Chapter Fifteen #4
“But they didn’t,” Ollie interjected. “At least that’s not
what Eddie’s said. Maybe in the beginning they hovered, but later on they
pretty much ignored her.”
Sami nodded. “The housekeeper said she always felt sorry for
Tatiana because her parents spent most of the year away from the house. They
would leave money and staff behind. They said they’d often heard her parents
saying they couldn’t stand to be around her. That something was wrong with
her.”
“Yeah, something’s wrong. She’s a cast-iron bitch,” Kala
added.
But Vivian didn’t like the word wrong. “I’d like to
see her medical records. I have to wonder if she’s lying about the physical
abuse part.”
“You think she might have been sexually assaulted?” Archie
asked.
“Well, she doesn’t have a problem with sex now.” Oliver sat
up and seemed to realize what he’d said. “I haven’t fucked her. Though she has
tried. She and Eddie have an open relationship. I know she’s slept with at
least half his friends. She doesn’t have any, but he’s plowed his way through
much of England, if you know what I mean.”
“Victims of sexual abuse don’t always shut down their
sexuality.” It didn’t surprise her that Oliver misunderstood the psychology of
assault victims. “Often they go the opposite direction. Like they have to
explore it to take back their agency.”
“Or in the case of young victims, because they learn that
sex is the only thing they’re valued for,” Archie added. “Again, not an
outlying reaction to what happened to her. She’s probably lying about the
physical abuse or she’s not and the abuse was all mental.”
“But I also must consider the idea that she’s not lying, and
this is simply who she is.” Vivian had been thinking about this much of the
day. When she wasn’t dealing with the fallout of taking down Mal’s ex. Which
had been so amazing. So was the sex they had after. It had been primal and
overwhelming, and her parents hadn’t even walked in on them.
Something bugged her about Tatiana. It felt like they were
missing something. But she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“That has to go into your thought process.” Archie sat back.
“You’ve got a little princess who was the apple of her family’s eye. She gets
kidnapped. She comes back and she’s no longer the darling girl, and her parents
don’t want her to talk about it in public. There’s no record of it in Scotland
Yard’s files or Interpol’s.”
Archie had some serious pull if he could look at both
agencies’ records.
“It was handled by a private security team,” Oliver replied.
“With the help of an MI6 agent.”
“The microchips, of course,” Archie murmured.
Sami’s eyes rolled. “You’re wasted solving murders. You
should be working with us. I can’t believe you put that together so quickly.”
“Well, you know he is the golden child,” Oliver drawled and
took another sip. “There’s always one.”
“Ours was Vivi,” Cooper said with a wink her way. “Though
mostly because she was a miracle baby.”
Kala and Kenzie looked at each other and replied in perfect
stereo. “Tash.”
“Though mostly because she wasn’t us,” Kala said, and Kenzie
shrugged in agreement.
“I wasn’t a golden child,” Archie argued with a sigh. “I was
merely easier to deal with than the two of you.” He looked up and smiled. “Oh,
hello, Sosa. Would you like to join us? I think there’s soda in the fridge.”
Sosa stood there wide-eyed, looking at Archie like he was an
alien from another planet. “I did not be expecting…” She seemed to struggle
with her English, and she rarely did. Her accent was thicker. Then her
shoulders went back, and her expression turned neutral. “Thank you, Mr. Knight.
I appreciate invitation, but I was looking for your mother.”
“It’s Archie. Come on, Sosa. We’ve been talking for months
now.” Archie stood and walked over to the bar, pulling a bottle out of the
fridge. “Mum is gone for a bit. Seriously, join us.”
He popped the top off and moved toward her.
Sosa took the soda, and her cheeks flushed. “Thank you. I
will sit for a moment. I was out with Ian and Charlotte. I am going to America
soon.”
“Well, I’ll be sorry to see you go. I’ve found our talks
very amusing,” Archie said softly. “But I understand Charlotte and Ian have
been good for you.”
What was she looking at and how had she missed it? She’d
known Sosa might have a crush on the middle Knight child, but she was blushing
and fumbling in a way Vivian didn’t think Sosa was capable of.
“They have,” Sosa agreed. “But I will be missing England. I
will miss everyone. I have… I have never had family. This I think is what it
might feel like.”
“We’re not dying, Sosa,” Kala cracked. “And you’ll see us
all the time now. I think Cooper and I might adopt you. Make you our first
child.”
“I thought we were getting a golden retriever,” Cooper said.
Sosa took a long breath, and that strange sorrow was gone.
In its place was the arrogant Sosa she liked to present to the world. “I will
like Dallas. London is so rainy. We’re going in tomorrow? Is the mission a go?
I want to get this over with so I can move to new home.”
She turned from Archie, and Vivian was wondering how they
seemed to have a whole relationship going on and she didn’t know about it. They
should go over that in session. But Sosa would be seeing someone new now. It
kind of hurt that she was so eager to leave London.
Or she wanted everyone to think she was.
She really wanted to know what Sosa and Archie talked about.
Sami yawned and nodded. “Yes. I’ve got a place set up for
you outside the estate. Lucy will be with you in a van about half a mile down
the road.”
“I can go in undercover,” Sosa said quietly. “I can be a
server. They teach me well how to blend in. No one notices servants.”
“We talked about this,” Oliver replied. “I think it’s a bad
idea, and so do my father and Ian. We want to protect you, Sosa. This is the
best way to do it. We don’t want those fuckers to get a chance to lay hands on
you again.”
For a moment, Vivian thought Sosa might argue, but she
simply sat down in between Cooper and Kenzie. “I understand. I will stay with
Lucy. We have control of the security system?”
Sami huffed like that was kind of an insulting question to
ask. “Oh, we have control of everything. The whole place might look like a
setting for Bridgerton, but it’s wired for modern convenience. We have
the cameras, the sound system, everything. If we don’t like the temp, we can
change it. Don’t worry. We’ve got everything ready for the mission, and no one
will touch you.”
“That is good.” She looked to Archie. “Do you know when your
mother is coming back? I need to speak with her.”
“I can get her on the phone,” Archie offered. “She’s gone to
the country house for a few days. She’s been frustrated between all the
technical problems and these two carrying on like toddlers.”
“Are not,” Sami said.
“Well, she is,” Oliver argued. “But I think Mum needs the
quiet. Also, you know she prefers working on that ancient system she insists on
keeping. I don’t even think it has Internet. Were there computers before the
Internet?”
Sosa stood suddenly. “Then I will go prepare for tomorrow.”
Something about the way she walked. Stiff. Like she was
deeply unhappy but didn’t want to make a big deal about it. Was she upset she
might not get to say good-bye to Penny?
Archie stood. “Something’s off with her. I’ll go talk to
her. I think she’s taking the move harder than she expected.”
Vivian sat up as Archie moved away, following behind Sosa.
“Maybe I should talk to her.”
Kala shook her head. “Don’t. Archie’s gotten close to her.
Besides my dad and Damon, he’s the first male she’s allowed herself to be alone
with. I think she’s got a crush.”
“Archie is fascinated by her.” Oliver watched as his brother
disappeared down the hallway. “I’m not sure I would call it a crush, though.
I’m not saying Sosa isn’t lovely, and she can be quite charming, but I’m afraid
my brother is a bit obsessed with studying criminal behaviors.”
“I’m worried he sees Sosa as a subject he’s studying,” Sami
said with a sigh. “But I also know he likes her. I don’t know. Archie is a deep
one. I don’t always know what’s in his head. Unlike that one. Who only thinks
with his dick.”
Oliver frowned. “I think with my brain, too. It’s just my
dick is quite smart. I can’t help it. I have good genes.”
And they were off again. Vivian cuddled up, and they watched
as everyone started to weigh in on Oliver’s dick’s IQ.
It felt good. It felt like family.
But something told her this was all far from over.