“Great. I’m viral again.”
“You were almost trafficked to a cult. All the tabloids have been calling, trying to get the story.”
“Erika said you’re going to come stay with her in Manhattan. But you need a nap first,” Jasmine said, leading me inside. She made me some tea and then made me lie down in her guest room.
But I couldn’t fall asleep. I took out my phone and went through video after video and article after article detailing the event. My almost-kidnapping was all over the internet.
What the hell, Parker?
61
Parker
“What the hell?” I said to Officer Susie as she blocked me from going after Sadie. “That’s my girlfriend.”
“It sounded to me like someone was getting sold or trafficked. We will turn over to the FBI anyone committing or aiding such a felony.”
“I wasn’t—” I started to say, but Hunter shoved himself in front of me.
“My brother will not be answering any questions,” he said, using his best I-am-a-lawyer-and-I-will-fuck-your-shit-up voice. “You don’t have a warrant. You barely have probable cause. You can arrest him and hold him, but he’s not saying a thing.”
“I—”
“Shut up, Parker. Get him out of here,” Hunter ordered.
Garrett nodded sharply, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of the café, Weston and Blade trailing us.
“Man,” Weston said when we were in the car. “You really fucked up, dude.”
“Shut up,” I growled. What was worse was that I had no ideahowI had fucked up.
* * *
I pacedaround the foyer when Garrett dropped us back at the house. He immediately went up to the home office. I stayed there until Penny came back an hour later.
“How are you holding up?” she asked, patting my shoulder.
“Our business will be ruined. Sadie hates my guts. My father is running loose in town.”
“To be fair, he’s in jail.”
“Probably not for long. Garrett’s been trying to catch him in a trap. But he’s never been able to find enough to lock him away.”
“On the bright side, the new Marvel movie is coming out this weekend, so a lot of the entertainment news is going to be wrapped up in promo,” Penny said. “Don’t worry. I’m working with Josie and your brother Gunnar to kill the story.”
“I can’t believe I let this happen!”
“Why don’t you eat something? Hazel boxed up your food for you and, well, Sadie.” She handed me a bag.
I wasn’t hungry. I couldn’t even look at the food. I had been so stupid. The whole situation painted me and my brothers in a bad light. We would be branded as the crazy, unsocialized, and uncivilized cult kids who didn’t know how to act.
Did Sadie really believe I had tried to sell her to a cult? I needed to call her and explain. But I didn’t. She had looked so frightened, like I had just betrayed her. I wanted to hug her, soothe her, but I was the one who had caused her pain. I would never forgive myself.
“I can’t lose her,” I said, sitting on the third step from the bottom and resting my head in my hands.
I couldn’t figure out what to do. I wanted to chase down my father and make him confess. I wanted to go find Sadie and make her listen to my side of the story. Logically, though, I knew it looked bad. The cult, the money, Kaitlyn—the conclusion any rational person would reach was that I was completely insane.
Billy and Ellis shuffled through the foyer, dragging a rolled-up carpet with them. They perked up when they saw the bag of food.
