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“Of course.” Samuel fixed the button of his jacket.
My father glanced at me, a sparkle of fear in his eyes. “My sweet, will you go find your mother?” he said. “Tell her Samuel Webb arrived.”
I nodded, not complaining I had an excuse to leave that entire interaction. I pushed past people toward the kitchen. No doubt where I would find my mother. This early in a party, she would be organizing, not conversing. Within the next hour, though? A very different story.
“Mom?” I shouted as I turned toward the office. There she was, hunched over her clipboard, checking things off. “Dad said to tell you Samuel Webb is here?”
Now it was her turn for color to drain from her face, sink into the floor. She nodded, her lips rolled into a thin line. “Did you talk with him?”
“He wanted to talk to me.” I shrugged. “But Dad interrupted.”
My mom sighed. “Okay, dear.” There was no yelling, no questions about Kai, no disappointment. She came closer, pulling me into a hug. “Why don’t you and your brother go hang out with your friends?”
“But the Banquet?” I said, confused. “You want us to socialize.”
“Plans have changed. Just tell your brother it’s time to go.” She nodded, staring at me with the same fear my father had.
“Mom, what’s this about?” I asked. “Who’s Samuel Webb?”
“It doesn’t matter, Audry. Do as you are told,” my mother ordered, moving past me.
“You’ve never let us out of the banquet, why?—”
“Audry, please,” she said, gripping my arm tightly. “Let it go.” She stared at me with wide eyes, pleading with me to drop it.
I nodded. I hated to see her hurting, even if she was a monster to me ninety percent of the time. But this was weird. She never, in my entire life, let Andrew and I get out of anything to do with the hotel.
My mother dropped her grip on my arm and disappeared into the main hall. I sent a quick text to Andrew to let him know we were free to go, which got a dancing gif sent back to me.
I wanted answers. It was high time I got them.
I didn’t remember the drive to the house. My mind was preoccupied with rehearsing what I would say. All of them—Carson, Liam, Kai, and Logan—were hiding things from me. My parents were hiding things, my grandfather—everyone in this fucking situation.
I turned down the road, speeding. Rain started up, splattering my windshield as I pulled into the driveway. I threw it into park and grabbed my purse. I didn’t take the time to knock or to be invited. There was no stalling anymore.
All four of them jumped to attention as I walked into the room. Logan and Kai were covered in bruises and blood, but that wasn’t the priority here.
“What’s with the spider tattoos?” I asked.
Chapter 44
Kai
“What’s with the spider tattoos?” Audry asked, bursting in. There was no hi, hello, how are you.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“No, I get to ask the questions now. All you get to fucking do is give me answers.” She glared. “All of you!”
The room tensed as Audry laid out the rules of her little invasion.
“Hate to break it to you, babe. But you don’t get to yell orders,” Logan taunted, leaning back against the wall. He lifted his shirt, showcasing his gun.
I made a lunge for him, Liam holding me back. “Leave her the fuck alone,” I yelled, my anger reinvigorated.
Audry smirked at him. She moved closer to him, her stare narrowing.
Logan tensed, standing up straight as she approached.
