Page 104 of Our Lips Are Sealed
“You sound like my dad, but I’ll tell you like I told him. No one thinks we’re a family of freaks.”
“Oh really? I read an article last night that insinuated Ben once ran a sex club out of Haven House and that I was being groomed to join.”
Samuel choked on his laughter. “A sex club?”
“Yes!”
“Where the hell was I when all that was going on?”
“Don’t make jokes.”
“It’s not a joke,” he said, bringing their bodies flushed together. “But seriously, is there a membership fee? Are there any forms I should fill out?”
She scowled at him. “I said, don’t make jokes.”
“Look, I’m simply trying to protect you. The very last thing I want to see is you hurt by the things they’re saying.” He kissed her thoroughly, wiping the frown from her lips. “But can we circle back to the sex club? Are the fees deducted monthly, or is it like a yearly thing?”
“It’s monthly, and if you’re interested, I can set you up with a free in-home trial.”
“Oh, I’m very interested.”
They were late for work.
Again.
Morning delays to the office were becoming part of their regular routine, and neither of them minded.
That evening, while Samuel was at a dinner meeting, she and Fitz snuggled under the covers to read, but ended up scrolling on her phone, becoming sucked into yet another article that made her sick. Clicking on a headline, she gasped when her mother’s beautiful face filled the phone’s screen.
The Curse of Haven House: Sex, Money & Murder.
She read through the report, holding her breath. The author detailed things from the past that no one outside the family could have known. Some lies. Some truths. And all contorted to fit a warped narrative in defense of Toby.
It covered Laura Jean’s relationship with Ben, depicting her mother as a homewrecker, responsible for the breakup of his marriage to Miranda. It also lay the blame for Charlie’s downfall and the death of Olivia at her mother’s feet.
The article went after Simone, stating she was nothing more than part of the Fairweather staff and Ben’s constant mistress through the years. There were bits and pieces of how their affair began in their early twenties. Information Evie didn’t even know.
When it came to Ben, the writer claimed he was abusive and neglectful. An absolute control freak that corrupted a young Toby, molding him into the monster the police claimed him to be.
The article covered the rest of the family, too.
Selah, the bastard. Abe, the invalid. Annabeth, the shut-in. Jamison, the heiress whore. Her sister’s section featured a photo of her kissing Cohen, suggesting that she was sleeping with members of law enforcement to keep the family’s secrets quiet.
Scrolling further, Evie saw that she and Samuel had their own sub-article.
All In The Family.
The sources cited claimed Evie, like her mother and Simone, was nothing more than a mistress who maintained her lifestyle by sleeping her way through the men of the Fairweather family. The author gave a detailed account of her dating history with Toby, hinting at a serious relationship, and then suggested her new position at Fairweather Holdings was because of her recent involvement with Samuel.
At a loss, Evie dropped the phone on the bed and curled into a ball. Every part of her felt raw and exposed, and when Samuel came home, she showed him the story.
“I’ll handle it.”
The following morning, she woke up alone in their bed and went downstairs to find him making breakfast still in his sweatpants.
“Why aren’t you dressed for work?”
“Because we’re not going to work. Once you have some coffee and eat, we’re going on a road trip.”
