I flinch. “What?”
“Do you know anything about this?” Dad asks quietly.
I squirm. “What do you mean?”
“I told you to stay away from that boy. You did, didn’t you?”
Mom pivots around. “Are you interrogating our daughter?”
“I’m asking a simple question.”
“By insinuating she had prior knowledge of this robbery?”
“No, that she had prior dealings with someone involved.”
While putting an arm around me, Mom says to Dad, “Maybe it was in retaliation for you banning him from the property.”
“You can’t be serious, Hilda,” Dad chastises. “You want to turn this around on me because our daughter was fraternizing with a Scorpion?”
“He’s not like them,” I insist. “He wants to get away from The Scorpions.”
Mom shushes me, rubbing my arm briskly. “It’s okay, Vanessa. You don’t need to defend yourself.”
“How can you be so calm about this?” Dad asks Mom. “You understand what kind of havoc those thugs cause to our community. Our business.”
“I’m not calm, Tom,” Mom fires up. “I feel completely violated. These men came into our home and robbed us. I just don’t think it’s helpful to berate Vanessa for seeing a boy.”
Dad’s glare hardens. “You control every aspect of this girl’s life. Did you put a stop to the relationship?”
Mom pushes me back, stepping in front so I’m out of Dad’s view. “Vanessa doesn’t have to explain anything. This has been traumatizing enough.”
“Yeah, Dad,” Ash says flatly, watching us from the other side of the room. “Give her a break.”
Dad lifts his hands, stepping away. “I’m sorry. I’m just stressed.”
Mom turns to me with a pacifying smile. “Now, just be quiet, Vanessa. There’s no need to get worked up.”
“Worked up?” I choke. “I’ve barely had a chance to speak.”
She brushes back my hair. “What are mothers for?”
How can she be worried about serving her own interests at a time like this? She’s never fought so hard to protect me before. She could’ve twisted this and ridiculed me for letting Dax into my life. She could’ve forced me to reveal every nook of the mansion I walked him through.
She knows this robbery can be traced back to me, but she’s hiding it. What good does she think will come from this?
“Sir,” Murphy says, pacing into the room. “Sheriff Lennon has set a perimeter around the estate.”
Dad sighs heavily. “Good, because obviously our old setup was abysmal.”
Murphy hangs his head. “Agreed, sir.”
“How did this happen?” Dad shouts, pounding his fist into his palm. “You’re in charge of security, Murphy. Explain to me how those thugs strolled into my home.”
Sorrow plagues Murphy’s features. “I’m sorry, sir, I can’t. They were in the building before I knew they’d entered the grounds.”
Dad’s nostrils flare, and his neck reddens. “Unacceptable. Murphy, your time here has ended.”
I gasp, wringing my hands together, my eyes darting between the two men.
