Page 116 of Something True


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Chapter 46

Together, Joel and Jake studied my uncle, who was slowly backing away, as if planning to bolt.

Jake turned to Joel and said, "We could toss him together. You grab his legs. I'll get his arms."

My aunt made a little huffing noise. "That's it! We're leaving!" She turned to my uncle and barked, "Get the car."

He frowned. "You want me to use thefrontdoor, or…?"

With a tight smile, she said, "Of course I want you to use the front door. What other door would you use?"

My uncle's mouth opened, but before any words came out, my aunt barked, "For Pete's sake, just go!"

My uncle gave a little jump, and then scurried toward the front door. But when he neared it, the guys made no move to get out of his way. My uncle practically skidded to a stop and stared up at them. "Would, uh, you mind moving?"

"That depends," Joel said. "You coming back?"

My uncle lifted his left wrist and pushed back the sleeve of his green sports jacket. He studied his watch. "It's pretty late, so, uh—"

"I don't meantonight," Joel said.

My uncle turned to give my aunt a questioning look.

Joel's voice cut across the short distance. "Hey, Lucky! I was talking toyou."

My aunt stepped forward. "Melody!" she snapped. "Are you going to just stand there and let these…" Her mouth tightened. "…hooligans, speak to your uncle like that?"

I turned and studied the hooligans in question. In spite of their clean-cut faces and normal clothes, they looked dark and dangerous as they eyed my uncle with open hostility.

My uncle took a couple of steps backward and glanced around as if seeking a quick escape.

My aunt looked to me and demanded, "Well?"

I gave her my brightest smile. "Yes."

"What?" she sputtered.

"Yes. Iamgoing to let them." I stepped toward her. "No. Not justletthem.Encouragethem."

Her jaw dropped. "But I'm family!"

She was wrong. She wasn't family. Yes, technically, she'd married my dad's brother, so that made her family in the legal sense. But she'd never been family in any way that mattered.

"And while we're on the topic," I said, "how'd you get in?"

She looked toward the front door. "The door was open."

I knew otherwise. "It was not."

"Well, I don't mean open, open," she clarified. "But itwasunlocked."

I gave a decisive shake of my head. "Nope. Not even close."

My aunt lifted her chin. "How wouldyouknow?"

"I know, because I locked it myself.And, I set the alarm."

My aunt's gaze darted from me to the guys and back again. She gave a little sniff. "Whatisthis? An interrogation?" She threw back her shoulders. "Well, I don't like it."