Page 68 of Vexatious Queen

“Victoria Genovese, have you ever known me to be so shallow?”

She shook her head.

“No, but⁠—”

“There are no buts. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it however many times you need to hear it. You are my daughter, and I love you. No matter what happens between your mother and me that won’t change, and neither does your paternity.”

My throat clogged up when Vicky hugged her father, and a soft sob drifted down the hallway. I was turning into a big softy.

“I don’t want to go to her condo tomorrow. I just can’t this weekend,” Vicky said, stepping back and wiping her face.

“Then you stay here. You’re technically an adult and don’t have to stay with either of us. But I’m happy that you feel comfortable and safe here, and you are welcome anytime. If you don’t want to go to your mother’s penthouse suite…you don’t have to. If you don’t want to talk to her tomorrow, I’ll take the call. But just this once. I can’t always fight that battle for you.”

He chuckled and then smiled.

“Thank you, Papa.”

Mr. G wrapped his arm around Vicky’s shoulders and squeezed her before she walked into her bedroom. He then casually sauntered along the hallway and turned at the far end.

I waited a few seconds longer, then stepped out of my hiding spot and walked to Ren’s bedroom.

The bedroom was dark, and I grabbed the first backpack on the floor and jammed my hand inside, fishing around for my phone. I never wanted Lip to need me and not be able to reach me. My fingers brushed over something plastic in the small, zippered compartment, and I pulled it out before thinking. My heart sank when I saw the baggie of white powder with a little fairy on the front.

Taking a closer look at the black backpack confirmed what I already knew. It was Blake’s.

There was also no way this came from us. The last shipment I’d delivered was before Lawrence died, and we didn’t have fairies on our packaging.

“Fuck.”

Marching over to my pack, I opened it and found my phone in the front pocket. There were no new texts, so at least that was good news.

Fuck it, I wasn’t doing this again. I fucking loved Blake, and if he was using, then it needed to be dealt with now and as a group. No more secrets was our motto. It was a work in progress, but this was too big.

Stomping into the rec room, I hated to ruin this perfectly calm, drama-free evening. I walked around the large couch and chairs until I was standing in front of the television.

“What the hell are you doing? We can’t pick a movie with your ass in the way,” Nash grumbled as he held the remote like he was trying to get the infrared to bend around my body.

“Shut it off. We need to talk.”

Nash’s face went from happy with a dash of annoyed to serious, like a click of the remote. He shut off the television, and everyone stared at me.

“What’s wrong,” Ren asked, and I looked down as I collected my thoughts.

“Just spit it out,” Liam ordered.

“I just found this,” I said, and held up the little baggy.

Everyone looked at Blake, and he jumped up immediately.

“You went through my bag? Am I so untrustworthy that you felt the need to search my shit? Is this because of what happened at the hospital, because you said we were good?”

“What happened at the hospital,” Liam asked, but I ignored the question.

“I am fine with it, and naw, I didn’t go searchin’ yer bag on purpose. Ours were sittin’ together, and I grabbed yours in error, but that doesn’t change what I found in it.”

“Fuck…it is not what it looks like,” he said, and I tried not to scoff.

Blake stepped toward me and then spun around to face everyone else.