Page 88 of Final Installment
“Good lord,” I said, taken aback.“She brought all of that to a hospital waiting room?”
“No.”He rubbed the back of his neck and studiously avoided my gaze.“I went to their house for a face-to-face with Luka’s people.She fed me after.”
“Uh-huh,” I remarked, realizing he was so far gone.“You realize she had a blood oath against me a few days ago.”
“And your side had one against hers.”
“Whose side are you on again?”
“I’m on yours.I’ve always been on yours.I’ll always be on yours.”He shifted to better see me.“But I wonder if your loyalties have shifted.You seemed awfully close to your sister’s fiancé.”
I scowled.“He’s not her fiancé.”
“He was a few days ago.Almost walked her down the aisle.”
“Until her secret boyfriend announced their pregnancy,” I reminded him.
Brett’s mouth settled into a grim line.“I’m not sure about that one.He seems a bit...dull.”
“Well, dull or not, he’s the father of her baby so he’s family now.”
Brett grunted.“Maybe.”
I rolled my eyes.“I’m not sure threats will work on that one.”
“Money might.”
“Maybe,” I repeated uncertainly.
Our car turned into the main entrance of the airport.Instead of driving to the terminal, the driver made a series of turns and passed through four gates with a flash of paperwork.We arrived at a private air hangar, and the car slowed to a stop.
“We’re stopping in Paris to refuel and then on to Dallas,” Brett said before stepping out of the car.“Sit tight.I’ll help you get out.”
Not wanting to feel the pull on my stitches, I waited dutifully.When he opened the door and extended his hands, I took hold and let him cautiously guide me into a standing position.He supported my shoulders as I took small steps toward the hangar.We entered the small makeshift waiting area and found most of my family sitting in the ochre leather chairs.
My mother didn’t bother getting up from her seat.Legs crossed, she sat stiffly, her navy wrap dress primly arranged about her knees.Every bit the ice queen, she looked ready to freeze every last one of us with a simple blink of her judgmental eyes.
“You’re walking.”She raked her gaze over me.“I guess they were overexaggerating that stab wound.”
Beside me, Brett exhaled in anger.Dafina winced, and Dusan seemed taken aback.Not in the mood for my mother’s cutting remarks, I patted the thick bottom half of my B-belly and airily replied, “I got saved by my FUPA.”
My mother sucked in a sharp and disgusted breath.Dafina tried to hold it together, but she lost it, laughing like a lunatic as our mother sputtered.“You’re so nasty, Elona.I can’t believe you came from my genes or your father’s.”
“Did I?”The question came out rudely, but I couldn’t help it.I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility that my brother and sister weren’t fully my brother and sister.“Did all of us come from our father?Or just some of us?”
“What are you insinuating?”she asked coldly.
“You know what I’m asking,” I insisted, no longer willing to back down.“Is it true?The rumors?That you had an affair?That some of us aren’t actually Dushkus at all?”I glanced at my sister.“Is that what you meant when you said our dad didn’t find out?”
Dafina swallowed nervously.“I wasn’t accusing.I just—I heard the rumors when I was visiting Luka.I overheard Drita telling someone that we looked like Mom’s boyfriend.When I said it at the house that day, I was just being a jerk.”
Our mother shot to her feet, clutching her phone.“I don’t have to sit here and take this.”
“You’re right, Ana,” Brett interjected calmly.“I can have the girls tested when they get home.We’ll see if they have the same father.It won’t be difficult for me to get a hold of some of your father-in-law's DNA either.”
“Good luck with that.”My mother laughed.“I had him cremated.”
“Why?”Dafina stood and crossed her arms.“Why would you do that?”
