The Insiders Read online

  “Why?”

  “Just do it,” he snipped at me—and just like that, I relaxed.

  We were on firm ground again, ground I was familiar with.

  “Yeah. Okay.”

  I handed the phone back to Matt. He spoke a few more words before hanging up. Turning to me, regarding me with raised eyebrows, he asked, “What would you like to do now?”

  We both knew I wouldn’t be sleeping.

  I took a deep breath and considered what I needed to know to feel safe.

  I needed to know the lay of the land. I wanted to know all of the security measures they had in place, physical and cyber, and I wanted to gauge any holes myself.

  “Tour.”

  Matt said, “Tour it is.”

  NINETEEN

  They had a bowling lane.

  A pool with a waterfall. A tennis court. I already knew about the basketball court, the nine-hole golf course. I knew about the water fountains, but there was one inside the house as well. A movie theater room. Cyclone had a room where his friends could play air hockey, foosball, a pool table, a basketball hoop that I’d only seen at arcades. Seraphina had her own friend room, too, with a modeling stage, a photo shoot area, a selfie booth, and a rotating closet with clothes for dress-up. There were three makeup tables along the wall.

  Matt didn’t take me to Quinn’s section of the house, but he stopped in his old room. Besides having his own entertainment area right outside his room, like the others, complete with a sectional couch that spanned the entire room and a movie screen against one wall and full-length bar against the other, his room was relatively normal. A desk. A large bed. A bathroom. That was it, besides the walk-in closet and his own entrance. The other two didn’t have that.

  I was overwhelmed. Seriously and totally overwhelmed.

  This wasn’t a life I could’ve had. There was no way I could stand with these people, with everything they were given. That was not what Hayes women did. We worked. We hustled. Hayes women kept going, no matter what happened to us.

  Hayes women persevere.

  Matt must’ve sensed my anxiety. His eyebrows went up. “Whatever’s going on in that head, don’t worry about it. I know I give Kash a lot of shit, but the guy’s saved my ass almost a dozen times. If he says you’re safe here, you’re safe here. Don’t get scared because I was the dumbass who broke in.”

  He was mistaking my silence, but on that matter, he was right.

  I took in his room. “You guys have … a lot here.”

  The tour took a long time, and to be honest I wasn’t paying much attention to time. I knew it was early morning by now because the sun was starting to show through the windows. If Matt was tired, he never let on. He was patient through the whole tour.

  He nodded, leading me out to sit in his entertainment area. Plopping down on one of the couches, he threw his leg up on the table in front of him. Leaning back, his arms spreading over the backs of the corner he was in, he frowned at me.

  I followed at a more sedate pace, curling up in the far corner. I was tempted to pull a pillow over my lap, but I just toed off my shoes and pulled my knees up, hugging them to me. I gazed back at him, resting my chin between my knees.

  He seemed about to say something, when a soft and feminine cough came from the hallway, just past the doorway that connected Matt’s “wing” with the rest of the house. Quinn stood there, not in a ball gown like the other day, but still looking just as exquisite. She wore a soft cashmere bodysuit. The front crossed over her body, connecting with a tied sash at the waist. There was a lace bodice underneath, but she was very classy. Her hair was swept up in a French side bun, and like the other day, there was no jewelry at all. She had a clean, simple, natural look to her, but I knew her makeup was as good as if a professional had done it for her.

  Crap. This is how she looked so early in the morning?

  No way could I hang with these people. I’d still be walking blind, trying to find the coffee pot, and probably knocking into everything and everyone in my way.

  Before she spoke, I saw two heads pop up from behind her.

  Cyclone’s grinning mischievous gaze sparked back at me, right before he pushed forward, shoving his mom aside as he darted ahead. “Heya, Girl!” He ran around the couch, launching over the table to tackle Matt. “Heya, loser asswipe!”

  He was wide awake too.

  When did these people get up? Was this normal?

  Matt’s arms shot up, catching his little brother. “Oh really? I’m the loser asswipe?” He laughed, rolling Cyclone to the cushions beside him and starting to tickle him. “I’m the loser?”

  “Loser!” Cyclone laughed as his legs were flailing in the air. He landed a good solid kick to Matt’s face. “Whoa! Sorry. I’m sorry, Matt.”

  Matt jerked back, a hand cupping the side of his face, and he turned away.

  Silence. Total silence.

  “Matt?” Cyclone’s eyes were wide with fear.

  A sniffle came from behind Matt’s hand before he jumped back on his little brother, pinning him back down and tickling him with no mercy. “Gotcha, you little punk. That’s what you get for kicking your older brother. Huh? Huh? Am I right?”

  Cyclone was trying to wrestle, but he was no match for his older brother.

  Quinn wore a fond expression, with a resigned patience there, too, as if this were a common occurrence.

  It was then that I noticed that Seraphina had stepped farther out from behind her mother, more to the side. They were holding hands.

  Seraphina looked almost exactly like her mother. Same cornflower-blue eyes, same honey-blond hair, but with a touch lighter streak to it. It couldn’t compare to her mother’s, but Seraphina’s hair was wispy, with a bit of natural volume and frizz to it. She had some flyaway strands that couldn’t be contained in the braid her hair had been put in. Similar high cheekbones and a heart-shaped face with a pert little chin. She could be a model. Long arms and legs that she was still growing into, but she didn’t have the teardrop eyes her brother and mother had. She must’ve taken after her father, like the rest of us.

  The rest of us.

  That was the first time I lumped myself in with them, as if I were one of them.

  But I wasn’t. I was the outlier.

  “I can see we weren’t the only ones up early this morning. I think we’re all a bit ‘feisty’ from the lack of sleep.” The same fondness, shot through with a frustration, too. Quinn raised her chin up as both her boys paused in their wrestling, which had taken them to the floor by then. “Matthew, perhaps you and…” Her eyes darted to mine. “Kash’s friend could join us for a late lunch later today? Seraphina has her lessons at three, remember?”

  Matt scoffed, grabbing Cyclone and lifting him to his feet as he stood. “I did not, dear Mother, realize my being here may upset Seraphina’s precious lessons in how to be a lady.”

  Quinn wasn’t amused. Her mouth pinched together.

  Seraphina giggled, looking down at the floor.

  Matt smirked, still holding his brother captive. Cyclone was trying to kick out of his hold, but not enough to actually be set free. “I’m surprised Victoria is coming today. Does she not realize that Kash isn’t here?” His smirk dropped to a meaner glint. “She’d be wasting her time.”

  Cyclone stopped kicking.

  I could see from the angle that Seraphina’s eyes had widened, but she kept her face pointed downward.

  The only one who moved was Quinn herself, and it was when her eyes narrowed. “Be nice, Matthew, or I won’t be, either.” Her gaze slid my way and her threat was evident.

  Cyclone watched her too, and his head popped up. “Why’d you be mean to Kash’s friend? She’s Kash’s friend.” He said it like it made the most perfect sense in the world, as if he had been asked if his name was Cyclone or not. The whole tone was a resounding “Duh.”

  “Yes, well…”

  Seraphina looked up now, watching her mother with those same big eyes. Her mouth opened, ju
st a centimeter.

  Quinn took in both of her children’s gazes and her face clouded over. She cast me a tight closed-mouth smile. “Seraphina’s been asking to meet Kash’s lady friend, and Cyclone has talked about you as well. Both are eager to get to know our mystery guest more. Would you like to sit with us for our lunch later today?”

  I gazed at her.

  She was really beautiful, and it took a second before I realized she was addressing me. And waiting for a response.

  My gaze fell back to Seraphina and I saw the curiosity there. It was banked, hidden behind a few walls of her own, and some shyness, but I saw it. I felt it, too. Her and Cyclone. I wanted to get to know them both—and Matt.

  “Yes.” My voice was hoarse for some reason. I cleared it, speaking clearer. “Yes. I’d love that, actually.”

  Seraphina shyly grinned. Cyclone snorted.

  Quinn said to Matt, “We’ll be in the family room at one then.” Her gaze fell. “Cyclone, let’s go and get you dressed for the day.”

  He looked down at his outfit, a yellow polo shirt and khaki shorts. Mumbling, as Matt lowered him to the floor, he followed her out. “I thought I was dressed. This is what Marie put out.” Seraphina trailed behind, and all of them disappeared around the corner. “Do I really have to change? What’s wrong with these clothes?”

  I couldn’t hear her response.

  Matt walked to stand next to me, both of us watching where they had gone. “You ready for that?”

  My response was automatic. “No.”

  He looked at me.

  “But those are my siblings.”

  I wanted to know them. No Quinn, no Victoria (whoever she was) would deter me. “We have to dress for this thing?”

  Matt snorted. “God no. That’s just Quinn. You scare her. You’re not like…” He was searching for the right word. “You’re not like the rest of us. You’re not scared of her. Maybe that’s the best way to say it?”

  “She terrifies me.”

  He laughed, starting ahead. “Don’t let her know that. Come on. We’ve not slept. I doubt Quinn did either, but we’ve a few hours of downtime before lunch. You want breakfast?”

  I gave him a look

  He laughed. “Right. Let’s watch a movie and see if we can not think, at least, until lunch then.”

  We turned down another hallway.

  Theresa was coming out of a room, took one look at me, and her eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. She made the sign of the cross over her forehead and chest.

  I was thinking I’d need more than that sign, but okay then.

  TWENTY

  Matt had two drinks down before Quinn showed, with Cyclone coming ahead of her and Seraphina following at a more sedate pace.

  The movie hadn’t helped.

  I’d been restless the entire time.

  Matt went from drinking coffee to now drinking alcohol. I couldn’t blame him.

  I was used to my little cousins trying to act cool and subdued. There was none of that with Cyclone. He was just himself.

  It was refreshing. And Seraphina just seemed kind, excruciatingly kind.

  Cyclone launched himself into the chair next to Matt, panting slightly. He smiled at me before turning to his older brother. “When’d you get here, Matt? What was going on last night, with all the guards and Miss Bailey in Marie’s room? Is she going to die? Is everyone okay? Mom said everything was fine, Miss Bailey was cold and she just needed a hug to warm up? Is that because Kash isn’t here?” A breath. A pause, and he wasn’t done. He slid to his bottom on the chair and started with me. “How’d you and Kash meet? Why isn’t Kash here? Did you guys have a fight? Are you the kind of friends like Mom and Dad? Do you kiss, then walk away from each other? I thought Kash was with Dad?”

  Oh, sweet Jesus.

  The kid really was the Tasmanian Devil.

  No one else seemed perturbed. A cool smile came to Quinn’s face as she lowered herself to the seat across from me and next to Matt. Nodding to one of the servers, who brought over a drink for her, she replied, “I don’t think Miss Bailey is that type of friend with Kash. I think she’s the kind like Victoria is with our family.”

  He frowned.

  Matt shook his head.

  Cyclone said, “But Victoria is always hanging all over Kash.”

  Matt coughed to cover up his laugh.

  My eyebrows went up.

  Seraphina was watching her little brother as if she’d been given sour lemonade to drink.

  The only one unaffected was Quinn herself. She barely blinked, no joke. “Maybe we can focus on eating instead of asking twenty questions?”

  Cyclone. “But why? Marie told me to always ask questions if I don’t understand something.” He pointed at me. “I don’t understand who she is. If she’s Kash’s friend, why isn’t he here? If my friends are here, I don’t go and leave them alone. Marie said that’s bad manners.” His head popped up farther. “You said that’s bad manners too, Mom.”

  Matt cleared his throat, sliding out of his chair. “I need something stronger than this. Excuse me.”

  I wanted to go with him. I wanted to hide under the table like I was the ten-year-old.

  Instead, I moved to face Cyclone better. “So, have you ever known someone who was sad about something?”

  He nodded, his eyes so rapt as he listened to me.

  “Well, that’s kinda what I’m going through.” I hated lying. Hated it. And still, I was so damn good at it. “So I used to love someone, like your mom and your dad love each other, but that person decided he didn’t want to be with me.”

  Cyclone was still silent.

  “And there was a reason I couldn’t stay where I used to live, because I’d see him. He was around a lot, and a friend of mine is Kash’s cousin. She suggested I come here to stay with him. That’s what is going on. Kash is here for me, but he still has to do his job.”

  I was talking to him like he was younger than ten. I got that. But sometimes when something’s confusing, that’s the best way to handle it. Strip it down to the bare bones and go from there.

  And because I didn’t want to get sympathy from my little brother for a lie, I distracted him. “How are you doing with the robot rabbit? Has your dad helped you with your switchboard at all?”

  It worked.

  His eyes grew wide, wider, and the widest. He whispered, awed, “You know about switchboards?”

  “I do.”

  “How?”

  That was it. Hook, line, sinker. The rest of us didn’t even need to be there as we ate because Cyclone was shooting question after question at me, all about robotics, engineering, switchboards, and what kind of wiring would make the most cohesive connection. I could almost see the rest glaze over in boredom, but no one was protesting.

  Matt seemed to be getting a kick out of the whole conversation. He kept watching Cyclone, me, then swinging his head to Quinn and smirking. By the end of our last course, which was just two spoonfuls of sherbet with a mint leaf over the top, Seraphina was yawning. She lifted her hands to rub at her eyes. Quinn caught one, stopping her.

  “Don’t mess your eyes up, darling.” She swept the table, lingering on me, then Cyclone. “Honey, your own tutor is coming as well. You have just enough time to go to your room, have a play or a nap, before Benjamin arrives.”

  Cyclone’s nose wrinkled up. “I want to work on my robot. Can Bailey stay and help me?”

  I was Bailey now, not Miss Bailey.

  I felt a nice tickle in the back of my throat at that one.

  “No.” Quinn was no-nonsense, standing from the table as Theresa came in to start collecting the rest of the dishes. “Benjamin travels a great distance to teach you German. He’s very expensive, so we don’t want to waste his time. Seraphina, sweetheart…” She ran her hand down Seraphina’s hair, tucking the end of her braid over her shoulder. “Victoria will be here soon. Are you ready for your lessons of the day?”

  Seraphina, who I still hadn’t heard sa
y a word, snuck a look at me, then nodded at her mother. “Hmm.”

  “Pronounce your words, dear.” Quinn cupped her daughter lightly under her chin. Her tone was disapproving, but the smile was all love. “That’s the basics of being a lady in our society. The world will expect you to use your words. Understand?”

  She squeezed softly.

  Seraphina smiled, whispering, “Yes, Mother. I understand.”

  “Good.” Her hand dropped, but her smile spread bigger. “You’ll do amazing.”

  “Thank you, Mother.” Another whisper.

  Quinn nodded to me, that smile dimming. “It was lovely to have you for lunch. I assume that Matthew will see to you from here now?”

  Matt stood, his gaze a little dark and locked on his stepmother. “But of course, Quinn. Being such good friends with Kash, and coming here in her time of need, she’s practically family.” He paused a second. “Just like the Bonhams.”

  Quinn’s eyes snapped to his, and she froze in place. Her face took on a haggard look, then a blink, and she was smiling again. “Drew and Amanda Bonham are wonderful friends of ours. I don’t think Miss Bailey will be the same. She’ll return home before long.”

  Where was the popcorn?

  A slow grin spread. Matt added, “Yes. I’m aware how close the Bonhams are with you, and you never know with Bailey. I won’t let her down.”

  I waited. Seraphina and Cyclone paused too. Quinn and Matt were at an impasse, but Quinn forced out a wry chuckle. “Yes. Of course. I’ll see you both later, hmm? I’m off to a charity meeting.” She turned, a bit clipped in her movement. “Seraphina, let me know when Victoria arrives, would you?”

  “Of course, Mother.”

  Quinn left the room.

  Tiny arms wrapped around my waist. Cyclone tipped his head back, looking up at me. “We have family movie night when Dad comes home from his trips. Kash comes too, sometimes. Would you come without him, if he didn’t?”

  He was inviting me to family … Emotion ripped through me. “Of course I will.” My little brother asked, so I was going to make it happen. I grinned back down at him, hugging him. “If you need help with your robot, you can ask me. I’ll see if I can help.”