Page 104 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
“Her mother loved Italy,” I said then blinked. I bit my lip, hoping none of them noticed the slip.
“Let’s go collect the twins and Phoenix from the main house,” Barrett said.
I walked with him, pressed against his side. The sun ducked behind a cloud, and a breeze sweetened by some kind of floral note tempered the humidity. “You guys don’t love the beach, but it was great today.”
“We loved being there today.” He kissed my temple. “Also, we’re alone, so if you want to kiss or hug any or all of us anywhere you want, you should. We’re certainly going to touch you whenever we can. There’s such a relief to be able to say that out loud. I’ve told my mom you know, so they can give up pretending around you and just be themselves.”
I hoped they could, but my brain remembered the wordscharity case.
We nearly collided with Rosalind as we turned a corner inside the house and found her holding a vase. She grinned and set it down carefully. The house returned to normal, appearing as it had before the event. Since I didn’t believe in magic, it must have happened when I’d been asleep.
“Oh, Alatheia!” Barrett’s mother hugged me. “Your aunt and that horrible man will never be allowed at the cottage again. They’re banned. I knew what kind of person he was the second he came through the door. I can always tell. There are alwaysthosekinds of people. I’m sure he’ll be handled.”
Everyone kept saying that to me. I honestly couldn’t think of a single way their family could change my future.
“I’m worried you all might believe what they said.” I might as well be truthful.
She shook her head, her brows crumpling. “No, and I can say that with utter certainty. I had men target me like that when I was young.”
“You did?” Barrett’s mouth fell open in shock.
A strand of Rosalind’s blonde hair fell down her cheek, and she squeezed her oldest son’s arm. “Someday, I’ll share. Not yet. It’s hard for me. Anyway, of course I have my own stories. Take care of her, Barrett. She’s a sweet girl.”
Rosalind picked up her vase and strode away on bare feet. I shook my head, since their mother made no sense to me.Does she like me now? What changed?
I walked into the main room, breathing a little easier.She likes me, I thought, awed by the possibility. It was kind of … amazing. Julian and Phoenix lounged on one of the couches, while Jeremy stared out the front window. “Someone is coming,” he said. “Two cars. Black.”
Barrett scrunched up his face. “It’s usually quiet after the party. Who could be dropping by?”
Stephen entered the room quickly. “Someone coming?”
Since I knew, I could say that I had been right and yes I could see Julian in his features. Jeremy was more his mom, but he was there too. Around the shape of the eyes. They might have gotten different amounts of each parent, but I could clearly see them both.
He headed to the window, not looking too alarmed. “Someone get the date of the party wrong?” Once he pulled aside the curtain, though, his entire demeanor changed. “Barrett, get Kit. Now. It’s the police. They are in unlabeled cars but I recognize the men.”
The police?I didn’t know why, but my blood ran instantly cold. Barrett didn’t argue, just turned and hustled upstairs. The twins’ father looked at me. “It goes without saying that you know nothing out of the ordinary about our family?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t blame him for asking me. If I were him, I would be the same way. He wanted to protect what was his, and I could respect that.
Julian rose and slipped an arm around me. “She’s with us.”
The doorbell rang just as Kit came down the stairs, Daniel and Eric right behind him. Kit answered the door to four men in suits.
The tallest of the two nodded in greeting. “Can we come inside?”
“Depends. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Kit asked him. “Is this a social call, Lou, or is something else going on?”
Kit seemed calm, but I could feel tension snapping off him like static electricity. The entire room seemed charged, as if any misstep could ignite it.
“I’m afraid it’s not a social call.” He shook his head. “We’re here because we need to take your kids down to the station, just to ask them a few questions.”
A muscle ticked in Kit’s jaw and behind me I heard a gasp. Rosalind arrived at some point, and Stephen shifted to go to her side, not touching her, but close. “Keep it together,” he said in a low tone.
Kit tilted his head. “For what?”
“This is a courtesy, because you have always been so generous with us, but we’re here for three different reasons. Cal Jones, your neighbor’s son from next door?” I blinked as he spoke, remembering the kid from New Jersey. “He overdosed last night. He’ll survive, but it was touch and go. He says Julian assaulted him, and Phoenix sold him the drugs. Aside from that, there’s a complaint against Barrett for assault as well. We need to speak to Jeremy, because he’s accused of being part of it, although we have conflicting sources. So technically we need all four of them.”
My heart started to beat so fast, I could hear it in my ears.This can’t be happening.
