Jasmine grinned at Nev the type of smile that screamed she’d marry her husband again tomorrow if she could. “That I did. And if it wasn’t already for the family history I have I probably would’ve been overwhelmed by the shit that had gone on.”
“Family history?” I didn’t want to pry but damn was everyone here part of a crime syndicate?
Jasmine nodded as she tucked one of her loose, dark auburn sisterlocs behind her ear. Her little boy had inherited the same hair color and it made him even more adorable.
“Not really a secret but our entire town was founded by bootleggers. Beacon Grove was the place for the less than savory element to find peace for a while. My family has been domesticated for a while so I guess all that madness finally found its way into our generation. Jada is out handling stuff for tomorrow but yeah, between her and my sister and brother I’m not sure how we haven’t ended up in jail yet.”
Francesca scoffed as if the idea of jail was beneath any of them. “As if your husband would allow that.”
“True. Jada’s been able to get away with damn near murder though. After all she’s had—”
“19 arrests, no convictions.” They all spoke in unison like it were a refrain they’d often heard. Jemma Marie and I exchanged a look as the rest of them continued on as if it were no big deal.
“Is she a good criminal or a bad one, because 19 arrests doesn’t seem like much to brag on.”
Jasmine took my question about her sister in stride, like she was used to being asked about Jada’s criminal behavior.
“Oh, she’s probably been arrested more than that. I think she just likes to say nineteen for plausible deniability of a few others. And since she’s never spent a full ten hours in jail and that was even after publicly beating the shit out of our cousin and tipping her over in a full porta-potty I would think she is among the elite of criminals.”
Jasmine’s smile was one of sisterly pride and I guess that feeling would always be universal no matter what it was your sibling was good at.
“And that doesn’t even take into account the dude she drove to madness.”
Jemma Marie’s head shot up as everyone else laughed. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Yeah it was her and her boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day gifts to one another.” Francesca said it so smoothly, forgetting that it was actually crazy.
“To drive some man mad?” I was looking at them so confused and now worried about the person who was going to be working with me to plan this wedding.
Nev was looking at me like she’d never seen me before. “And to think you say you’re a misandrist. You can’t possibly be feeling sympathy for a man.”
Okay, well, now I was offended.
“Not at all concerned for him but interested in her desire to drive him crazy and why her boyfriend would be so keen on joining in. There had to be a personal motive.”
“I’ll let you ask her. The story is actually very funny.” Jasmine was smiling again unfazed but if her sister had been dodging arrests maybe it was.
“Probably more ironic than ha-ha funny.”
She paused briefly before she nodded, “That’s fair.”
“Y’all are going to scare her away from Ori. Don’t have her thinking that we’re a bunch of weirdos.” Vanya looked worried about my potential to run out of here like my head was on fire.
I patted her hand reassuringly. My departure wasn’t going to happen over a little madness. I was a murderer and so was Nev so I didn’t have any moral position to take.
“My dear, if this is the extent of the madness with all of you I assure you that I’m the one who is soon to be ostracized.”
There was a beat of silence before Francesca’s face broke into a stunning smile.
“Good, then you’ll fit right in. No need to get you warmed up to the madness like we had to do with Nyima.”
“There was a warm-up? I thought I had been thrown straight into the rip.” Another stunning woman who had been relatively quiet for all our banter.
My head tilted trying to parse out what in the world she was trying to say, which made me feel like a xenophobic asshole. Instead, they all laughed and Francesca gave her a side hug.
“Thefray, Nyima. It’s thrown into the fray.”
We all tried not to laugh but it was honestly too funny not to. Thankfully Nyima laughed too or else I would’ve felt so bad. “I’ve said it before, English is a stupid language and I do not understand it or the rules.”
