I turn slightly from Jeanne to hug Reina back. We've been together since the beginning of the Society, and she's more important to me than almost anyone else on Earth. My family-I won't say my "real" family, because Reina and the other women are real to me, too-are the only ones I would possibly put before her. Possibly, but not likely. I do need to go see them while I'm here.
"Are you okay, Audrey? You looked sad?" Jeanne asks, wiping her eyes.
"Not sad, just thinking about visiting my family while I'm here. It's been too long, and I should try and see them."
"I'll go with you," Reina says, squeezing my hand.
"You should get back."
"I'm the boss, and you need me. We both know you shouldn't go alone."
I do know that. My family loves me, but I'm a disappointment to them. I was supposed to marry a nice boy-or even a not so nice boy-who could provide for me. It doesn't matter that I can provide for myself. Or even that I could provide for my parents without making a dent in my bank accounts. All that matters is that I'm almost 40 and not married. So basically, I'm a failure.
"I'll go too," Jeanne says.
"Thank you, Mija, but I'm not sure it's safe for you to go anywhere but school until we find out who's after you."
"You'll take care of her, Reina?"
"Always, Jeanne."
"Okay, enough of this seriousness. We have some junk food to eat, and some movies to watch."
We spend the rest of the night eating too much, while laughing and crying over the movies. Jeanne ends up snuggled against me as she falls asleep, and I can't help but wish she was my daughter. I have to remind myself that she has a mother. Maybe not the one she needs, but that's not exactly my business. Even if I got involved with Blake, Misha would still be a part of both of their lives. Like it or not, that's the reality of the situation.
Chapter 6
Blake
Zack had the awesome idea that we should make breakfast for the girls. Well, all of us except for Brayden, that is. Apparently there was an incident in Las Vegas, and he's not allowed near a stove. The rest of us are making eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast while he arranges some fruit on a plate. We're almost done when Jesse walks in.
"Hey man, you had a party and didn't invite me?"
"Nah. You know I'd invite you if something was going on. They're just hanging out while their women protect Jeanne."
"Oh. That's cool."
"Yeah. So, guys this is my best friend, Jesse. Jesse, this is Matt, Zack, Jake, and Brayden."
They all give him the standard chin nod, and get back to work. "I guess I'll catch you later."
"You can stay. We have plenty of food," I tell him.
"You sure?"
"You can keep an eye on Brayden for us," Matt tells him.
"I'm putting fruit on a bloody plate. I don't think even I could fuck that up."
"Oh, I think you could," Zack says.
"Asshole."
"I own that title on occasion."
"We all do," Jake says with a shrug.
"That's what make-up sex is for," Matt says with a smirk.
"When it works," Reina says, walking in.
"Always gotta shoot me down, huh Princess?"
"That's so sweet," Jeanne says.
"What's sweet, honey?" Reina asks.
"He calls you ‘Princess.'"
"That's not sweet, it's an insult. My name means ‘Queen' so he calls me ‘Princess' to make me remember I'm less than that."
"Rei," Matt says, looking ashamed.
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
"Excuse us for a minute, please."
Matt grabs her hand and pulls her from the room. Jeanne and I stand there awkwardly for a minute while everyone else starts loading up their plates, and acting like nothing unusual happened. I finally grab a plate and hand it Jeanne, before getting one for myself, too.
"I'm sorry," she blurts out.
"For Matt and Reina? Don't worry about them. They fight over what color the sky is," Isa tells her.
"Why are they married then? My parents got divorced because they fought so much."
"Matt and Reina love each other more than anyone I've ever met in my life. That kind of love can be scary. They have trouble dealing with it, so they fight," Audrey says.
"Is that why you and Mom fought, because you love each other so much?"
"No, baby. We never had that kind of love."
"Maybe you're scared, too."
I put down my plate and take her face in my hands. "Jeanne, I don't want to hurt you, but you need to understand that I don't love your mother. I thought I did once, and I'm happy about it, because I wouldn't have you if I hadn't felt that way. But that's it."
She nods. "Okay. I get it. I guess I just always hoped you'd get back together. I like Audrey, though."
"This isn't about Audrey, or any other woman or man. Your mom and I broke up because of us and no one else."
"I believe you."
"Good. Now let's eat so I can get you to school on time."
"Jake and I will be taking her to school today. It's safer," Isa says.
"And then we'll get to work on figuring out who's behind all of this," Audrey tells me.
"You really think you can figure it out? I know you're a super genius, Audrey, but whoever did it won't have left a trail of clues for you," Jesse says.
"Criminals aren't always smart," Ainsley tells him.
"They aren't always stupid, either."
"Is there something you want to share, Jesse, because it seems like you're pretty sure we won't figure this out," Darcy tells him, her eyes narrowed.
"Just playing Devil's Advocate," he responds with a laugh.
The girls-and guys-all look at each other, which isn't surprising. Jesse's been my best friend for over two decades, and I thought what he was saying was weird, too. Maybe not suspicious, which is what I know they're thinking, but definitely weird.
"Are you going to visit your family today, too, Audrey?" Jeanne asks.
"Yes, Mija. Reina and I are going to see them after breakfast."
"I thought you were working on finding out who's after Jeanne," I say, not able to stop the anger I'm feeling from seeping into my voice. My daughter needs to be top priority right now.
"I am in no way, shape, or form, a computer hacker, and analyzing information is not my specialty, either. I'm passable in both, but others are experts. Ainsley and Darcy's teams can hack, along with Scott's help, while Isa and our friend Tegan use their teams to analyze. Once they have more information, they'll go over it with me."
There's bite is in her words, too, and I know I deserve it. She's put Jeanne first in everything over the last couple of days. There's no reason for me to think that's changed. "I'm sorry. This whole thing is stressing me out. I worried that someone would try to kidnap Jeanne because of me, but I never thought someone would try to take her because of her brain. It's hard to sit back and wait."
"It is," Audrey says, putting her hand over mine, "but we know what we're doing. We'll figure this out, and make sure the person who did this goes to jail for a very long time."
"So now you control the courts, too?" Jesse asks.
Reina pins him with a look that would send me running. "We control what needs to be controlled in order for people to be brought to justice."
"Only because you don't let me and Aiden bring our brand of justice to the table," Faith says with a smirk.
"You have a very long leash, Faith, and if it ever there ever came a time when it wasn't enough, I would happily unleash you."
"I'll be waiting."
"Is anyone else scared? Because I'm a little scared," I say, swallowing hard.
"You only need to be scared if you're the one behind all of this, and I hope to God you're not," Audrey tells me.
I'm a little startled, but then I realize I shouldn't be. Everyone is a suspect. They have to be. My daughter has been threatened, and I want them to take down whoever's behind it. Even if it might be my best friend. The one who's currently smirking once again, and making me doubt him.
Audrey
Once Isa and Jake leave with Jeanne, and everyone else is settled in to work, Reina and I go to my parents' house. She's driving, because she knows I'm nervous. Coming from a Mexican family herself, she understands what I've had to face. Her parents were much more progressive than mine, so she's never had any trouble with her career choices. But she knows the culture and the mindset, and I'm glad she'll be there with me.
"You ready?" she asks as we pull up outside the house.
"Not even a little bit."
"I can drive us back to Blake's."
"You know that's not an option. I need to go in there. My dad will have to leave for work soon, so let's get this over with."
We walk to the door, and I knock. The door opens, and my mother's smile falls when she sees me. "You shouldn't be here."