Chapter 6

I said my first word when I was eleven months old. It was Dada. He’d crouch on the floor with me and play and say you look just like mom. Truth is, I looked nothing like my mother. Rumor had it that I was his reincarnated twin.

Cancer took him two years ago. I still remembered the image of him looking small in that hospital bed. I still remembered his last words: ‘Be good to mommy, Daddy’s little girl.’

Awareness danced over my skin as I stared at my phone. Whoever sent this text and picture knew about dad and about last night.

My face tightened. Colton.

I stormed up the steps and burst into the room in the hallway where he held my waist. Right room.

He tilted his neck a bit and when he saw me a smirk crossed his face.

“You.” I dumped my bag beside the door while holding up my phone to his face. “Why did you send this?”

He took out the unlit cigarette from his mouth, dropping it near the stacks of money on the table and rotated the chair. “Send what?”

I shot him a glare. Why the pretense? I shoved my phone into his hand and shifted my weight to one leg, crossing both arms on my chest.

His expression remained the same but the smirked disappeared and his jaw tightened. He glanced up at me and his doe eyes shrank, darkening his features. “Where’d you get this.” Clearly not a question.

My mind crumbled into darkness and sweat started trickling down my face. “S..someone sent it to me. Unknown number,” I couldn’t even force my voice to bear rage. Not when Colton seemed clueless on who sent the picture. “So it’s either you took a video of us that night to threaten me with—”

“I didn’t make a video of us.” His voice was so cold.

I dropped my hands and stepped back. That was the first reaction I got since I met him and it was….murdereous.

“You think I’m a child? Why’d I record something that could ruin our lives if it got into the wrong hands?”

I swallowed, my inside freezing. “Then who did?”

“I don’t know.” He stood and raked his finger through his hair with my phone still in his hand. I shifted back again, bending my neck backwards to see his face. He ran the fingers down his face. “What the fuck man.”

I stayed silent.

He pulled the phone up, but it was locked. “Unlock.” He stretched it towards me and I inched forward, took the phone, unlocked it and handed it back to him.

Before he glanced through it again, he shoved the money on the table off and perched on the edge, then took the cigarette and lit it, holding in between two fingers.

“Who you belong to,” he read out loud but quiet. Narrowing his eyes at me, his brows scrunched. “What does that mean?”

I scrubbed my moist palm over my face, now panting. “How would I know? That’s why I came to you.”

He took a drag from the cigarette, studying me with a bored expression. I tugged a strand of my hair, looking away. On his bed was a short gun and two suitcases. Ignoring it, I turned back to him. “So?”

“Someone’s trying to get to something.” He blew out smoke. “This isn’t about the photo. But it’s clearly someone in that club or,” he paused and stretched out my phone to me. I leaned forward and took it, my hand brushing against his finger. A fluttery sensation ran through my belly. Not

now please. I sucked my lower lips and shifted then he continued, “Someone who thinks they know you well.”

My mouth went dry. “Ramon.” “Celeste.”

We spoke at once.

A vein popped on his forehead and his gaze clouded red with fury. “Who?”

“My ex.” My voice lowered, a knot forming in my gut. “He said something similar to me yesterday after he broke up with me.”

“That was why you came to the club. Yeah?” He tilted his chin downward, frowning. He didn’t let me speak, he said, “I want to see a picture of this ex.”

Why? I blinked, head tipping to the side. He glared at me and immediately I strolled to a picture of Ramon and me, then showing him.

His eyes flashed and his lips twisted into a sneer. He stood from the table and pocketed his hands. “Don’t tell anyone about this. Don’t leave this house until I say so. Understood?”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t give me orders.”

“I’m not ordering you, ma’am.” He had a sarcastic tone. “I’m telling you what happens to people in my world who don't take threats seriously.”

Blood drained from my face because of how ominous his last sentence sounded. I turned, stiffly walked towards the door, wishing yesterday could start again for me to change my fate.

His voice pulled me to a halt. “Sister.” This. Jerk! I glanced back.

“Whoever it is picked the wrong family. I’ll find out who sent it.”

Wow, I’m not scared again. My stepbrother would find who has our nudes. I rolled my eyes, grabbed my bag from the floor and stormed off.

Once I slammed his door shut, I texted mom:

Me: We need to talk

She left for god knows where after we moved in. I felt it was best since I was still very pissed at her for everything but most importantly for selling the house. Three bubbles appeared then her text entered:

Mom: I’m actually at the airport, baby! Business trip. Can it wait till I’m back?

I froze on that spot. With one hand, I gripped my phone tightly and with the other I typed.

Me: Trip? We just moved into a house full of creepy people and now you’re LEAVING without telling me to my face?

Mom: It's just a few days. You’ll be fine, your brother and Eugene are there. Me: COLTON ISN’T MY BROTHER. He’s literally part of my problem.

Mom: ??? What’s going on??

I stared at my screen trying to figure out how I’d tell my mom I had sex with her husband’s son and now someone had the video and is threatening me with it.

My mind railed back to Ramon. He wouldn’t do such a thing to me, right? And Celeste, Colton mentioned her. I hissed.

Me: Nothing. Mom, are you hiding anything from me?

Three dots appeared, then disappeared and appeared again, making my heart pound in anticipation.

Mom: No, why’d you ask that? Talk to me. Are you okay? Me: forget it. Have a safe trip.

I locked my phone and started walking to my room with one question in the back of my mind.

Could I trust my mother?