She smiles at me and shakes her head. “No! But I don’t think it would be weird if we were to have a baby… Sebastian would be an amazing dad.”

“You’re delusional,” I say, then smile. “Okay, maybe I guess he’d be okay at it.” My mom walks into the kitchen, obviously dressed for dinner. “Are you girls ready for dinner with Dad?”

“Yep!” Riley says, then points to a picture in the album she’s perusing. “Mom, who are these guys? Looks like they’re with Dad and Daniel in a few of these pictures. My mom peers over my shoulder and looks at the album.

“Oh, that was a friend of your dad’s for a while. He didn’t stay here long either, I think his parents were in the military or something. They moved a lot.”

“He looks familiar,” Riley says, curiosity pushing the question further.

“That was Eric,” she points to the guy in the picture smiling at the camera, his arm around another guy. “And that’s his brother, Ethan.”

“Honey?” She calls up the stairs to my dad. “Do you remember Eric and Ethan? What was their last name again?”

My dad comes downstairs, outfitted in a tie and khaki pants with his token button-down. “Trouble I would rather not remember,” he says, gritting his teeth. Then, remembering her original question, he sits down and says “Lockhart. That’s Eric and his brother Ethan. Lockhart.”

My eyes widen and I feel Riley stiffen beside me. The next page shows Eric with his arm around a man and a woman. I nod towards the picture, waiting for my dad to respond.

“Penny, Eric, David,” he points out. “Weirdest trio ever. I swear if Penny and David hadn’t run off and gotten married, I would have thought they were in a throuple.”

My mom chuckles out loud before covering her mouth. “Your dad isn't wrong. I swear everyone thought they were in a throuple. They were always together. One day, Penny and Dave decided to elope, and we never heard from them again. Not too long after, Eric went to the city to work for his Dad’s company. It’s been so long since we have heard from any of them. I wonder how they all are?”

Before I can ask any more questions, Riley stands abruptly and grabs her purse. “Let’s go,” she says. “I’m starving.”

I’m lost in thought for the next few minutes. What the fuck? My parents know, or knew, Ethan Lockhart? Did they know he had a hit out on my sister? That he had Nate kidnap her?

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