Page 195 of Heresy

“Um … well…”

“Just spit it out,” Ames says, a bag of potato chips in hand. “This shit is better than all those daytime soap operas my mom used to watch. Seriously, these have been the best few days of my life.”

That’s insanely sad, and I make a mental note to ask Brinley more about Ames.

Given how she and Damon have been attached at the hip, I think one of us should be able to gauge whether she’ll be a good influence on him or not.

Brinley sighs. “I know where the servers are.”

Tanner stills in place, he and Gabe both staring at Brinley like they can’t decide whether to calmly stand there and listen or fight to take her from me to lock her away.

I shoot a look back at them, warning both they can try, but the chance of stealing her is not looking good.

Speaking to Brinley like she’s a scared child who might run away, Gabe asks, “And where might that be, love?”

She shakes her head.

“I’m not giving out that information. Not until we have agreements in place, and I feel comfortable that everybody I care about will be safe in this.”

The potato chip bag crinkles and I look over to see Damon and Sawyer joining Ames in the munch-fest.

Leaning back against a wall, Tanner slips his hands in his pockets and keeps his eyes trained on Brinley.

“What people are you protecting? I’m sure we can make some kind of arrangement—”

“My father,” she answers, cutting him off. “I know he’s involved in all this, but he’s not acting right. He said and did things the man I knew when I was younger would never allow. He was always an honorable man until John got him wrapped up in this shit.”

“You mean until he purposely sank the business while my mother was dying,” Luca counters. “I don’t mean to sound like an asshole about this, but your father wasn’t exactly the perfect man. He’s probably the reason my father is dead. Why should we go out of our way to protect Jerry?”

The two women glare at each other, and I scrub a hand down my face.

Ah, shit.

This is about to get ugly.

Brinley

How does one dance around several opposing forces?

Not just two, a positive and negative, or male versus female or even night versus day. That’s too simple an equation, too manageable a problem.

I’m talking several.

All different families.

All with their own agendas.

Some pretending to work together while I assume none of them have any loyalties but to themselves.

As much of the story as I know now, I’ve counted thirteen families total. But then I’m not aware of everything that’s going on.

Still, thirteen families.

All at war.

So twisted up and minced together that even those who should be allies can’t get along.

Luca is staring at me like I’m to blame that she lost her parents. Like it was my father’s fault that John died.

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