“Well, because this is what we do. It’s all we know.”
“You think I want to spend the rest of my life teasing and playing greasy old men, making them think they have a chance with me before I swindle them?” She blew out a raspberry. “Hell no. I have plans, things I want to do. This is just a means to an end, babe. Same for Spencer. He’s got a wife and a little girl. You really think he’s going to pass this shit down to Sasha? He won’t come right out and say it, but he’s slowly working his way out.”
My jaw was practically hanging in my lap. “I had no idea.”
“Because you never asked,” she said simply, and suddenly I felt guilty for not being a better sister. It was true we were tight knit, closer than most of the families I’d seen, but I’d been so obsessed with the thought of leaving the con, that I’d closed parts of myself off from the rest of them, and in the process, closed them out.
“Sis, I’m really sorry—”
She waved a hand to cut me off. “Hey, stop that. I didn’t tell you because I was trying to make you feel like shit. I said something to make a point. The only reason we didn’t like Jason was because you felt like you had to be someone else in order to be good enough for him, when the truth was, he was never good enough for you.” She leaned forward and tapped me in the center of my chest. “You’re amazing, Stell, beyond amazing. You don’t need to change for anyone. Just be you. One day you’ll find a guy who will get you out of all this mess and know he’s holding a treasure in his hands.”
I sniffled, blinking rapidly to prevent tears. “Stop being sweet,” I grumbled. “If you make me cry, I’m gonna punch you in your perfect face.”
She let out a giggle as she scooted across the bed to my side and opened her arms wide. “Ah, little sis. Come on, bring it in for a snuggle. It’ll make you feel better.” I leaned into her embrace, and sure enough, a hug from my sister made everything better. “So,” she started a minute later, “you going to tell me what had you so worked up when I first got here that you threatened me with a kiddy bat? Who was waiting for you when you got home?”
I inhaled deeply and flopped back against the pillows. “You have to promise not to say anything to Dad or anyone okay?”
The skin between her eyebrows pinched together with worry. “I really don’t like the sound of that.”
“And you shouldn’t. But I’m not saying shit until you promise.”
She threw her hands up exasperatedly. “Fine, okay. I promise.”
“When I got home, one of O’Brien’s men was waiting for me. Said he was here to deliver a message.”
I watched as all the color drained from my sister’s face until she was white as a sheet. She swallowed so loudly I actually heard the gulp. “What was the message?”
“That time’s running out.”
She remained silent, like she was waiting for more. “You’re leaving something out. I can see it on your face.”
She was right, there really were no secrets with any of us. I inhaled deeply, hoping the breath would fortify me for what I had to admit. “He also said that next time, it wouldn’t be Dad that suffered the consequences of having to make another point. He said . . . he said O’Brien would pluck every feather off Dad’s little dove.”
“Who is Dad’s little—”
“He called me little dove the whole time.”
“Fuck,” Serenity hissed.
“Now you see why you can’t say anything to Dad?”
“He’ll make himself sick worrying, and probably end up doing something equally as stupid as what got us in this situation in the first place just to keep you safe.”
“Exactly.”
“Shit, Stella.” She shook her head, reaching up to drag her fingers through her hair in frustration. “What the hell are we going to do?”
“I’ll figure something out,” I insisted. I didn’t have the first clue how I’d go about doing that, I just knew it needed to be done. That was my role in the family. My father was the big teddy bear rock. Mom was the sweet, mellow caregiver. Spencer was the protector. Serenity was the easygoing one that made everybody laugh. And I was the fixer. Even if I had doubts as to that role, I would have known for certain at the relief that spread across her face at my declaration.
“You’re sure?”
Hell no, I wasn’t sure. But what other choice did any of us have? “Yep. Absolutely.”
She slumped, like a physical weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. Something caught her attention a moment later, and she reached across the bed and plucked up the business card lying on top of the comforter. “Why do you have a business card from an AO dude?”
“AO?”
“Yeah.” She flipped the card so the front faced me. “Alpha Omega. Those badass guys over in Hope Valley. How do you know one of them?”
“I don’t. And how are a bunch of dudes who install security systems badasses?”
“Well, for starters, they don’t just do security systems. But even if that was the case, the kind they install are like, top of the line everything. They’re so damn expensive that the only way regular folks like us could afford one is if we sold a couple organs on the black market or sold our souls to the devil.”
My chin jerked back in surprise. “Who the hell would ever buy one of those?”
“Tons of people,” my sister exclaimed excitedly. “Because there’s no way in hell a house with one of their systems is being robbed. Ever.”
“Okay. So they have amazing security systems. Good for them. I still don’t see what all the fuss is about.” That was a lie. I could totally understand the fuss if the rest of the men who worked for Alpha Omega were even half as good looking as West Scott.
“Well, then there’s the fact that they have all these, like, super-secret spy skills or whatever. They’re all ex-special forces, the best of the best of the best and all that stuff. Sure, they do things like tail cheating husbands to get dirt the wife may need for the divorce, but it’s so much more than that. No one really knows exactly what it is they do, but everybody knows you don’t mess with a dude from Alpha Omega. It’s gospel.”
“How do you know all this?” I asked in bewilderment.
“Everyone in the state of Virginia knows. The better question is how you don’t. So”—she waved the card in the air—“who’s this Weston guy, and how’d you get his card?”
It caused physical pain to even think about what happened, let alone admit it, but I gritted my teeth and did it anyway. “He busted me lifting that wallet I texted you guys about.”
Her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. “You’re joking. Someone actually caught you?”
“Okay, you don’t have to say it like that. My pride already stings worse than the time Spence thought it would be a good idea to knock down that hornet nest with a broom stick.” She let out a snort that quickly turned into a burst of hysterical laughter. “I don’t see what’s so damn funny about this,” I muttered sullenly, crossing my arms over my chest as my bottom lip came out in a pout.