Page 6 of Red River

"For fuck’s sake! What’s gotten into Igor?"

"Hormones? Early onset ofMusth?"

"On the same day his father died? Usually,Musthneeds at least a week."

"So maybe Thomas’s orders? Anyway, when we finally got to talk to River, he admitted it all started after I suggested he contact his parents. Apparently, enraged, Igor grabbed the phone right out of his hand."

"Damn, what’s going on with their family?"

Sam snorted. "Thomas’s company is on the brink of bankruptcy. The lawyer’s been trying to contact River, but Igor’s been blocking everything. Only today, thanks to us stepping in, did River finally talk to him and to the accountant—and it’s bad. The whole company’s going under. The debts are massive. I begged River again to call his parents. They’re not bad people, Archie. No matter how Thomas painted them, they’d help. He has five kids, and everything’s falling on him—"

"I get it, I get it. What happened next?"

"It gets crazier. During our conversation, Igor was banging on the door, yelling that contacting River’s parents would disrespect Thomas’s wishes!"

"The fuck? That’s insane. What about the rest of his kids?"

"The other boys are under Igor’s influence. He’s been brainwashing them for a few days. When we came, they were all emotional, hiding in their rooms. Lake was crying the whole time!"

"That’s just wild…"

"Also, the lawyer said the company's debts are tied to their house mortgage. Thomas put it up as collateral. They're going to lose it."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "Wow. That’s… heavy. Poor River. How’s he holding up?" I asked, trying not to let my voice betray what I was really feeling.

"Not great. Family Services already has Thomas’s death certificate, and it’s just a matter of weeks before the safety enforcers step in. Either River finds a guardian for Igor, or he’ll be sent to one of those alpha boot camps. Igor has no clue how things work. He’s insisting he will file for early legal adulthood, but he’s fifteen, so it’s not happening. He’s completely lost, but he’s pretending he’s got it all under control."

"What’s River’s plan?"

"River’s stuck. He quickly found a low-level job in online customer service to cover basic expenses so they could at least buy groceries. However, Igor kept reminding all the other brothers that contacting their grandparents was directly against Thomas's wishes, so they begged River not to do it. Plus, River himself has a weird attitude about it. He thinks that reaching out for help, after all these years—is just wrong. So basically, everyone’s against it."

As Sam spoke, I felt a strange surge of determination rise up inside me, like a wave building and coursing through my body—a rushing, fierce current.

"How much time do they have?"

"Not much. The funeral’s this week, and after that, everything is probably going to auction. In two or three weeks, they’ll have to move out. But where? It’s a family of five!"

"I’ll take them in."

Boom.

Yep, it came out of my mouth without my full consent. But I felt it in every fiber of my being. I wanted River to come to me.

Sam let out a huff.

"What did you just say?"

"Sam, I live in this massive house all alone. It has ten bedrooms, a pool, and no neighbors for half a mile. River and the kids would have space. Plus, I could use the company. My one companion is Oliver, and he’s only around when he’s cooking or cleaning. Oh, and five chickens."

Sam chuckled. "Do you even know what you’re saying? Being Igor’s guardian would be your role now. But you graduated from college two weeks ago, and you’re still four months shy of twenty-three!"

I realized I had to downplay it because I knew he’d been suspicious before. He would never understand or support why I wanted to do this if he knew my secret—he might even try to stop me.

Sam was firmly against age-gap relationships, and seeing Thomas and River’s marriage had only strengthened his conviction.

"Hold your horses, Sam. It’s just temporary until River gets back on his feet. Maybe he’ll come to his senses and realize he should contact his family. I’m just offering him a safe haven for now. Plus, remember, I live only twenty miles from his parents. If he changes his mind, they’re close by."

Sam went silent; that last argument must have hit home. And my calm, perfected tone always worked.

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