Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Riv,” he begins, “something’s been eating at you all day.”
“This whole thing is. There are things I haven’t told you yet. I’ve talked to Evangeline about Misty, and—”
He raises a hand to stop me. “I need to hear all that. I want to hear all that, but first, this can’t wait any longer.” He takes a long drink of his bourbon.
I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows. Then he clears his throat.
“Have you heard from your mother today?”
My neck goes cold. “No. Why?”
“Shelley called earlier. Before you get your balls in a bunch, everyone’s okay. Your mom and dad are fine.”
The muscles in my arm tense, and I white-knuckle the glass of bourbon. “What the hell are you saying?”
Sebastian takes in a deep breath. “There was a break-in at your parents’ place. Your mom and the home health worker were out, but your dad was home.”
I rise, taking a long drink of the whiskey. It scorches my throat. I take another.
“Sit, Riv. Everyone’s okay.”
“I’m out of here.” I shoot the rest of the bourbon. “I knew I should have left this morning with Sienna. I let Brett and Evangeline talk me into staying.”
“Yeah, there’s got to be a story there,” he says.
“It’s not important. I should have gotten the hell out of here.”
“We’ve had this discussion. All four of us need to be here, River. You know that as well as I do. Now, would you sit your ass down and let me finish? Please?”
I shake my head. What the hell? I plunk my ass back down. “Give it all to me. Every bit, Seb.”
“Your mom and Jaelynn were out picking up some medical supplies for your dad, and—”
“Why did they both go?” I demand. “That’s the whole reason we have Jaelynn—to take care of Dad when Mom can’t be there.”
“We haven’t figured out why that is yet,” he says. “Alex and I—”
“Alex fucking knew? And you haven’t told me?”
“I wanted to, but you weren’t around, and then Evie started this whole cooking thing. I thought it was best to let the event go off without a hitch. We’ve had enough upheaval the past two days.”
While I appreciate his logic, I’m still pissed as hell. “Why didn’t my mother call me?”
“I wish I knew. Shelley said I needed to tell you, and that’s what I’m doing.”
I rake my fingers through my hair and then rub the top of my scalp. “I don’t understand. Why would anyone break in? My dad can’t defend himself.” I massage the throbbing in my temple. “Why did both of them leave?”
“Those are all questions we need to get answers to,” Seb says. “As far as your mom could tell, nothing was taken, so no one knows why the intruders were there. Except…”
“Except what, for God’s sake?”
“Your old room was trashed, Riv.”
I cock my head. “What? Why?”
“I don’t know, but Shelley and the cops say that whoever did this was definitely looking for something.”
“But why my old room? Why not try to get into my home, if they’re looking for—”
I stop abruptly as an image spears into my mind.
An image of a day twenty years ago.
An image of an item…
Fuck.
“What is it, Riv?”
“I’m not sure. Damn.” I rise again, pace around the living area, stop to look out the window at the glorious scenery.
I’m in fucking paradise.
But I may as well be in prison.
In a way, I’ve been in prison for the last twenty years. We all have. Prisons in our own minds.
We may have everything money can buy, but our billions haven’t been able to purchase peace of mind.
“River, come on,” Sebastian says. “Sit down. Or we can go to my suite. Use my satellite phone. You can call your mom and hear her voice.”
“That’s not enough,” I say.
“It has to be. For now, at least.”
“Have you talked to her?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “But Shelley has. They’re both fine.”
I simply nod. I’ll talk to my mother, hear from her that she’s okay. That will help a little.
But only a little.
Because while I have no idea who broke in and ransacked my old room, I have a pretty good idea of what they were looking for. Something they knew I wouldn’t keep at my own place.
And they didn’t find it.
They didn’t find it because it’s here on the island with me.
EPISODE 112
A KINK IN THE PLAN
Sebastian
Twenty Years Earlier…
At three a.m. I open the screen door of the small where Mom and I live, taking care to keep it from squeaking. She’s passed out cold from vodka, so she likely won’t hear me anyway, but if there’s one thing we all need to do today, it’s to be really careful. Nothing can go wrong.
Once I’m on the sidewalk, I look back at the little house, the moon shining on the patched roof. One day I’m going to live in a fucking mansion, and today will get me closer to that goal, even though committing a crime doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve watched as my mother has brought a string of men through that door—some who’ve done their share of time—and I sure as hell will not end up like them. I won’t end up like my mother, either. I like to take a drink as much as the next guy, but I’ll never let it rule my life. As for my three potential fathers? I don’t give two shits who any of them are, and I’ll never look them up. Hell, my mother didn’t even remember the third guy’s name.