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Even the sound of his voice sounds rich, and I swear there’s a slight hint of an accent somewhere within it, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. “Hi,” I say politely before I rise to my feet, my attention turning back to my mom. “How exactly is he my uncle?”

  “He’s my half-brother. We share the same father but different mothers. I knew of him, but this is the first time we’ve met,” she explains to me.

  I glance at him, scanning him from head to toe as I once again take in his designer clothing. He’s got ‘wealth’ written all over him. There is no way my mom would neglect to mention a rich half-brother. If she’d known of him, she would have been trying to glean money off him years ago. My mom has a strong work ethic, and I have to admit she works hard, but if someone’s willing to give her handouts, she’ll take it. I can’t help but feel a bit suspicious. My mom’s parents died several years ago in a car accident, but they’d never once mentioned my mom had a younger sibling.

  “Khristos has been meaning to introduce himself for a while now, but after hearing what happened…” my mom’s voice trails off.

  “I thought I’d drop in and check up on you both,” Khristos finishes. His eyes linger on my throat, and I see them darken with an emotion that I can’t even begin to decipher.

  The attention he’s focusing on the ugly bruises has me reaching up and touching the tender skin self-consciously. Suddenly, I’m aware of how frumpy I look. Plus, I hadn’t bothered to take a shower today. It’s not like I want to impress him, but I’m usually a little more put together, even if my wardrobe is meager at best.

  My mom clears her throat. “You look tired, Livvy. Why don’t you try to get some sleep. You can talk more with Khristos tomorrow,” she suggests.

  I look at her intently, and I can see an odd sort of excitement in her gaze. Either something’s up, or she’s hoping to get some sort of financial aid from him. If that’s the case, I don’t want to stick around and watch her hint for handouts. “I think I will. Um, it was nice meeting you, Khristos,” I say lightly but also a bit warily.

  “You too, Livvy. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

  After a brief moment, I tear my eyes from his and turn to leave the living room. Why is he here? I feel like there’s something else going on, but I’m not in the mood to figure it out. I have enough going on at the moment, I don’t need to add to it.

  ***

  The next morning, I find my mom’s ‘supposed’ brother in our living room when I wander out of my room in search of breakfast. He looks odd sitting on our ratty couch in his nice clothing. Today it’s a casual long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. It might look casual, mind you, but even from here I can tell the material is costly. My mom is sitting on the opposite side of the couch, drinking coffee. Her eyes are trained on him with absolute fascination.

  I’m telling you, he can’t be her brother. Like I said before, she wouldn’t neglect to tell me something this important. She’s also got that gleam in her eye that says she thinks he’s hot. Sisters do not flirt with brothers. Even half-brothers, at that.

  Khristos notices me first, and his eyes lock on mine. “Morning, Livvy.”

  Why is he here so early? Did he stay the night? I would think not, because by the looks of him, he can easily afford a hotel room. Or a suite. Hell, probably a penthouse suite. Or had he literally stayed with my mom? If he’s not her brother than they could have… I so do not want to go there. No one wants to think of or even imagine their parent or parents having sex. Gross. But if he’s not her brother, why lie? What would be the reason for it?

  My mom clears her throat deliberately, and I realize I’ve been lost in thought, completely ignoring Khristos’s greeting. “Morning,” I murmur before I turn and go to the kitchen. I search the cupboards for some cereal and find that my mom hadn’t had the chance to get groceries yesterday. I spy a box of granola bars and pull it out, only to find that it’s empty.

  “Why don’t I take you both out to eat,” Khristos suggests smoothly.

  I can’t resist glancing at him with annoyance. My mom might take handouts, but I don’t.

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” my mom immediately announces. She smiles hugely as she rises to her feet. “We’ll be ready in five,” she assures him as she walks towards me.

  Is she serious? I give her a look as she nears me. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” I protest.

  “It’s just for a little bit,” she says, nudging me out of the kitchen.

  I allow her to pull me into the hall, and then she hustles me into my bedroom. “Mom! He’s not your brother, is he? What’s the point of lying?” I ask as I turn to her, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “He’s my brother,” she says simply. Then, she gives me a parental look of authority that she rarely ever uses with me. “Now, get dressed. He has some things to discuss with us.”

  “Like what?” I ask suspiciously.

  “You’ll find out over breakfast.”

  “I haven’t even taken a shower.”

  “Two minutes,” she warns.

  I give her a look and hurry towards the bathroom. I take a quick shower and braid my wet hair so it looks halfway decent. I slip on a pair of fresh jeans along with a cute teal blue shirt before sliding my feet into sandals.

  Before I know it, Khristos is escorting us to an expensive looking SUV parked outside our apartment complex. I get goose bumps as I climb into the back seat so my mom can sit up front with him. I’ve never been in a vehicle this expensive before. It feels weird, and I don’t like feeling out of my element. I’m not a control freak by any means, but rich people are way outside of my comfort zone.

  As Khristos expertly maneuvers the vehicle through the morning traffic, my mom tries to draw him into a conversation. I watch them intently as they interact. She’s interested in him, it’s in her body language and the way she looks at him. He, on the other hand, is much more reserved. He doesn’t seem like much of a conversationalist, so he only speaks when she asks a question. I’m glad to see that the interest doesn’t seem to be mutual. It’s kind of unsettling that my mom finds her own brother attractive. The fact that she does is what has me suspicious of this entire ‘half-brother’ thing. I just get this feeling that there’s more going on than they’re admitting.

  I’m relieved when Khristos pulls into your regular run of the mill restaurant that serves breakfast. I’m thankful he chose a normal place versus a classier one. Of course, neither I nor my mom could pass as classy, so I’m guessing he’s wanting to save himself the embarrassment.

  We’re seated promptly, and I feel chilled, because the restaurant has their air-conditioning up high today. It’s supposed to be a scorcher, but as of right now, it’s only in the mid-seventies. As I gaze at my menu, I can’t help but think that this summer royally sucks. It’s just barely began, and my ex-boyfriend has already tried to kill me. Maybe I should be grateful that I have the entire summer ahead of me. School’s going to be a nightmare in the fall. It’s bad enough my only two friends I’ve made at school in the past year are ignoring my phone calls. I don’t have any close friends. All my friends are basically Brad’s friends. They’ve all known him their entire life while I am the newbie that moved here a year and a half ago. Of course, they’ll take Brad’s side over mine.

  “Livvy?”

  “Hm?” I ask as I glance up at my mom. I realize that a waitress has approached us and is waiting for my order. I try not to flush and order the first thing I see as I glance down at the menu. When the waitress walks away, I reach for my ice water and take a much needed sip.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, Livvy? I’d like to get to know you better,” Khristos comments as he studies me from across the table.

  “Uh, sure.”

  “Are you okay with discussing Brad Leske?”

  My body goes tense, and my eyes dart back to my mom. How can she be sure he’s not a reporter?

  She sees the doubt in my eyes, and she gives me a reassuring look. “He’s not a re
porter. He doesn’t even live here. He’s from Minnesota.”

  I want to point out to her that he doesn’t have to live here to be a reporter, but I’m trying to be polite. Just because I am suspicious of him, doesn’t mean I need to make this outing more awkward than it needs to be. It’s just breakfast. We’ll eat, and then we’ll go home, and hopefully he’ll go do whatever it is he usually does in his free time.

  “I assure you, Livvy, I am not a reporter,” Khristos tells me firmly. “I just want to get to know my niece. If the topic of Brad is off limits, we can discuss something else.”

  “I’d rather not talk about him,” I say simply.

  He nods. “That’s fine.” He settles back in his chair, looking relaxed. “I meant to visit you both a long time ago, but things got quite busy on my end. Life is just beginning to settle down, so I think this is the perfect time to get to know you,” he tells me.

  It doesn’t escape my notice that my mom was not a part of that sentence. He seems oddly more focused on me rather than her. I’m getting the impression that he finds her a minor irritation. “Are you sticking around for a while?”

  “Actually, that’s what I want to discuss with you. I need to leave in a week or so, and I was hoping that perhaps you’d come with me,” he says lightly as he watches me intently.

  I stare at him. “Come with you? To Minnesota?”

  He nods.

  “Both of us?”

  “Just you,” he corrects. His eyes slide to my mom. “Caroline and I have discussed it, and we think it’d be good for you to get away from here after what happened.”

  My eyes jerk to my mom. “He’s kidding, right?”

  “I have things to take care of here, but I’ll relocate this fall when you start school,” she explains.

  “Start school?” I look between the both of them, and they look serious. “You think I’m going to pack up and move to Minnesota with some guy I don’t even know? Mom, that’s ridiculous.”

  Khristos leans forward to peer at me. “The whole reason for you coming to live with me is so that we can get to know each other.”

  I ignore him and focus on my mom. “You just met him yesterday! How do you know you can trust him? If you’ve never met him before, how do you even know he’s your half-brother?” I demand. Forget politeness. I think my mom has lost her mind!

  Instead of agreeing with me, she looks at me patiently as if she’s dealing with a child rather than a seventeen-year-old. “He’s legitimate, Livvy. And really, are you that excited to start school in the fall after what happened with Brad? Do you really want to stick around here and deal with all the stares and accusations?”

  “Weren’t you the one who told me last night that I didn’t do anything wrong?”

  “And you didn’t,” she tells me simply as she reaches for her water. “But the fact of it is, he’s in a coma, and you’re walking around perfectly healthy. Your own friends won’t even answer the phone when you call. Why stick around here when you could start a new life there?”

  I can’t believe this. This conversation is absolutely ludicrous. I turn on Khristos. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know you.”

  He nods. “Understandable. That’s why I’ll spend a week here so you can get to know me, and then you’ll feel more comfortable leaving with me when the time comes.”

  “No. I’m not going anywhere,” I say stubbornly as I settle back in my chair, my jaw set.

  Caroline sighs as she sets her glass down. “Think about it, sweetheart. Khristos is offering you something you’ll never have here. He’s wealthy, and he has connections. You’ll want for nothing, and you’ll be safe. Think of your future and what moving could do for you.”

  I glare at her. “I’m not going to ride someone’s coat tails to get what I want.”

  “You’ll have more options than you would have here,” Khristos intervenes.

  “You’re talking like I’m going with you. I’m not,” I retort. Before anything more can be said, our waitress comes up with our food on a tray. We’re all silent as she sets out our plates and asks if we need anything else. Once she walks away, I reach for my fork and ignore my mom and Khristos as I begin to eat. The topic of me leaving Missouri is over. They can’t make me go anywhere.

  “Livvy,” my mom begins. “I want more for you, and I can’t give it to you here. Khristos is offering you a secure home while we live paycheck to paycheck. I want you to go with him.”

  I set my fork down calmly and look at her. “I’m fine where I’m at.”

  She shakes her head, and her lips pinch together slightly. “No, you’re not. Your ex-boyfriend almost killed you four days ago, we’ve got reporters hounding us left and right, and we both know school is going to be bad for you here. You need to go with him.”

  I scan her face, searching for some kind of explanation for this sudden need of hers to send me off with this man that neither of us know. I’m not understanding any of this. My mom should be begging to come with, so she can live in the lap of luxury with this man. So why is she intent on staying in our seedy little apartment? “What about you?” I ask, needing to know why she wants to stick around.

  “I’ll be fine. There’s…someone I’ve met, and I want to see how things go. I’ll relocate this fall,” she promises.

  I mull over her explanation. If she’s staying here for a man, that would make sense. My mom’s always dating someone new, and when she falls for someone, she quickly becomes infatuated with them. A new thought enters my mind, and I shake my head and look at them both. “I need to stick around anyway. This thing with Brad is still going on, and I highly doubt the police will allow me to leave the state so soon,” I point out. There. That’s a good excuse to put an end to this conversation.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Khristos says simply as he takes a sip of his orange juice, his eyes lingering on me over the rim of his glass.

  I’m betting he would, too. Going by his demeanor, and the fact that he’s got money, I’m betting this man has some serious connections. And I’m in trouble here, because they both seem to have their minds set. I turn on my mom again. “Mom, you can’t be serious. How do you even know you can trust this guy?”

  “He can be trusted, Livvy.”

  “What part of ‘I don’t want to go’ do you not understand?”

  “When you’re a mother, you’ll understand what it’s like to want to put your child’s welfare above your own. I think moving will be good for you. And I’ll be there in the fall. It’s just three months without me, Livvy. I think you can handle it.”

  “But—”

  “No one will know you there. You’ll start a new school without a reputation making things difficult. We both know school is going to be out of the question here. I was considering moving once this thing with Brad is done, so Khristos isn’t really suggesting anything that I haven’t thought of already,” my mom points out.

  “I think we should put this conversation on hold for a bit,” Khristos speaks up. “Let’s let Livvy get to know me for the next few days, and then we’ll go from there.”

  “That’s a good idea,” my mom says immediately.

  “Do I get a say in any of this?” I ask with irritation.

  “Of course,” they both say in unison.

  Chapter Two

  I stare out the jet's window as I gaze at the clouds we're flying through. My mind is a complete mess as I try to sort out my thoughts. It's been two weeks since Brad tried to kill me, and everything has changed. Literally everything.

  I’ve always had expectations as to what my life would be like. Yeah, life has been difficult in the past, and I knew there’d be times when it wouldn’t be easy. But I just figured I’d live with my mom until I turned eighteen, and then I’d make a new life for myself. Something better than how I grew up. I expected my future to still include my mom, even after I found my place in the world.

  Instead, the proverbial rug has been pulled out from beneath me. My futur
e, the one I’d assumed I’d have, has disintegrated. The expectations I’d had, they’re just gone. Now I’m left floundering as I try to get my feet beneath me once again. But in order to steady myself and move on, I need to know what I’m dealing with.

  And that’s the problem.

  I don’t know where my life will lead.

  I’m on a jet flying to some town I've never heard of before. If that’s not bothersome enough, I’m on my way to live with an uncle I never knew I had. They’d told me I’d have a choice in this, but in the end, the decision had been made for me. It hadn’t mattered that I’d fought against it. The fact of it is, I’m a minor until September. If my mom wants to send me to live with a relative, she can legally do so. How could my mom have gone along with it? How could she have just signed over guardianship to Khristos Deveroux? That’s what I don’t get. Actually, he’s not my legal guardian yet, since it’ll take another week or so for the request to become legal. But even so, here I am.

  I guess I can understand how my mom would think moving away would help me deal with the aftermath of Brad’s attack. Getting out of Missouri is actually a bit of a relief. But wouldn’t it have made more sense for us to leave town together, to move to some other city or town and start over? I mean, that’s what we’re best at. I think the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place is two years. So why send me off with an uncle I’ve never met until a week ago, when we could leave together?

  And speaking of said uncle, where the hell did he come from? I mean figuratively, not literally. I know he came from Cherry Creek, Minnesota, because that’s where I’m heading, but mom has never, ever, said anything about a brother. She’s always insisted she’s an only child. It’s always been mom and me against the world. Her parents had her late in life and had died in a car accident years ago.

  As for Khristos Deveroux, she's never mentioned him before, and I don’t understand why she’d kept it from me in the first place. My mom wouldn’t keep a rich relative a secret, because she’s the needy type.

  It just doesn’t add up.