Blood in the Water (Hunt a Killer Original Novel) by Caleb Roehrig

Author:Caleb Roehrig [Roehrig, Caleb]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2022-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

Dad’s face has lost all its color. “You cannot be serious.”

“As a heart attack.” Paige leans over the desk, enjoying herself.

“Is this real?” He runs his fingers over the embossed stamp on the page, subtly shaking his head. “He couldn’t have been this reckless. He wouldn’t … If this is real, why didn’t he tell me about it?”

“Why didn’t he tell his super-supportive big brother that he was marrying the girl of his dreams?” Paige counters with a saccharin look. “Maybe because he knew you’d tell him he was being stupid and impulsive and immature, and all the other crap you used to tell him, no matter what decisions he made.”

Dad pushes the marriage license away, swallowing. “I cannot believe this.”

“Believe it, baby.” Paige snatches it up again, returning it to her purse. “Flash and I got married on Valentine’s Day, which makes me Mrs. Christopher Fremont, which makes me the girl who gets everything he left behind.” With a flourish, she adds, “Including his half of the Beachcomber.”

“What?” My jaw drops, the pieces refusing to match up in my head. Paige owns half the restaurant now? Is that even possible?

“No.” Dad glares at her, his tone lethal, but she only seems more amused.

“Oh, yes.” She folds her arms. “We’re in business, you and me, and I don’t think I’m gonna take it for granted the way Flash did. I got big ideas, Luke!”

“No,” Dad repeats, a muscle fluttering in his jaw. “I will contest that document. My brother always got depressed during the winter months, and he made a lot of poor choices he eventually came to regret. This would’ve just been another one. He was probably drunk when it happened—I doubt he was in any frame of mind to sign legal paperwork, and my lawyer will—will …”

He trails off, horror etching lines across his face in real time, and Paige cackles. “Your lawyer will—will … what, Luke? Send me a card? We got married at city hall in front of witnesses, including a couple guys from the Double Barrel. Flash knew exactly what he was doing—in fact, it was his idea.”

“Not a chance.” Dad shakes his head. “Not a chance in hell. Everyone knows how much you manipulated him. Getting this annulled will be a walk in the park.”

“An expensive walk, but sure, have at it.” She shrugs, lighting up another cigarette. “I’m not worried. Me and your brother were together for five whole years, so it’s not like you couldn’t have seen it coming. You’re only surprised because you think I’m trash and you never took our relationship seriously.”

They’re so caught up in their conflict that they’ve all but forgotten I’m in the room, and it feels like I’m watching an animal attack on one of those nature channels—I can’t look away. If Paige is really my aunt now, and she really owns Flash’s half of the Beachcomber … what does that mean for us? What can she do?

“I never took your relationship seriously because you never actually cared about my brother,” Dad snaps, cords rising along his neck.

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