Page 184 of Tag

He was still built like the athlete he’d been in his college days. His cocky grin had passed directly to his sons. His dark hair was just starting to gray at the temples, the lines around his eyes deepening the kindness in his expression. He hugged me tight, then stepped back so Tiffany could pull me into her signature soft, floral-scented embrace.

“I can’t wait to have you all here for break,” she murmured. “I miss our big get-togethers.”

“It’s not too far off,” I replied with a smile.

She was as beautiful as her husband. Tiffany Voss turned heads without trying. Golden skin, thick mahogany waves, ice-blue eyes framed by lashes most girls paid for. Some people said she was off her rocker. I never saw it.

She’d always been the sweetest to me. Fierce when it mattered. Billy got her sister pregnant, and she never once took it out on Cade. She protected him. Loved him. The boys were hers. No questions asked.

Then my parents came in, Sugarmama on my mom’s arm and Nonno trailing behind them, tossing cashews in his mouth like he owned the place. Which, honestly, he kind of did. Thebasement was his pet project back when finishing it meant outdoing every other grandfather on the block.

My dad hugged me again, his third or fourth that day. He’d been missing me more than he let on. Dressed down in joggers and a black tee, he still looked like he could walk into a courtroom and win. Sugarmama bypassed greetings entirely, floating straight to the snack stash, her silk kaftan trailing behind her like royalty.

And just like that, the room was full.

Loud. Familiar. Alive.

For the next hour or so, I could pretend the world outside this house didn’t exist.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

RYDER

The movie ended about fifteen minutes ago. Cade was passed out cold in one of the reclining chairs, head tipped toward Sassy’s shoulder, mouth slightly open. I nudged him with my knee, careful not to jostle her. She didn’t stir, which didn’t surprise me. My girl slept like a corpse. Unless it was one of her four alarms or a fire drill, she wasn’t waking up.

I slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back, lifting her without effort.

“Got her?” Cade asked, rubbing his face as he slowly sat up.

“I always do.” I adjusted her in my arms. “Head out, get the car ready. I’ll meet you.”

Everyone else had already migrated upstairs. The smell of popcorn lingered faintly as I carried her through the hallway and up from the basement. The living room was alive with conversation and scattered pizza boxes, a low hum of laughter rising over the end credit music still looping faintly from downstairs.

Sugarmama paused mid-sip of her wine as I passed, her eyes sharp and knowing. My sister caught my gaze from the couch, one leg draped over Shakira’s, whispering something with a grin that made me certain they were talking about us. Sassy curled into my chest as I carried her up the next staircase and down the hall, instinctively tucking herself closer like she always did. She fit perfectly against me, weightless and warm, her breath feathering against my collar.

I nudged her bedroom door open with my shoe.

The room was dark, the only light source coming from the hallway and a thin silver streak spilling in from the slightly open curtains. I laid her gently on the bed, her head sinking into the pillow. Her brows twitched like she might wake, but she didn’t, just mumbled something under her breath and shifted, one hand reaching out like she was looking for me. I pulled the blanket up around her shoulders, smoothing it down. Then I moved to the window and tugged the curtains shut, leaving just a narrow slit of light cutting across the room.

When I turned back, her eyes were half open, glazed with sleep. “You’re leaving?” she whispered.

“Only for a bit,” I said, crouching beside her. I brushed a loose strand of hair away from her cheek. “Go to sleep, Sass. I’ll be back.”

“Later?”

“Later tonight.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She nodded, then she drifted off again.

I lingered for a second, watching her, everything inside me going still. She looked so peaceful, tangled in her sheets, the room hushed around her like the world had hit pause. This was what I wanted. Not just now, but always.

I stood, gave her one more glance, and pulled the door shut behind me on my way out. I moved through the house, barely glancing around. Mom was deep in conversation with Sassy’s parents, so I managed to slip out quietly. The night air cut across my skin as I jogged down the driveway and crossed the street, but I welcomed the sting. I needed the clarity, knowing whatever I was about to do wasn’t going to be clean.

The Voss estate loomed ahead, iron gates already parted like jaws waiting to close. The windows stood dark and still, watching me like unblinking eyes as I walked jogged. A pair of cars idled off to the right. Inside, the foyer stretched two stories tall, the marble floor slick beneath my shoes. The chandelierabove cast fractured shapes across the family portraits that lined the staircase.

I ignored the grand staircase spiraling toward the family’s private quarters, bypassed the sitting room, and the library. I didn’t pause at the double doors to the dining room where Cade and I used to sneak pastries during our parents’ endless charity galas. Those moments belonged to someone else, some version of us who hadn’t learned yet what it meant to live with blood on our hands.

My steps echoed as I reached the far end of the hall.

---