Page 41 of Worse Than Wicked
Baron picks up his glass, takes a drink, and then sets it back before putting a hand on my knee. Some little part inside me tears, that he made that gesture look natural, subtle, by taking a drink first, so no one would notice that he’s comforting me in a moment of torment. No one else knows me like he does. Even though my face, my mannerisms, give nothing away, Baron knows. He knows, and he’s grounding me with a touch, forcing me into my body so I can’t spiral in my mind. I have to focus on enduring a touch, so I can’t retreat to my head.
Usually that’s where I go for safety, but sometimes, it’s the most dangerous place of all.
My heart is hammering, but I concentrate on Baron’s hand and not the panic that Preston knows. That somehow, he found out, and that’s why he wants to get his baby away from Grandpa Darling. But I’d rather him know about me than have him find out another way, if something happened to the baby to bring his suspicions to light.
I think I’ll be sick.
“So, the family has been discussing options for him,” Dad says. “Would you like to have some input, Mabel?”
He looks at me, but I can’t speak. They’re all staring. If Preston found out, did he tell them? Do they all know?
Numbly, I shake my head.
“I can think of something we could do with him,” Baron says.
Colt turns to him, and my breath catches. They’ve been civil for me, because they know that I’m with Baron, but none of them will ever forgive him for the things he did to this family. Not just to me, but to Colt, Dad, Aurora.
“Why are you even here?” Colt demands. “This is a family matter. James didn’t bring—”
“Colt,” Dad barks, cutting off my brother.
“James brought himself,” Baron says to Colt, cool as anything. “He admits he’s not part of the family.”
“He didn’t try to destroy our family.”
“Oh, so you’re only pissed because we didn’t lay down and take it?”
“He didn’t do that,” Dad says. “He took his freedom and ran with it.”
I think I hear a trace of wistfulness in his voice, and I wonder if he’s wishing he’d done the same. His wife would have been spared, like James. Even Mom was spared the worst of it. The Dolces didn’t bother with anyone as long as they left town and left me alone.
“So you’re pissed because when we fought back against your family, we were successful,” Baron says.
Colt shakes his head. “That’s what you call success? We’re still here, and your family is more fucked than ours.”
“Maybe I should go,” James says.
Baron gestures to him. “Or, if you’re saying only blood gets a seat at the table, why is your mom here?”
We all turn to Aurora, who’s gone a little pale and shrunk down, clutching the arms of her chair like she knows there’s conflict happening around her, even if she’s not cognizant of what it is.
Colt’s nostrils flare with anger, and his voice is icy when he speaks. “You want to talk about my mom? Let’s start with why she’s like that.”
“She’s like that because she did a sloppy job,” Baron says. “Like everyone in your family always did. Just look at Mabel.”
Everyone stares for a second, and I’m sure they’re thinking about how I jumped off that bridge, how I failed to complete the act just like my stepmother. But I know. I know what Baron means, that he won’t come out and say it because he knows that it’s not his secret to tell, but he’s furious about what Grandpa did to me. He hates them for not protecting me. That’s why they hit my family hardest, while Preston’s and Magnolia’s and even Devlin’s were hardly touched.
“I think you need to leave,” Dad says, his voice deadly calm.
Colt gives a curt nod, and I see the same rage shimmering under his surface, but he’s trying to keep things under control in front of guests, just like Dad. They’re so much alike.
“That would be wise,” Colt grits out. “In fact, I’m not sure why you’re in Faulkner at all. Didn’t Gloria tell you it was hunting season when you came back to town?”
“And yet, she’s nowhere to be found,” Baron says. “Oh, that’s right, she’s locked up in the nuthouse because like your family, she can’t get the job done. Guess she’ll fit right in.”
“Maybe you should ask Dixie if you don’t think she’s capable of hurting someone,” Colt says with a little smirk.
“Dixie is off living her best life with no repercussions for what she did to Lo, or you, or Mabel,” Baron counters. “My point stands.”
