Chapter 27
TINLEY
Ifilled Rayna in on some of what happened yesterday at the FBI place. It was all kind of scary, and I wasn’t looking forward to more discussions with Agent Stanley, but if it helped someone, I had to keep talking about it. It was the conversation with my aunt I was dreading.
Josh walked out into the atrium. He put on a brave face, but he looked worried. I wasn’t sure why.
“Sweet T.” He reached a hand out and I took it. “Your aunt is on her way from the hotel.”
I walked back inside with him and sat next to him on the couch.
“I’m nervous,” I whispered.
Josh took my hands and warmed them between his.
“It’s understandable.” He kissed my hand.
“What if she asked me questions?” I wasn’t sure how to talk to my aunt without my mother here. We tolerated each other because of my mom, but one on one, it was new and scary.
“You share what you’re comfortable sharing.” Josh kissed my other hand.
My nerves calmed a little. He did such a good job taking care of me and making me feel safe.
Rayna sat at the table, cradling her arm, while Kyler fed her.
Minutes before, she spoke, flailing both arms as she told me about her spanking from last night.
I didn’t get a chance to tell her my spanking story, but I kind of wanted to keep it to myself for now.
Watching them filled me with joy. The warm home with smells of breakfast coming from the unknown.
It was magical. Being with these people was magical and I didn’t want it to end.
The bell rang. We all jumped.
Josh stood up and looked down at me.
“Want me to get it?” Rayna stood up. Kyler set her right back down.
“No, I’ll get it.” I waved her off and stood. I smoothed down my sweater and looked down at my slippers. They made me smile. They weren’t too little, were they? I smiled up at Josh. He nodded. We both walked to the door and opened it.
Charlotte stood a few steps down, facing the street. She scanned it before facing back toward us.
“Oh, hello.” Her voice was cold and kind of haughty.
She rushed forward and pulled me in for a hug.
Thankfully, it was quick, and I didn’t have to push her away.
“Tinley. Thank goodness you are okay. I’m so happy you came back to us.
” She held me at arm’s length and her gaze traveled up and down my body. I fought the urge to cover up.
“Why don’t you come inside.” Josh stepped back. “It’s cold out there.”
She reached out her hand to Josh. He shook it.
“Come in.” I waved her inside. She stepped into the foyer and looked around. “What a beautiful home. Is this your home, Mr. Burroughs?”
“It’s our family home,” he answered. “Welcome.”
Charlotte walked into the main room and whistled but coughed to cover it up. “It’s simply lovely.”
Lovely. Charlotte didn’t use words like lovely.
“Can I take your coat?” Josh asked. She pulled it off and handed it to Josh.
“Oh, hello.” Charlotte addressed Kyler and Rayna.
“Charlotte.” I stepped next to her. “These are my friends. Kyler Grant and Rayna Smith.” The door to the basement opened. A man carrying two platters of food stepped in.
“And are you another friend?” Charlotte pressed her lips together.
“This is Jacob.” Josh gestured. “He’s a chef at one of our hotels. We asked him to cook us breakfast.”
“Of course.” Charlotte made a weird swirling motion with her hands. Her eyes darted around. Jacob set the food on the table.
“Can I get you a drink?” Kyler stood up.
“I’ll take a mimosa.”
“Oh, me, too,” Rayna chimed in.
“You will have juice,” Kyler answered.
She nodded and smirked at me. I held in a giggle.
“Why don’t we sit down?” Josh pulled out a chair for Charlotte.
“So, you all live here together?” Charlotte asked.
“Uhm, Charlotte.” I sat next to her. Josh sat next to me. “How have you been? What’s going on in the old neighborhood?”
“I’m doing better now.” She pouted. “It was so hard when my sister passed away. I felt so alone.” She dabbed at her eyes with the napkins. “It was like my whole family was lost at the same time. But now you’re back.” She grabbed my hand. I counted to ten before sliding it out from beneath her hand.
Jacob set another platter on the table. “We have mini egg gallates, cinnamon French toast, hash browns, and bacon and sausage. Fruit and my homemade pan biscuits. Y’all enjoy!”
“Thanks, Jacob.” Kyler laid Charlotte’s drink in front of her and then went back to join Rayna at the other end of the table. “Let’s dig in.”
We busied ourselves with passing plates of food. Kyler filled Rayna’s plate but handed the platter to Josh. It was so cool how easily they maintained their dynamic while in the presence of company. I peeked over to see if Charlotte noticed, but she wasn’t watching them. She kept her eyes on me.
We fell into an uncomfortable silence interrupted by appreciative moans over the food. I nibbled on a biscuit, my stomach in too many knots for anything to go down. Josh placed a hand on my leg, squeezed, and patted it.
“You look amazing.” She reached for another biscuit and smeared it with butter and jelly. “At least they didn’t starve you over there.”
The whole room froze. Including my throat mid-swallow. I gasped and that made it worse. I pushed back from the chair, and Josh had his arm around me and leaned me forward.
“Spit it out.” Josh’s booming voice made my body involuntarily spit the lodged piece of biscuit on the floor.
“Are you okay?” Josh handed me some water. I took it. “Small sips.” I followed his direction and handed the water back to him, nodding.
“I’m sorry.” I looked around at everyone.
Rayna and Kyler were concerned. Charlotte looked away.
Was she embarrassed?
A veil of doom had hovered around me since Charlotte walked in and now it descended on me. I shivered. Josh wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m okay.” I tried to shrug him off, but he held me firmly. I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes, but he wasn’t concerned with how his hands on me might look. “Really. I’m okay.”
I adjusted my chair back up toward the table but didn’t eat anymore.
“Tinley tells me you’re an artist,” Rayna said. “What medium do you typically work in?”
“I’m a sculptress,” Charlotte answered. She pulled out her phone. “I work with mainly industrial pieces. I see beauty in everything.”
Charlotte went on some time about her work, passing her phone around to show us her latest pieces.
“I’d love to see my stuff in hotels and office buildings.
” She flipped to another piece on her phone and handed it to Josh.
“Now wouldn’t they look amazing in a hotel lobby or something? ” She squeaked and smiled.
“It’s really dynamic.” Josh nodded and handed the phone to Kyler, who frowned at him but took it.
“Very expressive,” Kyler deadpanned.
“Charlotte.” I stood and took her phone from Kyler and handed it to her. “Maybe we can talk in private.”
“Okay.” Charlotte stood up. We walked back toward the solarium. I gestured for her to sit.
The space warmed by the sun felt like a blanket. I sat opposite her. Before I could gather my thoughts, she began to speak.
“It’s amazing how you got caught up with these guys.” She looked around. “Do you know how much Kyler Grant is worth?”
I shook my head.
“It must have been so hard for you.” She frowned and reached out to squeeze my knee. “The whole time you were gone, I knew you were alive. I just knew it. Your mother knew it too.”
“What happened to mom?” I knew the facts but not the details.
“She died of a heart attack.” Charlotte sat back. “I’d like to say she died of a broken heart when you left.”
“I didn’t leave.” I leaned forward. “I was taken. Kidnapped. You know that, right? Damon was killed in front of me and then some men took me and no, they didn’t feed me well. They didn’t take care of me. They hurt me.”
“But you’re free now, right?” Charlotte’s eyes grew wide, and she leaned her chin in her hand. “These guys, you don’t owe them anything, right?”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Listen. When you get home, things will be better.” She patted my leg again. “You can come back to Philly and figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Your room is still exactly how you left it.”
“I don’t—”
“Are you still drawing? Maybe we can collaborate on something.” Charlotte stood up. “Why don’t you get your stuff together and we can get on the train back to Philly and in a few days, we can begin building your life again. We’re the only family we have now.”
Funny. Charlotte didn’t feel like family.
She reminded me of someone familiar, but not family.
I peeked into the family room and spotted Rayna’s worried expression.
Kyler tried to calm her down. Josh sat at the table, his head down, but peeked occasionally in our direction.
When I would catch his attention, he’d try to smile, but it didn’t feel like Josh’s smile.
I followed her back into the living room.
“As soon as Tinley gathers her stuff, we’ll be out of your hair.
” Charlotte clapped her hands and the whole room jumped.
I looked around the room and everyone seemed sad.
I smiled at Rayna, but she pouted and stared up at Kyler with those big brown eyes.
“Come on, Tinley. Where’s your stuff? I’ll help you. ”
“That’s not necessary.” Josh stood up and waved for me to follow him. “We’ll be right back.”
My heart dropped, but I followed him.
He stepped into the room we shared and pulled my suitcase out of the closet and set it on the bench at the end of the bed. He pulled other things out of the closet. I couldn’t concentrate and keep the tears out of my eyes. Another suitcase appeared and more clothes were tossed near it.
Josh moved so fast it made me dizzy.
I walked to my side of the bed and grabbed Clarence and set him in the case. I then grabbed my sketch pad and pencils and walked to my backpack and shoved them in. My muscles wouldn’t move. I felt like I was in quicksand, trying not to sink further. He was in an awful hurry to get rid of me.
Josh disappeared into the bathroom and came out with my hair stuff and set it on the dresser. He walked back into the closet. I traced my hand across the edge of my suitcase. It was empty. I looked over and for the first moment, I realized he wasn’t packing for me.
These were his clothes.