Page 209 of Vexatious Queen

Vadin smirked.

“Did you set me up?” Dimitri burst to his feet. “Is that how you know? Are you so petty that you’d frame your brother? I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Vicky suddenly burst to her feet and slammed a plate on the table.

“Get out. All of you get out of my house, right now. I’m sick of your overinflated egos,” Vicky growled, glaring at Vadin and then Dimitri.

No one moved until she flung the plate across the room like a frisbee and it shattered against the wall.

“Get out!”

That did it. One after the other, they scampered from the room. Grown men who pretended to be so tough were terrified of Vicky hurling a plate. It struck me as ironic from their conversation earlier in the meal. Dimitri, Vadin, Romeo, Saul, Ronan, and even Emmett and Bridget, who’d been quiet, raced for the exit.

Vicky marched over to me and held out her hand.

“You guys are useless. Why are you all just staring like a bunch of buffoons? Can’t you see she’s overwhelmed? Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

I didn’t know who was more shocked, me or the guys. Their faces, including Liam’s, looked like they’d jumped into an alternate universe. I slipped my hand into hers. Vicky didn’t help me stand, but she kept me steady. We walked out into the hall and then up to my bedroom, the guys following in our wake.

Reaching the door, I didn’t let Vicky go. For this singular moment, we were more than family, we were women and sisters who understood pain caused by a parent who claimed to love us unconditionally.

Turning to her, I pulled her into a hug.

Vicky cleared her throat and stepped back.

“Let’s not get all sappy, we’re not besties or anything. Men are simply useless in an emotional crisis.” The look in her eyes softened a little. “If you need me or whatever, I’ll be in my room.”

“Thank you,” I called out to her back.

“Uh-huh, whatever,” she said, but there was no venom attached. I watched her until she disappeared at the end of the hallway.

“I think hell has frozen over,” Myles said, guiding me into my room and closing the door.

“I’m good here,” I said, gripping his arm and getting rid of the heels.

“Look, I need to get this out before anyone says anything, and I don’t mean this to be insensitive, but—fuck, does no one stay dead anymore?”

I looked up at Myles.

“Not that I want yer ma to be dead, and if there was a way to bring Ella back, I would. But…we thought Christov was shot dead, and he showed up in California. Then we thought Mya was dead, and she sprang up out of the ground like a fucking crazy daisy. Now, yer ma? Who’s next? I’m startin’ to think I need to go check where I buried Owen just ta make sure the fucker’s still there.”

He crossed his arms, and I snickered. Then, I broke into laugher so hard I couldn’t catch a breath, and my stomach hurt.

At first, I was the only one who seemed to think the question was hilarious, but soon everyone joined. The room was reduced to hysterical laughter that could only come from the darkest of pain.

Tears ran down my face from not only the humor of the ridiculous moment but also the reality of the situation. Sobering, I wiped my eyes and looked around at the guys who were all standing close but still gave me space. I appreciated that. I needed to stand on my own, not be coddled or consoled right now.

I slowly shook my head in disbelief.

“I don’t even know what to say, to ask, or where to start. She lied. All this time…she hid, and no one knew but Dean Henry. I get that he has to keep things secret, but…my mother being alive…I don’t get how he can keep that to himself. How could he look me in the eye and act like that was normal?”

Nash raised his hand like Lip had downstairs, and we all turned toward him. If he said he knew all this time, I was going to Superman leap across the room and beat him to death.

“I’m coming clean.” He cleared his throat, and my hands balled. “I didn’t know the whole time, but…I had a feeling that she was.”

“What the fuck, man?” Myles growled. My thought exactly. “Fuck, I hate it when you keep shit to yourself. It’s gettin’ real old.”

“Fuck off, Myles!” Nash glared at him. “You can’t have it both ways. You say you don’t want to keep secrets from Ren, but I couldn’t tell her yet because I had no fucking proof. Are you saying you wanted me to tell you, and then force you to hide it? You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”