What the absolute hell?
I cautiously opened the door.
My stepsister showing up at my house in the middle of the night with a cop was not on my Bingo Card List for the year.
Yet, as I stared, neither one of them disappeared off my porch.
“Um.” I hesitated, not sure I wanted to let them in. “Can I help you?”
Just as that word came out of my mouth, crunching ice and snow caught my attention.
I looked over to see Cody pulling up in her plow truck, and right behind her was a familiar black truck that had my heart rate accelerating.
“What the heck is going on?” I asked to no one in particular.
“That’s what I would like to know.”
Another truck pulled into my drive behind Romeo’s, and I blinked even more as Cody’s parents got out.
“Is someone dead?”
“No one that I know of,” Birdee muttered. “You know as much as I do, though.”
I looked at my stepsister and noted all of the bruises and cuts on her face.
A little pang of sympathy went through me at the sight.
I didn’t like that she’d been hurt.
I may not like her very much, but I didn’t wish harm upon anyone, not even my worst enemies.
She crutched past me with a glare in my direction, and I had to stop myself from putting my foot out and tripping her.
Before I could do that, though, the officer that I now realized was Romeo’s friend from the bar said, “I’m sorry to wake you up like this at three o’clock in the morning, but this was something that we couldn’t wait to discuss.”
“What’s going on?” Romeo asked. “Is she okay?”
I looked over just in time to see Romeo barreling up the stairs coming right for me.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I was sleeping.”
His eyes scanned me from head to toe, double-checking that my words matched the state of my being, then nodded.
That’s when he tugged me to his side and put himself in between my sister and me.
My sister who’d made herself at home on my favorite seat in my living room.
“Anyone want to tell us what the hell is going on?” Vito asked, pulling his wife into his side.
Cody rounded out the group and stood off to the side with her parents, glaring at Birdee. “What did you do this time?”
Birdee stiffened.
“First off,” the cop said, “we’re not going to say anything until I tell you what I’ve found out with Apollo tonight, okay?”
Another car door slammed outside, and everyone collectively looked toward the door.
“Who’s this?” Vito wondered.
