Page 28 of Liars

Carson:Tell her yourself when you call.

I rolled my eyes. Such a Carson thing to say.

The mention of cops reminded me I needed to check in with the detective on my parents’ case to see if there had been any developments. I wasn’t sure I trusted Donovan to relay all the details. I wanted direct contact from the source.

Tossing my phone onto the bed, I ran a hand through my hair, glancing about my room—a room I was growing to detest. Dabbles of morning light streamed through the massive window. It would be too easy to roll over and go back to bed. Sleeping was the only way to numb the constant pain that constricted my chest.

But if I wanted to uncover the truth, even if I had to get answers myself, I had to get out of this house. I didn’t know the first thing about being a detective, but there were answers waiting to be discovered. I just had to ask the right questions and talk to the right people.

None of which I could do from bed.

I swung my legs over the side of the mattress just as the intercom in my room beeped. “Mr. Corvo would like you to join him for breakfast in ten minutes,” a voice announced through the speaker. Amelia, if I had to guess.

“Wonderful,” I grumbled, padding to the intercom and responding with a quick fine.

Ten minutes didn’t give me much time. Donovan would have to deal with my rumpled, sleepy appearance. I didn’t bother to change but headed downstairs still in my flannel bottoms and oversized T-shirt after a quick use of the bathroom. As my toes touched the hardwood floors of the first level, voices carried from down the hallway.

I followed the boisterous sounds, growing in volume with each step I took, but when I came close to the dining room, I paused. Donovan and I weren’t having breakfast alone. I knew those voices. I recognized those twisted degrees of laughs. His sons.

Amelia caught me staring at the archway, seconds away from turning and bolting back to my room. Before I could run, she placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and guided me inside. “They’re waiting for you. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Her chatter, however fleeting, took my mind off the thought of having breakfast with the Corvo family. Until I had four sets of eyes on me and the volume in the room went from rowdy to deafeningly quiet.

I swallowed, hating being put in the spotlight.

With a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, Amelia piloted me around the table to an empty seat. I never felt more of an outsider than I did at this moment, slipping into the chair across from Kreed. His silver eyes were hard as he stared at me over platters of scrambled eggs, sausage, French toast, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, and fruit. I never ate this much in the morning and definitely not before I had a healthy dose of caffeine.

“Could I have a coffee?” I glanced behind me to ask Amelia before she could make herself scarce.

She gave me a friendly smile, her eyes softening sympathetically. “Of course. I’ll be back in a moment.”

The tension hovering over the table was the same feeling I got when I did something bad, like I was about to get in trouble.

Shit.

Last night.

Donovan knew.

I shot Kreed a narrowed look. Had he told his father, or had it been Evan?

It was far too early to deal with the fallout of my actions last night.

Shifting in my chair, I tried to ignore the awkwardness that made me uncomfortable.Hurry, Amelia, I really need that caffeine jolt.

Donovan sat at the head of the imposing table. His steely green eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that made me want to continue to squirm. The silence in the room was heavy, broken only by the faint ticking of a grandfather’s clock and the clatter of Mason’s fork dropping onto his plate.

The sudden clang drew my gaze toward him, and the twin winked at me from beside Kreed.

On my left side sat Maddox, lounging in his chair as if he were bored as hell.

Donovan set his coffee on the table and cleared his throat, pulling my focus away from his sons. “So,” he began, his voice low but cutting. “Care to explain what you were doing skulking around outside last night while we eat?”

My stomach twisted, the idea of food not sitting well, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. “I wasn’t skulking. I just needed air.” The lie rolled easily off my tongue.

Kreed scoffed as he scooped a pile of scrambled eggs onto his plate, and unlike the urges I’d had before to hurt him, this time Ididn’t hold back. With my lips pressed firmly together, I kicked his shin under the table.

Kreed jerked slightly in his seat, a piece of egg falling off his fork onto the table. His eyes flashed with surprise and his mouth swiftly morphed into a scowl. Next to him, Mason laughed as he stabbed at a stack of French toast.

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