Page 122 of Wicked & Wildflower

Leo lets out a laugh. “Yeah. They’ll do that to you.”

“I don’t understand the logic behind it,” he continues. “But at the time, I guess she felt it was the only thing that was going to keep him from coming after Darby and forcing her to go back to Kansas.”

“Darby’s a grown woman.” I shake my head. “He can’t force her to do anything.”

Leo nods but adds, “She clearly learned to blackmail from somewhere. I mean, the guy is manipulative and controlling. He forced Darby back home once before, and I know it’s something Dahlia feels a lot of guilt about. I think she was afraid of him succeeding again.” My brother looks down at the counter, frowning. “She told us sheowedus this, that it was her turn to protect Darby. She thinks it’s her fault Darby went home all those years ago, her fault Darby lost…” Leo doesn’t finish his sentence.

“Dahlia was not responsible for that,” I snap. “That was an accident, and the aftermath of it was no one’s fault buthis.”

“I agree with you,” my brother shoots back. “Darby and I have never blamed Dahlia for a goddamn thing.”

I nod, feeling sorry for assuming otherwise. My face falls into my hands. “This is fucked.”

“Yeah,” Leo agrees. “Darby broke down when she found out, and we agreed she doesn’t need this kind of stress so close to the wedding. I told that kid to fuck off with his notes and come to me if he receives any more messages from their dad. In the meantime, we’re going to get through the next few weeks and then figure out what to do.”

“The only thing there is to do is hand those files over to authorities and put that piece of shit in prison.”

“I know.” My brother nods. “But that’s not up to us. We need to let them figure that out on their own. That decision comes with a cost too.”

I let out a long sigh. “Fuck.”

Rounding the counter, Leo pats my back as he takes off toward the back door. “C’mon. I’ve got something for ya out here.”

I follow him out of the house and into their detached garage. He flips on the light, unlocking a small box on the top shelf where he stores his surf gear. He turns to face me, smiling with a joint between his lips and a lighter in his free hand.

“Let’s go take a walk.”

“Are we bad boyfriends?” I ask, blowing out a puff of smoke.

Leo snatches the joint from my hand. “We left a note.” Taking a hit, he adds, “Plus, we checked in, and all was well. We locked the door behind us. They’ll be alright.”

I nod. We reach the end of Oceanside Avenue, taking a right down Pacific Street. We checked in on the girls before we left to find them both sound asleep. I ran upstairs and peeked in Lou’s room too. She was out like a light. We made sure the house was locked up tight before we took off toward downtown.

“They needed their sister tonight, and we needed our brother.”

God, I remember why I don’t smoke with him anymore. Leo gets annoyingly affectionate when he’s high.

“How’s Elena?” he asks, sounding suddenly solemn.

With all the chaos surrounding Dahlia and Darby, we hadn’t had the chance to even address that our sister is finally home after three years. I hadn’t had the capacity to talk about it, I don’t think, but the weed has my head feeling a little quieter and my body feeling a little lighter.

“She’s okay, I think.”

Leo nods. “She at your house?”

“Yeah. Mom and Dad waited up for us, so they were there with her when I left.” I look at him, watching his throat work as he inhales another hit. I can tell he’s thinking deeply. “You’re going to go see her, right?”

He turns to me, eyes narrowed. “Of course.”

“Good.”

I turn left down an alley that separates Pacific and Strand, heading toward the house I know but never visit. “Where are we going?” Leo asks, catching up to me.

“August’s.”

I hear him halt behind me. “At one-thirty in the morning?”

“You know he’ll be up.”

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