Page 72 of A Very Addicted Christmas

“So someone disabled the security system.” I help her along. “Who and how?”

“I don’t know how she did it.”

Rose whips her head to me. “Vada.” Out of all four girls, she’s the only one who could’ve learned how to disable this kind of tech.

I already take out my phone.

“No!” Audrey springs to her feet, so dizzy that she falls back into the chair. “I’m not a rat! I didn’t rat her out! Please don’t call her, Father!”

“You won’t be implicated,” I tell Audrey.

She pants heavily. “You promise?”

“Je te promet de tout mon cœur.”I promise with all my heart.

Audrey expels a breath and nods.

I send Garrison a quick text.

So you know, I have a suspicion your daughter disabled my security system.

He replies in one second.

GARRISON

Wtf. Will ask her about it

After Rose and I get more information from the security team tonight, we'll have a bigger discussion with our children about the dangers of disabling the security system.

“How did the party get crashed?” Rose asks both Ben and Audrey.

Ben tosses the dirtied rag in the sink. “I think people started hearing about it through one of Audrey’s friends that was invited. It just spread. People were texting me asking if it’s legit all day, but I didn’t reply to most of them.”

“Barely anyone was invited,” Audrey defends. “Gossip is to blame.”

Rose gives her a sharp look.

Audrey spins to me for reprieve.

I lift another brow. “Did gossip disable the cameras too?”

“I’m also to blame,” Audrey notes.

“And the flour?” Rose turns to Ben.

I say, “I’m assuming this is your mess.”

“Yeah.” He’s already squirting more Lysol on the counter. His eyes flit to his mom. “I have this handled if it’s bothering you.”

“It’s not, but thank you.” She examines him, her hot gaze cooling. “I’m more bothered at the idea that you had a fight with a family member and not a friend.”

Ben tenses, and he pushes up the sleeves of his sweatshirt. “It wasn’t Xander’s fault. It moved from the living room to the kitchen. I grabbed the flour. I started it.”

Rose goes rigid. “The living room? The glass table?—”

“I fell onto the table. I’m sorry.” That feels like a quarter of the story.

Audrey slips her brother a sympathetic look, but she’s also fighting to stay alert.

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