“What’s going on?” Cassidy said at the same time.
“We’ll tell you inside,” I said, stepping onto the verandah.
“Oh my god, what happened to your arm?” Cassidy strode toward me.
“It’s nothing.” I opened the door, stepped back, and nodded at Sapphire. “After you.” Sapphire moved past me into the house without breaking stride.
Charlie and Bella stood at the end of the dining table. Their pale faces made them look as guilty as hell. I caught Sapphire clocking them both in the same second I did.
She was right. We were all in this together, whether we liked it or not.
Cassidy, Xavier, and Declan filed in behind us, and we gathered around the table.
“What’s going on, Kayden?” Mitch stood at the far end with his arms folded, jaw set, already in whatever mode he went into when things were about to get bad.
“I’ll tell you when everyone sits down.” I pulled out a chair for Sapphire.
She didn’t take it. She eased back from the table slightly, the Chivas box held against her hip, eyes moving around the room. Taking stock. Reading everyone.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cassidy asked, still watching my arm.
“I was shot. It’s a graze. I’m fine. Sit down, we have something?—”
“You were shot?” Declan said. “By who?”
“Sit. Down.” I slapped the table hard enough that Charlie flinched. “All of you. Now.”
“Jesus,” Cassidy muttered, dropping into her usual chair. “Since when are you the bossy one?” Her eyes moved from me to Sapphire and back again.
One by one, they settled. Mitch sat across from me, both palms flat on the wood as if bracing for another family nightmare. Charlie sat beside him, her arm pressed against his. Declan and Bella sat next to them. Cassidy sat across the table with Xavier at her side.
Six people. Waiting.
The room went quiet.
“Have you found Frank?” Cassidy asked. “Is he dead? Is that why you’re?—”
“No.” Sapphire set the Chivas box on the table in front of her. Six pairs of eyes went straight to it. “We haven’t found Frank.”
I cleared my throat. “We have a lot to tell you, and Sapphire needs you to answer her questions honestly.” I glanced around the table.
“Kayden.” Mitch’s voice dropped to a growl. “We agreed?—”
“I know. But everything changed tonight. You need to trust me on this, and you need to trust Sapphire.” I held his gaze. “We found out a hell of a lot about Frank and Bob, and we have proof that Bob’s corrupt.”
“We already thought that, didn’t we?” Xavier said, glancing at Cassidy.
Cassidy shot him a look.
“What?” Xavier shrugged.
Cassidy turned to Sapphire. “What proof?”
Declan’s chair creaked as he leaned forward, but other than that, the room went very still.
Sapphire rested her hands on the back of the chair. “Did any of you know Frank had a brother?”
“A brother? No,” Mitch said.
