Page 71 of Just This Once

Luna smiled and tilted her head to show off her newest piercing. “Had to get the other side to match.” She batted her lashes.

“Stunning as always. Is Royal around?”

She tipped her head. “He’s in the back. Your other brother is already here.” She laughed and shook her head. “Jesus, I forgot how scary that one is.”

I smiled. “Abel? Come on. He’s a teddy bear.” Her barking laugh pulled out one of my own. I dragged my hand across my chin. “Yeah, maybe that’s a stretch. I’ll see you around, Luna.”

“Bye,” she singsonged and wiggled her fingers in a gentle wave.

My boots echoed on the linoleum as I made my way toward the back room, which served as Royal’s office.

The door was only partially closed, so I knocked twice before pushing it open and walking through. “It’s me.”

Royal’s voice greeted me. “It’s open.”

When I entered, he was behind his desk, stretched out in the leather office chair, his hands folded behind his head, and his long limbs stretched out, boots resting on the desk.

Abel lurked in the corner, his shoulders hunched and hands stuffed into his pockets. I laughed at Luna’s previous assessment of my oldest brother. A teddy bear he was not.

When I shut the door all the way behind me, Royal’s eyebrow went up in question. “You’ve got secrets, little brother.”

I crossed my arms. “Yeah, well, I’m not the only one. But I need to know that this conversation doesn’t leave this room.”

“Did you hurt someone?” Familiar pain seeped into Abel’s strained voice.

I clamped a hand on his shoulder. “No man, nothing like that. We’re all good.”

His hulking shoulders relaxed at my words.

Royal moved his boots off his desk and planted his feet on the ground. “Why do you wanna talk about Mom? Why now?”

I looked around Royal’s office. The likelihood anyone would be listening in was low, but I still felt uneasy. “A few weeks ago, Bug found a box in the basement. She was rattled. It had some things in there that were Mom’s.”

“I thought Dad burned everything,” Abel said.

“Yeah, well, he didn’t burn this.” I sighed and looked at my brothers.

“Why did Bug give it to you?” Royal questioned.

I shrugged. “I don’t know... because I was there. Maybe?”

“What was in it?” Abel asked.

Tension wound its claws around my shoulders and settled into my neck. “Some old paperwork, a couple of photographs, a jean jacket. Her driver’s license.”

Royal’s eyes whipped to mine. “Driver’s license?”

I paced a few steps in his small office.I knew I wasn’t completely off base for thinking it was fucking weird her license was in there.

“How does somebody leave and start a new life without their driver’s license?” Abel’s harsh voice was barely above a whisper.

His words validated the exact questions that had been running through my mind.

“Was it expired? Like an old one, from before she left, maybe?” Royal asked.

I thought for a moment. “I guess it’s possible. I didn’t look that closely at an expiration date or anything. Do either of you remember when she left? The exact month?”

“September 13.” Abel’s eyes didn’t leave the spot on the linoleum.

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