Page 90 of Miss Treated

“Yep, it’s what we do now. You don’t have to guess the reason,” Gabe grumbled.

“Could you boys keep it down? I have a hell of a hangover,” my mother muttered, shuffling down the hall. She was wearing one of my T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants which were too large on her.

“You too?” my father exclaimed, looking shocked.

She ignored him, going to the kitchen and pouring a glass of water. “Be a dear, Nicky, and make us all some coffee, would you?”

“Happy to, but then I’m getting on the road to go talk to Kelsey.” My hangover was wicked, but my resolve to find her was stronger.

My mom patted my face. “Good. But take a shower first. You smell like tequila.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

My father, who was evidently tired of being left out of the conversation, started to apologize. “Anna, I’m sorry. I—”

My mom held up a hand. “Nope. As I told you yesterday, I’ll decide when I’m ready to hear your apology, and it won’t be at six o’clock in the morning before caffeine and while hungover.”

“But—”

She spun around, glaring at him. “No buts. You not only hurt me, but also Dominic and Ava. And don’t even get me started on how you put Kelsey on the spot.”

“But Sophia—”

She held up her hand. “No. There was a time and place to address what Sophia did. And in the foyer outside your office, in front of your family and in the middle of your party, wasn’t the way.”

He winced and looked toward his sons. “Would you boys please excuse us?”

“Fuck that,” Leo muttered while Gabe blurted out, “To hell with that,” causing my mom to glare at them both.

“Language, Leonardo and Gabriel.”

“Sorry, Mom,” they said in unison as though they were both adolescents instead of grown men. It might’ve been comical if the situation wasn’t so tense.

It was the first time I’d ever seen my father truly at a loss. “There must be something I can do.”

My turn to interject. “You could give me Kelsey’s brother’s address. She drove up there last night.”

He sighed. “I don’t have his address, but I’ll give you Chance Maxwell’s phone number. You can call him.”

“Chance Maxwell is Kelsey’s brother?” Leo’s eyes went big.

“You know him?”

He whistled low. “Yeah. Powerful man. And I don’t just mean money. I would proceed carefully, little brother.”

Shit. Not the complication I needed. Couldn’t anyone have normal, benign brothers? “I’ll call him once I’m up in LA.”

Leo sighed. “I’ll come with you. Chance and I have some mutual friends which might keep him from throwing you out.”

Gabe muttered a curse under his breath. “Guess I’m coming along for the ride too. Give me coffee and a chance to change my clothes.”

“Maybe I should go too,” my mom offered.

“So what? You can tell Chance what a good boy your son is?” Gabe chuckled.

She stuck her tongue out at him. “No, because I feel terrible about Kelsey and the position she was put in. It must’ve really been tough on her for weeks.”

The fraud investigation explained why she’d been acting strange over the last few days. Why she’d been nervous about attending the family party. My mom was right. It must’ve been tearing her apart. Guilt hit me over the things I had said to her at the party.