“I told you I would help you, and I am.” I swallow against the rise of nausea. I need to calm her down and get her to leave.
“There are a lot of boxes in the storage room I haven’t finished searching.” I try to mollify Alice with an optimistic smile. “As soon as I’ve checked them all, I will contact you. Promise.”
“Promise?” she mimics, glaring at me. “No. Uh-uh.” She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “Not good enough.”
Angling across the sidewalk, she positions herself in front of the gate. “I’m going with you. I’ll look for myself.”
“No, I don’t think?—”
“Madam!” A man strides across the courtyard, his steps clipped and forceful. I’ve never seen him before, but he wears the black clothing labelling him as staff.
Beyond him, Victor stands in the open front door, his expression tight with annoyance.
“Alice, you need to go.” I throw out my arm and point, making it clear I don’t want her here. Trying to distance myself from her as much as possible.
I can’t get involved in any more drama. Not now, right when everything in Los Angeles is blowing up.
The manservant is close enough to speak to us in French. Then, remembering himself, he switches to English. His stare bores into Alice. “You are not supposed to be here. I will call the authorities.”
She moves down to face him, grabbing the bars with her hands and yelling at him through the gate. “I have every right to be here! I want my sister’s belongings!”
I take the opportunity to tap in the code and slip inside the gate, shutting it quickly once I’m inside. I speak to the man. “I’m sorry, I?—”
He holds up a hand to stop me. “Please, I will handle this.”
“You bastards! Let me in!” Alice screams, jerking on the bars as if they’ll budge.
Mortified by the spectacle, I hurry past him, wanting nothing more than to disappear. I toss a glance to the doors where Victor stands watching. Chantal and Lyam have joined him.
And Noah has stepped out of his apartment.
So much for not disturbing the family.
Turning away, I hurry to unlock my door. Once inside, I take one last look at Alice, still arguing with the man.
She’s fixated straight ahead, shouting through the metal bars. “You’re lying to me! I know you are!”
Her hateful stare is now for the Marteau family looking out from their mansion.
Slipping inside, I try to block out the chaos, because I can’t bear the pain in Alice’s voice.
Pain—and anger—as she screams for her sister.
My Hotel Peculiar
The sound of the woman’s scream followed me down the tunnel. Terrified, I ran to the corner, making the turn and throwing myself against the wall.
Why did the woman scream like that? So high and sharp?
I’d never heard a person make that sound before.
My heart beat so hard, my whole body shook against the stone behind me.
I didn’t know what to do, so I told myself to go back upstairs, to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head. If my father were to catch me down there, while he was . . .
While he was what? What was happening?
These were the questions holding me in place.
