Bed & Breakfast

Ch. 4 In Hiding

*** Lou's POV ***

"She's really something else." I commented to my niece and nephew once the bitchy host stomped out of the house earlier that afternoon.

"I think it's you." Parker said with a shrug instead of jumping on my bandwagon like the tagalong he had always been.

"What did I do?" I grumbled, even though I knew in the moment that I was being pushy.

I dug out the secondhand phones I set up for him and his sister, tossing him one. He fumbled but eventually locks his meaty fingers around the device. "Whoa! Really? Is this for me?"

"If you can use it responsibly. You know you can't do that social media shit and be careful about who you contact. Your mom isn't crazy about this idea, but I talked her into it because I think you two can handle it." I impressed upon him.

"Handle what?" My sweet niece entered the conversation. Parker wiggled his phone at her and she instantly turned to me. I placed her phone in her hands and she instantly threw her arms around my neck. "I've literally been dying without my phone."

"Quit being such a drama queen." I quipped. I put my hand on her already fast-moving fingers. "Be careful. You know he's looking for yous." I looked between her and Parker.

"He's looking for Wilson." She grumbled.

"And you know that won't end well for anyone." I fixed her with a no nonsense look.

She looked at the ground, knowing I was right. My sister's prick of a husband once joked about the price he could get if he sold Riley off to some of his business associates. To say the guy is scum is an insult to scum.

"Just be careful, huh?" I suggested.

The kids were engrossed in their phones while I settled in. I was only meant to stay for the weekend. It was Spring Break at many of the colleges that I travel between so technically I could stay longer if need be. I wanted to check in on my sister and her kids. I paid to put them up here. I wanted to make sure they were comfortable.

We knew her husband would look in the obvious places. He had already made the rounds in calling my parents and me, threatening all kinds of recourse for hiding her. I wanted to tune this guy up so badly but we were cooperating with bigger players now. It would only be a matter of time before this guy got what he deserved. But that meant Paula and the kids staying hidden.

I wished I had known the old woman moved on. This current owner didn't have the same concern and care for her patrons as that woman did. Granted it was a different time and my memory of that old lady might be an idealized memory from my childhood but this chick...well she just wasn't very welcoming.

"Lou?" I heard my sister call up the stairs, bringing me out of the dazed trance I fell into.

I jumped up off the bed and nearly ran downstairs. I had always been close with my sister. Knowing she had experienced so much between losing her husband and this snake nestling into her already complicated life, I felt even more protective than ever.

We embraced immediately. I felt the tension her body carried and I wanted nothing more than to take it away. She pulled back to look at me, looking less tired than I expected. She patted my stubbled cheek.

"This overgrowth is new." She remarked.

"He's not with Melody so he doesn't have to keep it baby's ass pristine anymore." Riley said.

Paula quirked her eyebrow. I didn't deny it. The family didn't particularly like Melody, my on-again, off-again girlfriend. We were currently in an off cycle, although she was blowing up my phone with invites to join her at some Spring Break destination down south. That usually signaled that she was fishing to flip the script. She really pissed me off, saying my sister deserved everything she was going through. I'm not into victim-blaming in general but especially not when it was my sister that she was talking about.