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"Coffee?" I asked as I added water to the coffee machine. If in doubt, lead with caffeine.
"I'll never say no to coffee." Mum slipped into a stool and rested her elbows on the marble countertop. Her engagement and wedding rings were so chunky and ornate, they took up most of her finger between her knuckle and the first joint. Any bigger and she wouldn't have been able to bend the digit.
"So… Nice honeymoon?" We might as well continue with small talk.
"It was lovely." She smiled like a woman head over heels in love. It was adorable in an, 'ewww, mushy stuff with my parent,' kind of way.
"New Zealand is beautiful at this time of year. Any time of year really. We went on a helicopter ride in Rotorua and landed on the side of Mount Tarawera. The view was incredible. And the dormant volcano wasn't bad either." She gave me an exaggerated wink.
My mother's attempt at winking left a lot to be desired at the best of times.
"I thought about asking the pilot to fly us back home so he could meet you, but you seem somewhat busy right now." She didn't even try to hide the fact she was fishing. She clearly wanted an update on me and the guys.
I might give her one, once she was forthcoming with what I wanted to know.
"Did you know Leo was involved in organised crime?" Shit, I hadn't intended to be that blunt, but when the words were out, they were out.
The coffee machine bubbled and started to pour out an espresso.
Such an ordinary sound as the counterpoint to an extraordinary question.
She didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. Not even one drop of surprise showed on her face.
"Yes," she said simply. "I've known since before I met him. How do you think we were able to afford the lifestyle we had before Leo?"
Yeah, I suspected that, but to hear the words coming from her mouth was a different thing altogether. Especially with no attempt to deny anything. I thought she'd at least hesitate.
She placed a palm on the countertop and leaned over closer.
"Before you get all worked up, I didn't tell you because you didn't need to know at the time. I wanted to keep you out of that life for as long as possible."
I stepped back until I was pressed against the bench in front of the coffee maker, physically as far as I could get while being in the same kitchen.
"Not forever?" I asked. "Why would you want me involved in it at all?"
She raised her hand briefly to gesture around the kitchen. "Because most people can't afford places like this. I want the best for you. I want you to have everything you need and want, without having to worry about where the next meal is coming from. If that means stepping into morally grey territory, so be it."
"So you made that choice for me when you asked me to come to Dusk Bay?" I asked. "You knew what would happen?"
"Not really." She sat back. "The most I expected was that you would finish your degree and leave to get on with your life. I didn't realise you'd let those boys drag you in so deep or so quick." That was definitely a look of disapproval on her face.
It was a bit fucking late for that.
"Why does that bother you?" I handed her the coffee, then put my cup in place in the coffee machine to let it fill.
"Because there's morally grey, and then there's those three boys." She curled her hands around her cup. "Mannix seems very ambitious. I'm not sure Isaac is all there, and Ares is downright grumpy and unpleasant."
I couldn't help my body from stiffening the way it did when she spoke.
None of what she said was wrong, not exactly, but there was so much more to them than that.
"I like them," I said, my voice tight. "Leo doesn't seem to mind Mannix and I being together." If there was anyone's opinion Mum cared about, it was Leo's.
"Leo might be slightly shortsighted where his son is concerned." She sipped her coffee. "Maybe I should talk to him."
Maybe I should fling my hot coffee in her face and see how it sounded when she screamed.
Where the fuck did that thought come from? I should try to get some more sleep. Clearly I wasn't getting enough right now.
