The Defiance Falls Trilogy by Dean Ali

Author:Dean, Ali [Dean, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2019-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Everyone was already at the house when we arrived. They were in the backyard, where Ian, the twins’ dad, was manning the grill.

We knew we’d have to wait to get the low-down from Jeremy. No matter what was going on, this family made Sunday dinner a priority. I hadn’t joined in years. Neither had Spike or Moody. But I’d liked knowing the twins at least had this time with Hazel. It gave us a small connection to her.

Anyway, I hadn’t gotten a chance to think about how my presence might be received. Vanessa, Jeremy’s older sister and the twins’ mom, was the first to ask, “So, now that you and Hazel are finally together, will we be seeing you at Sunday dinners, Cruz?”

It was a rhetorical question, apparently, because Mimi said, “Oh, and the occasional breakfast. Did you know that Hazel’s going to relax her training a bit this season? I think it’s a great idea.”

Ian closed the grill and looked over his shoulder. “Relax training? What, no five AM wake-up calls to hit the gym? Define ‘relaxing’ in Hazel Ross terms.”

And just like that, my relationship status was accepted by the rest of Hazel’s family.

It was odd, sitting beside Jeremy on the back deck and shooting the shit. He’d just come from a six-hour meeting with a mafia boss, and here we were chatting about the Red Sox. I wasn’t so impatient to find out the outcome of the meeting. I figured if he was here, we had at least this time before we had to make a move. I wanted to pause it, chill here for a little while longer. It was so damn nice to just be.

Hazel was kicking around a ball with the guys, and I was attempting to keep my mind at PG level. It wasn’t working too great, even surrounded by all three men who’d raised her. She’d been sliding her phone out of her back pocket and giving it death stares for the past ten minutes. Finally, she took it out and headed inside. Of course, I followed her.

“Who is it?” I asked.

She was walking toward the bathroom and handed me her phone before going inside.

Three different numbers were on a group text with her; none of them were contacts from her address book.

Unknown number 1: Did you make a decision? We saw what we saw, Hazel. Maybe it was a coincidence, but the police might not think so.

Unknown number 2: We would have said something sooner but the guys are always with you. They’re dangerous.

Number 1: Until Cruz got arrested, we’d convinced ourselves we shouldn’t tell anyone. Now, we think we should. But for you, we won’t. If you help us in exchange.

The third number wasn’t chiming in. I figured that was Melissa. She seemed the least on board with this little scheme.

When I heard the toilet flush and the sink turn on, I glanced back to see if anyone else was in the house and then opened the door and shut it behind me.

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