“I was just getting to the good part.” He shoves a fistful of pink glossy shrimp slathered in cocktail sauce into his pie hole. “I dreamed numbers were chasing me right off this godforsaken island. And I woke up and wrote those beautiful numbers down and went straight to the nearest gas station and bought another ticket! The Big Ball drawing is in days and the pot is twice the amount as the Wild Fifty.”
Numbers chasing Tad off the island? I glance to the hall where Demetri trailed off in. What is he up to? Could Tad really have some supernatural ability to predict something like this?
My heart thumps in fear for him. “I’d be leery if I were you.”
“Ha!” Tad balks. “Well, you’re not me. I’ve got the luck of my Irish ancestors and it’s coming home to roost, baby!” His left arm flaps like a bird and a high-pitched cawing sound evicts from his mouth, and just as soon as he starts dancing an odd little jig, he ceases all movement and crowing as he spots something behind me and takes off for the grand room once again.
Mom and I turn around to find Barron and Emma darkening the doorway.
Emma is henpecking poor Barron as they deposit their umbrellas into a large copper bin—something about almost missing their son’s big day.
It’s no secret that Emma has never cared much for me, and today I don’t think I should make a secret of my feelings either.
“Emma, Barron.” Mom manufactures a smile just for them.
“Lizbeth, Skyla.” Barron looks forlorn as if we had all gathered for a funeral. He pulls me into a tight embrace before whispering how sorry he is, how very, very sorry before he stalks off down the hall.
“Ladies.” Emma nods. She’s donned a cream-colored dress, sequin and satin, and her hair is done up in a bun and her lipstick is blood red in keeping with the theme.
Mom straightens. “Skyla and I extend our congratulations to you. We are both over the trauma caused by your son and have chosen to take the high road. Let it be known, that even though we must all suffer because of his poor decision-making skills, we have no ill will.”
“Speak for yourself.”
Emma groans as she glances my way. “While it is amusing you decided to show up, I think we all know your heart is still aching, Skyla. Why don’t you do us all a favor, yourself included, and go home right now? Your mother and I will make sure the boys are more than taken care of.”
“Oh, I’m staying”— I say as Kresley and her tiny tot, Eli, stumble in beside us—“I wouldn’t miss this celestial train wreck for the world. It’s sort of like witnessing wickedness in the wild. A celestialNational Geographicmoment. One day, many moons from now, Gage will wake up from this nightmare and I wonder who he’ll slaughter first? Chloe for bedding him down, or you, Emma, for cheering them on? I’m betting it’s a toss-up.”
Kresley smirks. “Forever the whiner.” She offers me a cheeky wink with her new unimproved face. “Welcome to the disenchanted side of love, Skyla. The men we pine for don’t always pine for us back.”
Laken and Wesley show up with baby Charlie and Tobie. And Wes hardly nods in our direction before whisking Tobie down the hall.
Laken gives a nervous hello to our small circle before nodding me over to the side and I gladly follow.
“Congratulations on your big day,” I say, lacking the proper enthusiasm.
Laken shakes her head. “Wes wasn’t feeling it with this whole circus, and to be truthful, neither was I. We’re going to have a private ceremony. This day is all about Chloe and Ga—” She closes her eyes a moment. “I’m sorry, Skyla. You are insane, you know that?” She pulls me into a quick embrace. “I would die if Wes was marrying Kresley. I couldn’t do this.”
I can’t help but frown at her. “You died a long time ago, Laken. That’s part of the problem here.”
She chortles out a laugh as if it were the funniest thing in the world. “That I did, but the Counts brought me back to life.”
“Correction,” a voice hums from behind and we’re treated to Ezrina and Nev. “I brought you back to life.”
Laken laughs as she pulls them into a warm embrace.
I don’t feel like hugging anyone. I feel like committing a homicide.
Cooper Flanders comes up, his brows twitching my way as if we were privy to a secret before he picks up baby Charlie, and the three of them happily take their seats.
“We need a virus, and fast.” I glower at both Ezrina and Nev.
Nev’s chest rumbles with a quiet laugh. “Rina has a doozy, but it could wipe out everyone in the room—both the living and the dead.”
“This room could use a good plague right about now.” Sadly, I am not even kidding.
Nevermore—or Heathcliff as he prefers to be called these days—dips his brows in disapproval. “We need to be careful, walk slowly and with certainty. There is no room for error, my love.”
“I agree.” I shudder at the thought of all the errors I have come by in my short life.
