Twisted Palace(50)

“What the hell!” I shoot up and glare at Dinah, who’s walking in as if she belongs here. “I locked that!”

She waves her keycard in the air. “These babies open any door in the suite.”

Oh my God. Really? I’d noticed the keycard slot under the handle, but I thought only my card could open it.

“Don’t open this door again,” I say coldly. “If I want you to come in, I’ll invite you in.” Which will never happen, because I’m never going to want her to come in. Ever.

She ignores that, tossing her long blonde hair over one shoulder. “Let’s get one thing straight, sweetie. It doesn’t matter if we’re in a hotel or in the penthouse—it’s still my house. You’re nothing but a guest here.”

I raise a brow. “Isn’t it Steve’s house?”

Dinah scowls at me. “I’m his wife. What’s his is mine.”

“And he’s my father. Who, by the way, left me everything after he died. Not you.” I smile sweetly. “Remember?”

Her green eyes flash, making me regret taunting her. I’d warned Steve not to poke a bear, and here I am, doing the same thing. I guess I’m my father’s daughter.

“Well, he’s not dead anymore, is he?” Her lips twist in a smug smile. “So I guess you’re back to having what you’re used to—nothing.”

I falter, because she’s right. I didn’t particularly care about all the money Steve left me in his will, but now that it’s gone, I really do have nothing. No, that’s not true. I have the ten thousand dollars Callum gave me when I got back to Bayview after running away.

I make a mental note to hide that cash the first chance I get.

“You have nothing, too,” I point out. “Steve controls everything around this place, and it didn’t look like he was too happy with you at dinner. What’d you do to piss him off so hard?” I pretend to think it over. “I know. Maybe you killed Brooke.”

Her jaw drops in outrage. “Watch your mouth, little girl.”

“What? Did I hit a nerve?” I narrow my eyes at her. “Am I getting too close to the truth?”

“You want the truth? Brooke was my best friend—that’s the truth. I’d kill you before I’d ever kill her. Besides, I’ve learned that accidents aren’t the best way to get rid of people.” She smiles savagely. “I have a gun and I’m not afraid to use it.”

I gape at her. “Did you just confess to trying to kill Steve?” Oh man. Where’s a recorder when you need it?

She lifts her chin as if she’s proud of her actions. “Watch yourself, Princess. When it comes to children, I’m a big believer in the saying seen but not heard. As long as you stay out of my way, I’ll stay out of yours.”

I don’t believe her, not for a hot second. She’s going to get some serious pleasure out of tormenting me now that I live under her roof. And was that comment about the gun a threat? Holy hell.

“Watch yourself,” Dinah says again, then flounces out of my room and closes the door behind her.

I stay in bed. There’s no point in getting up and locking the door when I know that any keycard can open the darn thing.

Taking a breath, I shut off the light and close my eyes. Visions of Dinah flashing a gun in my face pop up, along with ones of Reed behind bars.

Sleep is elusive.



* * *



Don’t lose ur temper with S. Not worth it. He’ll come around.

That’s the text Reed sends me before he leaves for practice on Monday morning, and it’s pretty much the same thing he’s been saying to me this whole weekend.

This whole long, terrible, long, frustrating, long weekend.

Come around, my ass.

Steve has already gotten me fired from my job and decided I’m trying out for a school team—you’d think that would be enough. But nope, it’s not.

Last night, he informed me he was imposing a curfew. I have to be home by ten each evening, and I have to turn on the location finder on my phone so he can keep tabs on me. I’ve already decided that in the future I’ll be leaving my phone at home. There’s no way I’m making it easier for him to find me.

The problem is, this Friday is the Riders’ first playoffs game. Reed was cleared to play, and I desperately want to go because I’ve decided I’m done with Reed’s reluctance. Every day that he’s the prime suspect in Brooke’s case is a day that rattles my sense of security. If we’re supposed to act normally, if we’re supposed to at least pretend that all is well in our lives, then this distance between us should not exist.