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“Not now, Gerald,” Joel said. “But we do have questions. For both of them. And for you girls, as well. We need to know what happened to you…”
“And there’s probably the matter…of that truck, too. Probably should mention…that,” the tiny blonde said, shrugging a bit. “You know…lay everything out on the table dramatically and everything. Situation seems to demand it.”
“What about a truck?” Sage asked, eyes narrowed. “A black F-150?”
“Yes. I took it. Borrowed it actually. And I’m really, really sorry. But those guys had run us off the road and taken Devaney and were shooting at me and Dahlia and Dorie and…we’d been told cops in this town were all really crooked.” She shrugged, but Dusty saw the fear. “I just had to get my sister back. And I had to leave Dahlia and Dorie behind to do it. So I ran to the nearest house I saw…”
“I’m rather glad you did rescue me. Considering they almost killed me and that sick dude was feeling me up and everything,” the twin with the bruises said. “But…what exactly did youdothis time,Dylan?”
“I stole—borrowed, really—a truck and drove it to where I could get signal on my phone so I could track your cell phone. I was banking on you still having your phone in your bra. Then I drove it to where those guys had you. Well, here. I’m really sorry about stealing the truck. And I didn’t actually hurt the truck. Here are the keys. I left it in the parking lot when I tracked Dev here, but it didn’t seem right to just leave the keys in it. I mean, someone…could…come by and steal it…and everything, you know…” She shot a completely unrepentant grin at Sage. Dusty just stared—it was Daisy’s most wicked smile, on another sister’s face. “Umm, what exactly is the penalty…forborrowinga truck to save my sister’s life when she’d been abducted by armed goons and my other sisters and I were being shot at?”
“It depends on whether the owner wants to press charges,” Sage said. She looked at Joel. “Should we relocate this party to the station?”
“Why not?” Joel shrugged. “I have to admit, this was the kind of thing I never signed on for when I ran for sheriff, Sage. I’m about ready to turn the county over to you, pack up the wife and girls—and head for the hills. It just keeps getting stranger and stranger around here. Now, I’m going to take my new stepuncle here and get him booked.”
“On what charges?” the twin with the bruises demanded, pulling the younger blonde closer. “What did Dad actually do exactly?”
“I don’t know yet. Except they did abduct Dusty from the highway and kept her overnight. Anddruggedher. I’m not feeling all that kindly toward him right now, for that. I’ll figure that out later. But he is not taking off again—until we get some answers.” Joel looked at Darcey. “Take your sisters back to the family wing. Except…Dusty. Ben can bring her to the precinct so we can talk about the kidnapping charges and what exactly happened here tonight. And…as for that one, I’m assuming she is a Talley girl. Put her in handcuffs and parade her in front of Fletcher first. As for you, kid, try to look really contrite when you see a pissed off strawberry-blond man who looks a great deal like this man right here, but with paler hair. It might…go in your favor. He loves that truck almost as much as I love my wife, I swear. Of all the trucks to steal—you stole Fletcher’s. Talk about bad luck.”
With that, Joel led Dusty’s father away.
Dusty looked at Sage. “You really going to take her in?”
“For now. The boss says to do it. Besides, I think I’m supposed to be on Fletch’s side on this one. Considering. Family loyalty, and all.”
Sage looked at Dusty’s sister—the new, feisty one. Dusty looked at her younger sisters again. It was hard to look at them. Ithurt.
The twin with glasses looked overwhelmed and like she was about ready to cry. The younger girl didn’t look much steadier. The other twin just watched everyone, a considering look on her face, and one hand to her stomach. As Dusty watched, the girl winced. She was hurting. The last thing she needed was to be standing there, dealing with all ofthis.Whateverthiscould even be called.
“I really do have to put on the cuffs, but we’ll remove them once we get past the lobby. No weapons?” Sage asked. Dusty could hear the humor, though.
“Just a smart mouth, I’m afraid. I dropped my deadly meat fork already. Like I said, I don’t regret it. I’d probably do it again, you know. In the same situation and everything. I’m just glad that guy was stupid enough to leave his keys in the truck. I mean, who in the world does that, in this day and age? And the windows were scraped off and everything. It was like a truckie gift from God just waiting for me right there.” The girl—in baggy overalls and Prince Rufus and Wonkus McBubbles tennis shoes, of all things—held out her hands to be cuffed. She shrugged. “Had to do, what I had to do.”
“My future brother-in-law actually.” Sage told her, snapping cuffs on. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll work it out. Under the circumstances. It might make things pretty awkward otherwise, considering. Have you met Ben yet? He’s going to be my other brother-in-law.”
“He’s the hot guy right there, right? Wow. Talk about spicy jalapeños.” Dylan shot Ben a wicked look. And winked. She was almost a pixie-cute version of Marin, really. “Nice to meet you, pal. Sorry about your brother’s truck. But…you might want to tell him to take a bit better care of his possessions. His truck sure did come in handy. I got my little sister back. Can’t beat that.”
Little sister. She was older than the twins, then. And since the one girl was still a teenager—this one was probably older than she looked.Thiswas probably the one her mother had been pregnant with the day she’d left Dusty and her sisters behind.
This one wasthemissing Talley girl everyone had wondered about.
She wasn’t exactly how Dusty had imagined she’d be.
“Shouldn’t you read her her rights or something?” the bruised twin asked, holding the twin in glasses by the hand. The twin in glasses had barely spoken at all. She just looked more overwhelmed than her sisters. More fragile.
Sage laughed. “Oh, I’m not really arresting your sister or anything. I’m just…walking her past Fletcher for the moment. Until he has time to cool off. He’s out in the lobby. Hereallyloves that truck. And I don’t want to deal with him right now.”
Dusty could just imagine what Fletcher, normally calm and unflappable, was going to have to say about his truck now. But as Sage led Dylan out, every thought about her sisters, both old and new, and what was going to happen next flew right out of her head.
Ben was watching her.
She walked up to him, ready to just kiss him every moment for the rest of her life.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Somehow she found herself swooped right up—with her sisters. The ones she’d known forever.
Not the three younger sisters standing there looking like their entire world had come crashing down. As they watched Joel and Zach lead their father and mother away.
