Page 40 of Forget Me Not

“You’re Rhea fucking Thorn.”

“Brooks,” I correct him.

“No. You’re a Thorn by blood. And from what I’ve come to know about the Thorns, they hold power too.”

“Power that does me no good.”

There’s a beat of silence as I toy with the idea of staying and standing up to Alaric. The note says I can keep what I stole, but he gets me in return. Obviously that isn’t going to happen. You don’t get to justkeeppeople. I’m not even sure why he’d want me anyway.

And another thought…I could be totally off base. This might not be Alaric at all. It could just be some prank. Hell, it could be the mayor’s wife for all I know. Or someone else who saw me steal that six bucks from her purse.

“Sleep on it, Rhea,” Dex says, breaking the silence. “Don’t make any rash decisions. I’ll call in the morning to see what you’ve decided.”

We end the call in an agreement, and I decide to get out of bed. I’ve still got plans with Tyler tonight, and I have every intention of standing by them. But before I go, Gladys wants to introduce me to the new guest at G&C.

Using the bathroom in the hall that is shared with other guests, I run a comb through my hair and brush my teeth, then change into a very casual black tee shirt dress and a pair of black flip-flops. Adding a zip-up hoodie for warmth, I call it good.

With winter coming soon, I’m going to need to set aside some extra cash for warmer clothes. Just another thing added to my endless list of expenses.

After one more glance in the mirror, and a fluff of my hair, I leave the bathroom in search of Gladys.

I find her a minute later at the eight-person oblong table in the dining room. There are three seated guests—two of which I’ve seen before.

“Rhea,” Gladys beams. “I’m so glad you could make it.” She pulls out a chair, gesturing for me to sit down.

“I can’t stay. As I mentioned, I have dinner plans tonight.”

“Oh, but just for a moment, please?”

I nod reluctantly. “Okay. Just for a minute.”

I take a seat, my eyes wandering from person to person. There’s a middle-aged man with dark hair and a matching mustache, dressed nicely in a pair of khakis and a blue button-up shirt.

Beside him is a woman I take to be his wife, and when I see them holding hands on top of the table, I’m certain of it. I’ve seen them around before, but never had a chance to officially meet them.

Finally, my gaze lands on the girl seated right beside me. She looks to be about my age, and she seems unsettled. She’s got shoulder-length red hair, cute freckles sprinkled on her face, and she’s fighting to make eye contact as she stares aimlessly at the empty plate in front of her.

When I get a better look at her, I notice her legs bouncing up and down in a nervous manner.

“Hi,” I say quietly to her. “I’m Rhea.”

Without looking at me, she grabs the fabric napkin and begins fidgeting with it. “It’s nice to meet you, Rhea. I’m Heather.”

“I’m so happy you could all be here,” Gladys says, clapping her hands together gleefully. “I know you’re all just here temporarily, but I want you to feel like this house is your home while you’re staying. Whether it’s a week, a weekend, or a couple of months like our dear Rhea.”

My mouth curves into a smile. Gladys is so kind and warm, like the grandparent I never knew I wanted. She’s got a way of making all my worries dissipate in her presence.

“With that said,” she continues. “We have a couple new guests staying with us.” She waves her hand in the air toward the girl beside me. “Heather and—” Her words trail off as she sputters and looks behind her. “Well, he was here a minute ago.”

All of the air escapes from my lungs in one hefty exhale when the new guest walks into the dining room. His eyes land on mine, and time stands still.“Sorry I’m late, I had to take a call.”

“Everyone, this is Alaric.”

An icy chill falls over the room as he steps in farther, his dark gaze never leaving mine. The large glass chandelier overhead flickers, almost as if it's my mother’s ghost warning me to run like hell.

My thoughts elude me as I slide my chair back, the legs scraping abrasively against the hardwood floor.

“Rhea dear. Is everything okay?” Gladys asks with a concerned expression on her face.

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