Page 11 of Torch

“Ohhhh shit,” Cara muttered under her breath.

“And can any of you guess what I discovered?”

Sofia was the only one with evidence. I swear I loved my baby sister, but I was going to dump a bucket of slime or something on her ass for posting those pictures. I know we were all heavily intoxicated, but damn. Why couldn’t she pass out like any other drunk person?

We all sat quietly, avoiding her intense gaze. Something told me to take my ass home, and I should have gone with my first thought.

“Nobody has nothing to say?” Her voice was calm, but I knew better. She then turned her gaze at me. “Well, Christian, since this revolves around you, care to explain why Sofia has pictures and videos of you getting married in her close friends on Instagram,” she growled.

I pulled the collar of my shirt, suddenly feeling extremely hot. “I... uhhh…” I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Mom slapped her hand down on the table in frustration. “Talk, dammit! How could you be so irresponsible? Out of all your siblings, you were the last one I thought would do something like this.”

Cara sat up with a tilted head. “Well, which one of us did you have pegged to marry a complete stranger?” she questioned while appearing offended.

Mom turned to her with a glare so fierce that Cara quickly sat back and looked away. Thor and Capone snickered, but that came to a screeching halt when Mama snapped her head in their direction. “Something funny?”

“No, ma’am,” they answered in unison.

Mom shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Can anyone tell me how you all went to Vegas to celebrate Tech and Will, just for Christian to get married by a goddamn Elvis impersonator?!”

Cara raised her hand apprehensively. “Uhh, if I may?”

Mom cut her eyes to her. “Tread lightly, Cara.”

She nodded her head and took a deep breath. “This is all Bianca’s fault.”

My eyes bulged as Bianca sat up on the couch with her hand pressed to her chest. “Ex-squeeze me? How the hell are you going to blame this on me?”

Cara rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “Easy. From the videos in Sofia’s phone, you initiated a shot contest once we got to that after-hours spot. Then after we had gone through two bottles of Vodka, you said, and I quote, Torch, you should marry my look-alike so we can be twin couples,” she mocked. “Whatever the hell that is.”

This time Capone and Thor were smart enough to cover their mouths to smother their laughs. Me? I was quiet. If Bianca taking the fall for this was going to get me off Mom’s shit list, then so be it.

Sorry, Bianca, but it’s every man for themselves when it comes to the wrath of Crystal Romano.

“Cara, do you think this is a game?” Mom pressed her.

“Not at all. But I do think it’s a little unfair for you to seek answers from us. I have no control over two grown adults. I barely had any control of myself. I was basically a baby koala bear clinging to Viper's back at one point. It was Christian who married that girl and tatted her name on his ring finger,” she snitched.

Now it was my turn to frown. Cara was throwing person after person under the bus.

My mother looked like her head was about to explode. “You tatted her name on you?!” She shot to her feet. “You know what? Everybody, out. You all are not about to run up my damn blood pressure. Cara, I want you to find this girl and Christian, this better be handled before the week is over.”

Cara sighed in frustration. “Okay, Mama. I’m just going to get a little sleep and then⁠—”

“I want it done now.”

Cara opened her mouth to argue, but one look from our mother had her pressing her lips together. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now all of you, get out. I’ll call once the kids wake up from their naps.”

Once we were on the porch, I let out a sigh of relief. That didn’t go as bad as I thought it would.

“Geez, Mama Crystal don’t play,” Big Red said.

“Yup, she sure doesn’t,” Cara mumbled while tying her hair into a bun.

I already knew what time it was, so I discreetly tried to make my way down the stairs.