Page 69 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
“Let me think this over,” Ethan told her. “I’ll call you in the morning.” He looked at his wristwatch. “I have to go.”
“Thank you, Ethan.” Trinity’s eyes shone with unshed tears, and she launched herself into his arms, hugging him and giving him a grateful kiss. “I’m so sorry I did this to you and to Stella.”
“You need to tell Stella that,” Ethan advised her, untangling himself from her arms. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
With that, he turned and continued down the corridor to Alex’s office. He knocked on the door and waited.
“Come in,” Alex called, and Ethan stepped into his office.
“Oh, it’s you!” Alex drawled.
“You who?” Bailey’s voice echoed from the tablet propped up in front of Alex.
“The one we were talking about and now have to stop talking about,” Alex told her.
“Oh!” Bailey said before calling to Ethan. “Hello, big brother. I hear you’ve had quite the day on top of which you accused my otherfavorite brother of terrible things without giving him a chance to defend himself.”
“Hey!” Alex grumbled at his little sister. “I told you all that in confidence.”
“And now I’m telling Ethan in confidence.” Bailey laughed. “Where is he?”
“Hi, Bails.” Ethan stepped behind Alex and waved to their sister. “I need to talk to Alex.”
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of little sis,” Alex said to Ethan.
“Yes, and that might be a good thing because at least I can be a witness if one of you kills the other,” Bailey reasoned.
“You should also hear what I have to say,” Ethan said, pulling up a chair and sliding beside Alex so he could see Bailey.
“By all means, make yourself comfortable,” Alex’s tone dripped with sarcasm.
“All that’s missing is the truth ball,” Bailey told them. “Then this could be family confession night.”
“Then we’d need Mom and Dad,” Ethan pointed out, “ as they were the ones who would preside over confession night.”
“How come Mom and Dad never had to confess anything bad they’d done that week?” Alex asked.
“Because it was their counsel and house,” Bailey answered. “We need something for the truth ball.”
“We can have a pretend truth ball,” Ethan suggested. “Whoever has the invisible truth ball is bound to tell the truth.”
“Okay.” Bailey and Alex agreed.
“I want to go first,” Bailey said, pretending to pick up the truth ball and hold it with both hands. “Benny’s accident was my fault.”
“I knew it!” Ethan said, shaking his head in disbelief at his sister.
“I didn’t plan it,” Bailey told them. “It was an accident.” Her eyes narrowed. “And since the new Hawkman has become my security detail, I realize just how lucky I was to have Benny.”
“Mom and Dad said you like Brock.” Ethan frowned.
”IhateBrock,“ Bailey seethed. “The man is arrogant and bossy and a hundred times worse for taking security seriously than Benny was.”
Something in her voice raised alarm bells. There was a knock on her door.
“Hold on,” Bailey said, putting the invisible truth ball down before disappearing. “I’m busy!” They heard her growl in the background. “I don’t need you for the rest of the day. Go do whatever it is tinmen do with their time off.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s time for your room check,” a deep male voice sounded off-screen.
