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“Are you sure about that?”
He nods with confidence. “Yes.”
“She was obsessed with your father, though. Right?”
“She was.”
“When she couldn’t have him, she clearly went to his half brother, who we still know nothing about. Perhaps she didn’t feel the same way about William’s child as she felt about Brad’s child.”
“No, I can’t imagine—”
“This is a psychopathic woman, Ryan. Not a normal protective mother.”
“God.” Ryan grimaces. “I have to say it was the first thought that crossed my mind when you told me it was three men. And Pat Lamone is what? Twenty-eight?”
“Twenty-seven, I think. One year younger than Rory Pike.”
“The timing works. The three of them were still alive…and still engaging in sickening acts.”
Ruby and Ava arrive, both red-nosed with swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
“Brendan, what are you doing here?” Ava asks.
“I was concerned when Luke told me you left the bakery.”
“I’m okay.” She sniffles and walks into my arms. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I kiss the top of her pink head. “Me too. What do you need?”
She pulls back, meets my gaze. “I’ll be all right. I’m still me.”
“You are.” I brush my lips across hers, not caring that her parents are watching us. “Nothing will ever change that.”
“I have a lot to tell you, but first I need to talk to Donny and Callie.”
“What about?”
“Something called the future lawmakers club at Snow Creek High School.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell with me,” I say.
“Me neither, but apparently it was a club that both my grandfathers and my biological grandmother were a part of, and it may still exist. Donny and Callie may remember it since they were both interested in law.”
“Okay. I’ll take you back to town.”
“It’s okay. I have my car.”
“Why don’t we just have Donny come over here?” Ryan says. “I’ll give him a call. It’s almost dinnertime. You two can stay, and—”
“I can’t stay, Ryan. I have to open the bar.”
Ava smiles. “I’ll stay. You go ahead back to town. I’m okay. I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Promise?” I trail a finger over her cheek.
“Promise. I’ll text you when I get back to my place.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Ava
Donny and Callie are hardly in the door when I pounce.
“I need to know everything you know about the future lawmakers club at Snow Creek High School.”
Donny takes Callie’s jacket from her and hangs it on the coatrack in the entryway. “Good evening to you too, cuz.”
Michaela takes Donny’s blazer once he removes it.
“Goodness, Ava,” Mom says. “Let them get inside the house first.”
I can’t help myself. I’m starved for information. I’ve finally got a lot of the story behind my ancestors, and though it’s nausea-inducing, I’m determined to find out everything.
“Don, Callie, what do you want to drink?” Dad asks.
“Just Diet Coke or water for me,” Callie says. “Thanks.”
“Water’s good.” Donny follows Mom into the kitchen and then the family room. “Something smells good.”
“Michaela made rigatoni.” Dad takes his place behind the bar. He pulls a can of Diet Coke out of the refrigerator for Callie and a bottle of water for Donny. Then he pours a glass of one of his reds for himself. “Ava, Ruby? Anything to drink?”
“I’ll have some of the Ruby,” Mom says, smiling at the mention of her namesake wine.
“Just water for me, thanks.” I take a seat next to Donny and Callie on the leather couch. “So…the future lawmakers…”
“Sounds like something from the past,” Donny says.
“How much do you know?” I ask him.
“I know a lot, unfortunately.”
Yes, he does. But I can’t go there. The thought of what happened to him and Dale, to Uncle Talon…
“I can answer your question,” Callie says. “The future lawmakers club didn’t exist when Dale and Donny were in high school. But they did when Rory and I were there. It was a newer club, and I went to a meeting.”
I drop my jaw and look to Donny.
“Callie and I don’t have any secrets,” he says.
“So you and she both know…”
“About the future lawmakers of the past? Yeah, we do.”
“It was called the FLMC for short. I don’t know who started the club when I was in school.” Callie takes a sip of Diet Coke. “But as I’ve always been interested in law, I went to a meeting once.”
“And…?”
She takes another sip. “There was no discussion about the law or making law at all. It was all about”—air quotes—“sticking it to the man.”
“What’s that mean?” I ask. “I mean, I know what it means. But what did it mean with regard to the club?”
“I don’t know,” Callie says. “I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Soon after that, the club became invite only.”
“Oh?” I lift my eyebrows.
“Yeah, but anyone could get an invite. The FLMC members soon established themselves as troublemakers. They took credit for a lot of the crap that went on at school. When Rory and I decided to try to figure out who had spiked the punch at the homecoming bonfire her senior year, the FLMC was where I was going to start investigating.”
